Blog #17- Trending Haircuts and Styles to Ring in the New Year (And Keep Ringing It in All Year Long)
Blog #17-
Trending Haircuts and Styles to Ring in the New Year (And Keep Ringing It in All Year Long)
Today, we’ll be moving from the land of hair color and the rainbows of different shades you can take a stab at over to planet haircut and its corresponding (and sometimes scary) shears plus all the ways you can style those with the many, many products and accessories out there! There will be a virtual ton of technical terms and definitions taken from interviews with top stylists in Cosmo, Allure, Glamour, and In Style, but don’t just take our word for it- if you’re contemplating a new cut or style for 2022, the more info you come to your appointment at the salon armed with, the better. That way, you and your stylist can discuss the minutiae and settle on something that gives you the look you’re hoping for, but a version that will fit your locks’ length, curl, and texture. So let’s get to it!
1. The Big Chop- because the world has been so very unsteady for the past two years, many women will go for the big chop in 2022, hoping hair change will equal world change in a weird roundabout way, almost like the baseball player who refuses to change his socks because if he does, then his team’s sudden winning streak will evaporate, so stylists are predicting a cornucopia of pixies and other shorter styles. Experimentation with tailoring these to specific people in addition to the fun colors we discussed in the last two blogs makes people happy, and we all need something to keep us content as we can be, given everything going on. Thus, why you see so many shorter cuts below.
2. The Bixie: Hair’s New Portmanteau- for example, we have this one, named the hottest trend to watch on many fashion websites. It’s a cross between a pixie and a bob, and comes in too many lengths, shapes, and styles to cover in a book, let alone one blog post. The bixie is defined as equal parts pixie and bob, a shaggy bob, a mix of layers to add dimension and texture to hair. It began with stars like Winona Ryder, Cameron Diaz, and the lovable Kathleen Kelly aka owner of The Shop Around the Corner (aka Meg Ryan) in 1998’s You’ve Got Mail, and the new “it” girls like Florence Pugh and even more so, Rowan Blanchard have brought it back in a big way.
3. Classic Bobs- go a little bit longer, and you’ll be at a true bob, a timeless classic that has countless iterations and continues to add to its ranks every new season. For 2022, we have four versions of this style that will be popular, starting with the classic original. A classic bob is defined as a cut that puts hair the same length all the way around the head, typically sheared off to about chin length so that the hair falls just below the jawline. It’s usually worn with a center or side part, sleek and straight, like Miss Gale Weathers (aka Courtney Cox) in Scream 2 (and I still love those highlights she’s rocking).
4. Versus Sliced Bobs- on the other hand, the sliced bob is defined as a cool but effortless cut that does the work for you. It’s just barely longer in front, almost but not quite an A-line bob, allowing framing for the face. It’s named thus because the look is created by simply slicing through the hair with scissors only, it works great for fine and straight hair, it’s a little more severe than the classic, and it gives the hair movement. Just check out Mia Wallace below from Pulp Fiction (aka Uma Thurman).
5. Versus Boy Bobs- in contrast, the only definition the boy bob has is blunt- that’s it. The lack of rules for this style are to allow the stylist to cater to each client’s hair. The end result should feel undone as opposed to rigid, the length typically falls between chin and collarbone, and most hairdressers recommend air drying when styling. An excellent example is the enormously kick-butt Trinity of Matrix fame (Carrie-Anne Moss).
6. Versus Mid Length Bobs (Whew)- finally, the mid-length bob falls closer to the shoulders, so we might classify it under the same heading as a lob which can sit just above, at, or below the shoulders. Other than length, this one can be cut, parted, and styled in countless ways, but if you’re considering the “big chop,” a length like this might be a perfect gateway, especially if the prospect of cutting too much off at once fills you with dread. After all, just look at how gorgeous Juliet (Keira Knightley) is in my favorite X-mas movie ever, Love Actually.
7. The New Mullet- although the next three entries on the 2022 trending hairstyles list might look like an episode of Wild Kingdom, I promise, we’re still talking hair here. Like a crazy flashback to the 80s, the mullet is back and has been for some time now. It’s a controversial choice- people tend to absolutely adore it or absolutely despise it, and even though I wouldn’t be brave enough to say, “Mullet,” to a stylist once I sat down in the chair, you have to admit, Miley Cyrus’ take below is really cute (but I will argue with you ‘til the cows come home that her father’s version of it in “Achy Breaky Heart” was NOT a good thing). The mullet is defined as short bangs and choppy layers that blend those gradually to the longer hair in the back (or as Ash in Supernatural said, “All business up front, party in the back”), and as long as you go for the modern interpretation of it, you’ll be on trend and unique.
8. The Wolf Cut- moving in order of length, a little longer is the wolf cut, defined as a creative version of the mullet which has the same choppy texture, pattern, and shape combined with the softness and wearability of the shag. So it’s sort of like a shullet? A mag? So think rocker Joan Jett, an updated 2022 version of that like Billie Eilish.
9. And the Octopus Cut (It’s Like a Zoo Around Here)- the newest cut on the list, the octopus is more like a flashback to the 70s (I swear my mom had this one in a sweet pic she took with my older sister a few years before I was born, and I guess this means we now have to stop poking fun of her as it’s on trend again). It’s defined as a cut with choppy and visible layers that resemble an octopus’ tentacles, hence the name, and it’s achieved by shearing the front shorter, making it top heavy, and then working in wispy, angled pieces that cascade down from the shoulders. In fact, this one is so new that I have failed you, dear readers- I could not find a movie character or rock goddess sporting this one in 2022, not yet at least.
10. The Modern Shag (Not the Dance- the Cut)- in a similar vein to the three above, the shag is also making a comeback, and a good one is all about layers, layers, layers. Just ask our beloved favorites Rachel, and to an extent, Monica as well from Friends fame (aka Jennifer Aniston and Courtney Cox making her second appearance on this list). Rachel’s shag was so awesome and prevalent in the 90s that we named the style after her. However, this is the modern take on the classic, so the definition you start from is choppy, lots of texture, but not like 80s hair metal bands. Actually, the less you do, the better it looks in terms of layering, so don’t go overboard and date it, and make sure the stylist gets the fringe just right. It should look like a style that has simply grown out somewhat, something effortless. So a bit more like Tay-tay now.
11. 90s Layers- if you want to stay a bit longer, try long 90s layers in your do (also referred to as heavy layers). They help add volume, movement, and shape which is especially important for those with naturally thick hair so that it doesn’t hang too heavy and lank, and they frame the face for softness. So think Cher in Clueless (Alicia Silverstone).
12. Versus Tailored Layers- on the other hand, if you trust your stylist, you can also request that he or she tailor the layers to you and only you. Every one of us has a slightly different length and style, and we exist in opposites- fine versus coarse, thick versus thin, straight versus curly versus wavy, and the list goes on. And that’s just our hair. A cut should also take into consideration how much time you’re willing to spend on styling, how good you are at styling (or not), the structure of your face, your neck, your shoulders, and so on. A good hairdresser can make you shine if you just give them a little leeway and listen to their advice. For example, maybe your stylist opts for face-framing bangs that start out slim and short, curving towards the eyes, the longest ones following the cheekbones. The length and angle can be adjusted to your face shape, adding softness and drawing attention to the eyes. Just look at Kendall Carr below from AHS: Death Valley (Kaia Gerber).
And that’s just one HALF of the list of all the ways we can accentuate our beauty through hairstyle this year. Tune in next time for bangs, straight versus curly, parts, and updos among other things. Until then….
