Hair
Including but not limited to: the butterfly cut, the blunt bob and the "bixie."
ByLauren Knowles
Date November 24, 2023
From butterfly-inspired trims to “bixie” crops, 2023 has been a big year for haircut trends.
We once ran from scissor-happy stylists for fear of unintentionally leaving the salon with a ’90s bowl cut or artsy mullet, but this year we embraced them. While we may best remember 2023 as the year Harry Styles’ majestic mane was shorn into a buzz cut (although, Florence Pugh did it first), it was also the year that most of us were open to experimenting with more daring haircuts.
Suffice to say, the top haircuts of 2023 involved a good deal of snipping. Ahead, we unpack five of the biggest haircut trends of 2023 and who wore them best.
The butterfly cut
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The secret to achieving the bouncy, layered locks that made us all ooh andahh with envy this year was stepping into the salon and asking a hairstylist for the “butterfly cut.” In non-salon speak, you’d be asking for longer bangs and feathery, face-framing layers that vary from just beneath the chin at their shortest length, to below the shoulders at their longest.
Coined by celebrity hairstylist Sunnie Brook, this hairstyle gets its name from the way the layers fall and mimic butterfly wings. If you’re one to take hair inspiration from Instagram or TikTok, odds are you’ve spotted this style on Scandinavian influencer Matilda Djerf — whose name is immediately followed by the word “hair” when typed into Google. Accumulating nearly two billion views on TikTok’s #butterflycut hashtag, this hairdo combines the best of Jennifer Anniston’s iconic ’90s blowouts with Farrah Fawcett level volume.
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The blunt bob
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A post shared by Hailey Rhode Baldwin Bieber (@haileybieber)
Yes, Hailey Bieber popularized glazed donut nails and a slew of other food-inspired beauty trends like strawberry girl glam and latte makeup, but as far as haircut trends are concerned, she basically sparked a “go short” movement when she chopped her brunette lengths into a blunt bob earlier this year.
This style, which involves having your hair evenly trimmed to one length that sits at your jawline, proves that snipping off longer locks can be worth the leap of faith. Whether you wear it straight and sleek or curly and tousled, it always reads chic and sophisticated. Trust in Bieber, who’s been flaunting it all year long.
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The “bixie”
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Somewhere between the bluntness of a bob and the structure of the pixie lies the “bixie” crop. Evanie Frausto, hairstylist to Bella Hadid, predicted in aVoguearticle this year that the bixie would be autumn’s “cut of the season,” and we’d have to agree. It’s short and sweet, yet maintains a certain level of edginess when worn in a more mussed, slightly slept-in vibe.
In September, Victoria’s Secret angel Taylor Hill went viral when she posted a dramatic transformation video of her mid-length ombre locks being chopped into a bixie, which racked up over ten million views on Instagram and TikTok. Fellow model Iris Law, who is a long-time wearer of the bixie, sports her hairdo in a platinum blonde shade often adorned with miniature hair bows and clips.
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The curve or “C” cut
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The highly coveted “curve cut” (also known as the “C” cut) takes the term “face-framing layers” to another level. As its name suggests, this crop resembles the letter C with its rounded shape that curves soft, longer layers inwards toward the face.
With the layers clinging to the perimeter of the face, the jawline and cheekbones appear more enhanced, sculpted, and frankly, snatched! We’ve loved seeing this look on stars like Priyanka Chopra, Lucy Hale, and Elsa Hosk this year.
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The cub cut
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Last year, we predicted that in 2023, we’d be seeing more of the “wolf cut,” a style worn by Jenna Ortega in late 2022 at the peak of her Wednesday fame. Turns out we were *almost* right. This year, the “cub cut,” an evolution of the OG wolf cut trend, made its debut.
Keeping up with that playful and punky feel, the cub cut is like a cousin to the bob, and a sister to the wolf cut. It goes as short (or shorter!) as a classic bob, while maintaining the shagginess and varied layered lengths of its lupine predecessor. To best explain this look to your stylist, simply share a few photos of influencers like Emma Chamberlain or Cierra Nia Wright — they’ll know exactly what look you’re going for.
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Looking for more hair inspo? We’ve got tips for giving short bob haircuts volume and the best styling products for creating a slicked-back bun.
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