The ‘expensive bob’ is the swish chop you’ll be seeing everywhere this spring

First came Expensive Brunette, then came Expensive Blonde. Now, our new favourite chop follows the same formula. The Expensive Bob is all about being specific, intentional and precise to create an incredibly plush, luxe-looking cut – so attention to detail is everything.

But where the hair colour trends were about creating super soft dimension, the expensive bob is moving away from soft shapes to something a little more statement and definitive that showcases your hair stylist’s skill set. Fancy. 

In a nutshell, the expensive bob is shorter, sharper and squared off. But the finish is next-level shiny, elevating grunge with glam – like the ’90s crop bob got a glow-up. 

“We’re naturally going blunter,” confirms Zoe Irwin,  colour and styling trend forecaster and creative director at John Frieda. “If you think about five years ago – and a lot of the trends coming from the LA hairdressers – things were pulled out, with more of a layer in the last centimetre,” she said. But now slick blunt shapes are everywhere. 

How to get the expensive bob

It’s all about the structure. “When you use thinning scissors or a razor, it removes a lot of the structure out of the hair,” explains Joel Goncalves, artistic director at Nicola Clarke Salon, which means the bob line is lost. “It doesn’t have a life of its own, if it’s aggressively thinned out,” Joel says. So ask your stylist to cut a crisp line using cutting scissors. “Using scissors means you have more control over the line that you create,” says Joel.

How to maintain the expensive bob

Basically, you’re about to come a whole lot more friendly with your hair stylist. “The ‘90s was really about haircuts. We pretty much all had shorter haircuts,” says Zoe.  “We would be coming in every 6 weeks, but having your hair cut so regularly has almost gone out of fashion,” she says. However, “when you cut regularly, you get this amazing weight, which is what gives hair that swing and healthiness. That swish,” Zoe says. So get multiple follow-ups booked in (we said it was called expensive). 

How to style the expensive bob

The styling is what helps to set this cut apart and give it a modern spin, and it’s all about that beautiful, glossy finish. “The ‘90s was quite grunge because we came out of the ‘80s and everything was so glamorous, but I feel like the way we’re referencing ‘90s hair now is quite feminine. Everything’s a bit pared down now. It’s cleaner,” says Nicola Clarke, creative colour director at John Frieda salons. 

“It’s to do with the texture. The development that’s happened since then means we now have a whole range of products that hydrate without feeling heavy,” agrees Zoe. So you can swap gritty salt sprays for something like the Hair by Sam McKnight Happy Endings Nourishing Balm. “It’s a light product that has a certain hold and gives the hair some texture,” says Joel. He also recommends heated rollers (another blast from the ’90s past), only this time, keep it brief.