These low-maintenance looks are perfect for embracing your bold and beautiful self
Short hairstyles for women represent a sense of independence, style, and bravery to break the feminine stereotype of a woman having long, flowing locks of hair
I adore hair. In grade school, I never got my work put on the “special cork board” that showed off exceptional work by students. But one day, we had an activity to draw and write about what you like most about yourself. My fellow classmates chose, “my intelligence” “my hardworking ethic” “my generosity”—stuff like that. I illustrated, “my hair!” And lo and behold, seemingly shallow as it was, it was placed on the corkboard, probably to the amusement of teachers.
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As someone with a lot of emotional affection for her hair, I don’t do coloring or styling, opting for the easiest no-treatment wash-and-wear routine. I’ve gone through it all except for a shaved head; I’ve been through the pixie cut, and I’ve even cut it a bit too short and spiky, which was hellish to grow back. I’ve done the pixie cut with bangs and, for most of my life, had a chin-length bob. Only now am I growing it out for my wedding.
Short hairstyles are definitely on an upward trend, and cuts are looking shaggier and wilder this year. Curtain bangs are still in, but they’re taking on a wilder look. Let’s explore some of the top short hairstyles for women in 2024.
Pixie cut
I’ve gotten a pixie cut twice. Pixie cuts can frame a face well, making a woman’s face look sharper and more elegant and sophisticated. Think Audrey Hepburn.
Right now, shaggier pixie cuts are giving an extra edge rather than Hepburn’s sleeker look.
To avoid making your face look rounder, I recommend a side fringe to highlight the cheekbones and long face shape as well as add layers of softness.
Be forewarned, as someone who has had three pixie cuts before—you can’t just leave the house in a T-shirt, slippers, and shorts if you want to look presentable. Or you could, but you still need to do a bit of styling unless your wardrobe is just that good.
With pixie cuts, every outfit must be well-planned. Expect to get tons of compliments and genuine admiration from other women, but unless you’re made of steel, you may occasionally feel moments of insecurity. You can go uber short and spiky (like Zoe Kravitz) or take it slow and build your way up to a really short pixie cut.
The “kitty cut”
The “kitty cut” is a new hairstyle inspired by the shag haircuts of the 1970s, where hair was cut raw with a razor for a super-textured wolf cut look. This isn’t as rough but more polished, aiming to frame the face with layers.
It’s been predicted that this short hairstyle is set to be the biggest trend for women this year. Each person has a different hair type but typically, the kitty cut has layers that frame the face with a curtain fringe and looks fabulous when cut at the collarbone. Mind you, this might need a little bit of styling to add volume.
A structured bob
Who doesn’t love a good bob? We’ve definitely seen more bobs lately, as it just makes an outfit look effortlessly stylish. We’re talking shaggy bobs for wavy hair with a full set of bangs.
A chin-length bob looks excellent with straight hair too. It’s giving fresh, youthful, “I-woke-up-like-this” supremacy.
The grungy bob
As mentioned earlier, wild, unkempt tresses are in. I’ve noticed that contemporaries my age have just totally stopped brushing their hair.
A grungy bob can be low-maintenance if you have naturally wavy hair, but it requires a bit more styling and volumizing the texture if you have straight hair. There’s something about this fun look that doesn’t quite encapsulate a pixie cut or a bob but falls somewhere in between.
The slicked-back bob
Ma cherie, que bella! I love this look, especially for formal occasions. Although my mother once commented on an editorial, joking that she was confused about the model’s hair being wet and that I could now leave the house with wet hair since it was in fashion.
For those with straight hair and an existing bob, this is an easy look for ultra-elegance. Going beyond the styled slicked-back bun, it features short hair secured firmly in place with an extra-strong hair gel and a fine-toothed or detangling comb.