The undone bob is the cool-girl haircut of the season

It may only be January, but the “undone” bob haircut is shaping up to be one of the biggest hairstyles of the year. Essentially a more lived-in and textured take on the French bob, the undone bob is chic, edgy, and shockingly low-maintenance. It’s no wonder so many celebrities are obsessed: Hailey Bieber, Aubrey Plaza, Kourtney Kardashian Barker, Sabrina Elba, and more have all rocked undone bobs over the past few months. Apparently, everyone’s in their short hair era.

As for what differentiates an undone bob from its predecessors? “The undone Bob is a spin-off of the classic bob, but with more texture and movement,” Jennifer Korab, celebrity hairstylist and owner of Renaissance Salon & Spa, tells Glamour. “This is different from your French or classic bob as those have a more sleek and polished look, whereas the undone bob utilises layers and choppiness throughout the haircut.” As a result, the actual shape of the style differs from that of a traditional bob, adds celebrity hairstylist Glenn Ellis. “Looking at this haircut, you’ll see the shape of the undone bob is more textured and feathered on the ends in comparison to a blunt line,” he says. 

In short, the undone bob looks and feels much more lived in than the traditional bob haircut, which is why it’s such a sought-after style. “Undone hair has been a huge inspiration lately,” Ellis says of the undone movement. “A lot of clients want haircuts that work with their texture and look good with or without a lot styling.” In other words, it’s effortless.

It’s also super versatile, adds celebrity hairstylist David Cotteblanche—so much so that, technically speaking, no two undone bobs should be alike. “This kind of haircut is couture and should be created for each individual so it can work for everyone,” Cotteblanche tells Glamour, as he believes we’re in a new era of hairstyling. Instead of just cutting a shape and length, clients are seeking to create their own signature looks—or, in TikTok vernacular, an “aesthetic.”

That’s why Hailey Bieber’s new bob looks so different from Jenna Ortega’s and so on: The beauty of the undone bob is how much it can truly be tailored to you, and do so while remaining relatively low-maintenance. “This look is trending because it is taking a style and modernizing it,” Korab notes. “Things now are very lived in, laid-back, and relaxed, and we are seeing this trend in haircuts as well.”