The ‘laidback bob’ is the cool-girl cut for a more lived-in look

If you’re more of a relaxed babe, a fresh chop can sometimes feel a little too “done”. If that’s you, then the laidback bob may be more up your street. 

It’s a style that’s perfect for the peeps that don’t love an ultra neat, just-cut look, and prefer their hair to look a little more lived-in. Just like second-day hair can work better for styling, second-month hair that’s had a while to be broken in, can feel a little messier, sexier and more low-key. It can skip that awkward stage where you want to wash and style it yourself as soon as you get home from the hair salon, and give you a gorgeous shape that you can rock from the get-go.

So what exactly is the laidback bob? It’s a more softly cut shape that gently trims grown-out texture, rather than slicing it into submission with blunt lines. 

“To achieve a lived-in style, it’s all in the way the hair is cut,” explains Hollie Rose Clarke, pro London Hair stylist (and the woman behind some seriously beautiful effortless hair looks). This means “no blunt ends,” she adds. Instead ask for “point cutting and soft long-surface layers to give that effortlessly grown-in look, even as you step out of the salon,” says Hollie.

As for styling, depending on your natural hair texture, it can be a breeze. “To achieve that gritty, almost dirty, textured, undone wave can be as easy as air drying for some, with the correct product,” says Hollie. “For others it takes a little more work.”

“If you have natural waves and soft movement to the hair, then using a curl cream and a salt spray or mousse will do most of the work for you,” says Hollie, who recommends Living Proof’sPerfect Hair Day In Shower Styler for air drying, Hershesons ZHOOSH Foam or Ouai’s Air Dry Foam for mousse and Kevin Murphy’s Hair Resort or Ouai’s Wave Spray for salt sprays. “I would suggest twisting a few sections of your hair to help create more movement.”

For those with naturally straight hair, “hot tools are your best friend,” confirms Hollie whose weapon of choice for creating day two undone texture is her Babyliss Cordless straighteners. For looser, lived-in waves, try rocking your wrist back and forward to create a gentle “S” shape, rather than anything too defined. And for people who aren’t that confident with hot tools, “the mermaid waver is super easy to use, and does the hard work for you,” says Hollie. Dry texture spray can help create more movement and lock it in place and Hollie recommends Living Proof’s Dry Volume & Texture Spray or Kevin Murphy’s Bedroom Hair.

The good news is, once you get the styling routine down, it’ll last you a few days and make the laidback bob exactly that – super laidback.

For more from GLAMOUR’s Beauty Editor, Elle Turner, follow her on Instagram @elleturneruk