If you’re unfamiliar with the power of a great bob haircut, you may not realize just how versatile this chin-length hairstyle can be. It may have gotten a reputation as a great cut for thinning or fine hair — and it is — but it’s also so much more than that. A bob can be customized to suit every hair type under the sun. Whether you have pin-straight hair or curls, your stylist can cut your bob so that it brings out the absolute best in your hair. It doesn’t hurt that the cut is the perfect length for anyone who is short-hair curious, but not interested in taking the pixie cut plunge.
Since you’ve already settled on a bob as your next great haircut, here comes the fun part: personalizing it to suit your style and hair. These seven flirty and edgy bob hairstyles can make women over 50 look 10 years younger.
1. Blonde Bob
There is truth to the idea that lighter hair often looks fantastic after a certain age. When your hair is lighter, especially around the face, it provides more warmth (skin tone often changes with age, and may become more sallow, so blonder pieces can help a great deal). If your hair isn’t naturally light, a blonde bob is easier to maintain than long, blonde hair, with less time spent in the salon chair for a notoriously high-maintenance shade (that’s worth it, of course). Charlize Theron is one example of a stunner who is approaching 50 and makes a blonde bob look incredibly stylish.
2. Bob with Swooping Layers
Long, swooping layers on a bob give it movement and appeal. If your hair is shedding or thinning, these layers can make your hair look more voluminous. Conversely, anyone with very thick hair will find the bulk removed from their hair with strategic layering so that your bob looks more like a thoughtful style, and not a sheet of hair.
3. Bob with Bangs
Bangs are always a fantastic idea any time you want to kick up your style a notch without compromising length. Adding bangs to your bob give it a sweet retro feel, and as Kerry Washington shows us, they also make your bob look more polished. Work with your stylist to figure out which bang style is best for your hair and face.
4. Italian Bob
The Italian bob gives sexy vibes thanks to its blunt ends, which add a clean finish and can bulk up thinning or fine hair, an A-line shape in which the front pieces are a bit longer than the back, and just enough layering and face-framing layers to add movement and definition to your eyes and cheekbones without making it look choppy.
5. Sleek Silver Lob
Forget everything you were told when you were younger about gray and silver hair making you look older — throw out all that messaging. Some of today’s most fabulous beauty and fashion icons are proudly sporting their grays and silver hair and it looks nothing short of chic and sophisticated. A sleek silver lob that’s cut to the collarbone and has light layering is the perfect complement to gray. Talk to your colorist about ways to tone down brashness in your hair so that it looks shiny and healthy.
6. Angled Bob
There’s no way to rock an angled bob and not feel like a rebel. Something about its asymmetrical cut, with longer front pieces or one side that is longer than the other, makes you feel and look edgier and more chic. Play around with the back and cut it as short as you feel comfortable doing to create an even bolder contrast with the longer front strands.
7. Curly Bob
Want to know the fastest way to make thin or fine hair look plump and thick? Add curls, waves, and width to your bob haircut. By expanding the width of your hair, your individual strands will look more voluminous. If you have naturally textured hair, perfect — ask your stylist to cut your bob and its layers so that it encourages your curl pattern to emerge in all of its glory. And if you have straight hair, don’t be afraid to experiment with heatless curls or waves.
