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Want to know the hair trends of 2023? We do too, so we tapped up some of our top hair stylist friends to ask them to spill on what we should be looking out for.
The good news? Finding a haircut you like could be as simple as ABC, thanks to the wave of alphabet haircuts set to headline going forward. You might have heard of the “V” cut, where hair comes to a point at the ends, but the “C” and “U” cut are about to be major and the offer a slightly softer take on the heavy layers that have dominated for the past couple of years.
As for animal-inspired chops (see: the wolf cut, butterfly cut, octopus cut and jellyfish cut), they’ll continue to be popular, so we’re keeping our eyes peeled for what creature will come next. In the meantime, they’ll become more bespoke thanks to mixing and matching our favourite features from each.
Hair is set to get shorter, according to Pinterest’s 2023 predictions, which forecasts barely-there bobs, short braids and chopped fringes. But for those hanging onto their length, layers remain a mood.
The jist? “We don’t really have one trend nowadays. They come and go so quickly thanks to social media,” explains celebrity hairstylist and ColorWow international creative director, Dom Seeley. “The trend comes from the quirks and personal style of the individual,” he adds. Which means for 2023 attitude is everything.
Here’s the 7 hairstyle trends 2023 will be seeing a lot of…
The “C” cut
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“The ‘C’ shape haircut is going to be huge,” says Dom. In a nutshell, it features a “softer ‘U’ shape through the length and layers and face framing pieces,” explains Dom. “It’s a progression of the heavy ‘70s and ‘90s cuts we saw everywhere in 2022. It’s like the revival of The Rachel, but much more soft and not as heavy on the face framing. It gives a more rounded, balanced haircut that’s still fun to style and easy to do, but the hair has more intentional, rounded shapes and curves – instead of the “V” cut where hair goes to a point.” says Dom. The bonus? It’ll make hair look thicker, too. As for styling, “the soft rounded curves will look great styled or left to dry naturally,” Dom adds.
Mix ‘n match cuts
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“One thing that’s a massive trend for 2023 is that clients are starting to put different haircuts together, such as combining the front of one type of haircut, with the back of another (maybe shorter in the front, longer in the back), such as people’s own takes on mullets and wolf cuts,” says Paul. “People are almost having a DIY version of a haircut. There is a real trend of mixing and matching,” he adds. “We’ll see a lot of ‘70s and ‘90s styles fused together taking the best of both eras,” agrees Dom. “So you might see the shag or wolf cut turned into the octopus cut, or the mullet and shag turned into the shullet. The haircuts have evolved, taking the best bits from each cut and making a hybrid version,” he adds.
Short cuts
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“Short hair cuts in particular will be huge in 2023,” confirms celebrity hairstylist, Dionne Smith. “We’ll be seeing a lot of pixie cuts, short bobs, fringes and styles of that variety. I think the need for a fresh start and pressing the reset button after a challenging couple of years will manifest in the desire to cut our hair. Short crops and bobs will be the most in-demand cuts,” she adds.
“Bobs are getting much shorter, expect to see a shorter, square length,” agrees pro hairstylist and co-founder of Percy & Reed, Paul Percival. Other popular options include the French girl bob. “It will never go out of style as its classic and timeless, and it’s a real head-turner,” says Dom. “For 2023 it will have an updated feel with more layers and softer cropped fringes, like a ‘70s or 90s-esque curtain bang, and copious amounts of movement made easy from internal layers – perfect for that on trend cool girl,” he says. Or, if you can’t decide between a bob and a pixie, combine both. “The Bixie is the best of both worlds,” says Dom. “It’s got all the texture and shape of a pixie, but with more of a bob length and a ton of wispy face framing texture. It’s a great option to transition your pixie if you still want that cool edge but want to grow it out. Or if you’re over the long lengths then it’s a great happy medium,” he adds.
Curated curls
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A post shared by Michelle Thompson Hairstylist (@michellethompsonhair)
“Coily and curly hair already has incredible texture, so there isn’t one specific trend,” says Dom. But he’d recommend tailoring your cut to meet your hair goals, “whether it be volume, balance, length or overall shape.” To do this, Dionne says taking a curated and bespoke approach is important. “The best cut for those with curly or coily hair is one that grants the opportunity to work with the hair’s natural texture such as the Deva Cut. This trend sees the stylist cutting on Afro hair in its dry state, with the curls cut section-by-section to allow the hair to fall naturally,” she says.
‘90s midis
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Don’t like your hair too long, or too short? The ’90s midi cut is the perfect middle ground. “The easiest way to update a midi cut is to add some internal layers and texture,” says Dom. “Instead of it being one length at the shoulder or collarbone, it should have a ton of movement allowing it to be more voluminous and fluffy. We’ll see an update on the ‘90s style with flicked-out wispy layering that’s still heavy in the length so you don’t lose the overall style,” he says.
But, for that ‘90s blow-out aesthetic, there will be some styling involved. “As a rule of thumb, any length that’s at the shoulder and shorter is in a ’style’ so a simple hair wash and air dry will have you looking cool. Any length longer than the shoulder needs styling. It should be cut well enough to wash and leave to dry naturally, as a great cut should give you versatility. But with more length you usually have to style it to maximise your cut, so get your hair dyer, brushes and curling or straightening irons out to create the style you want. The cut will do the majority of the work but a little styling is needed to get the most out of your final look,” says Dom.
Layers
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You didn’t think we were going to forget about layers, did you. They remain the single biggest hair trend of right now since they encompass dozens of the hairstyles going viral including the butterfly cut (which will remain popular), the wolf cut and variations of the shag and mullet. Better still you can tailor them to you and your style whether that’s more minimal and low-key (looking at you, invisible layers), grungey and choppy (anything shaggy) sleek and sliced (like the chunky ‘90s Rachel layers), or fluffy and voluminous (like the ’70s flicks that are still everywhere).
Curtain bangs
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So the curtain fringe is going nowhere. Just like 2022 it’s set to be major in 2023. As for how to get it just right, “it should start mid-way between the eyebrows and the bridge of the nose, but it has more length at the sides,” says Dom. Depending on how heavy you get it cut it can feel ultra plush or barely there, and tuck back into the rest of your hair when up, or teased forward. “It has a flowy vibe. It’s not a solid bang or fringe, but it’s also not just face framing. It’s somewhere in the middle and it suits the majority of hair lengths too,” says Dom. “There are so many options for people with long hair when it comes to cuts,” agrees Dionne. “If you don’t want to take the plunge by going for a short cut, you can add a wispy fringe to your long or mid-length hair,” she says.
Originally published in Glamourmagazine.co.uk
