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So you’ve finally succumbed to the ever tempting bob trend—welcome to the club! Now it’s time to learn how to style a bob. The verdict? This chic, versatile cut isn’t going anywhere. It’s officially a timeless hair staple, championed by an impressive roster of celebs, including Gigi Hadid, Kerry Washington, Gracie Abrams, Selena Gomez, Carey Mulligan, Zoë Saldaña, Pamela Anderson, Zendaya... Need we go on? The bob is very much in.
I took the plunge myself last fall when needing a change, trading in my waist-length strands for an above-the-shoulder crop—a bold move, especially when surrounded by friends who gasped at the mere idea of cutting off more than 10 inches. If you’re anything like me, going from ultra-long locks to a shorter style comes with a bit of a learning curve. With less hair to wrangle (which sounds easier in theory), I found myself a hair styling novice. As it turns out, all I needed was a little practice and finesse—and maybe a TikTok tutorial or two.
Vogue’s Bob Styling Essentials
- The Hair Straightener: Bio Ionic 10x Pro Styling Iron 1, $239
- The Thermal Brush: Mermade Hair Thermal Brush, $85
- The Texture Spray: Living Proof Full Dry Volume Texture Spray, $36
- The Multipurpose Styler: Dyson AirWrap, $600
- The Heat Protectant Serum: Olaplex No. 9 Bond Protector Nourishing Hair Serum, $30
- The Styling Cream: R+Co Bleu Proper Molding Paste, $39
- The Beveled Edge Straightener: Dyson Corrale, $500
In This Story
“Although styling can be intimidating, confidence is the first step to creating any hair look at home,” celebrity hair stylist Dimitris Giannetos tells Vogue of adjusting to learning how to style a newly cut shorter look.
That said, if you think there’s not much to do with shorter hair, you’ll be gladly mistaken. Bobs are way more versatile than they get credit for. With the help of Giannetos, we’ve broken down four essential bob styles to try now.
Option 1: The Super Sleek Bob
Yearning for pin-straight, high-shine lengths? Giannetos shares his go-to essentials for getting his celebrity clients’ hair impossibly sleek. “Start with a heat protectant and go in with a straightener, like the Bio Ionic 10X Straightening and Styling Iron. The vibrating plates make it even easier to get that glass-hair finish,” Giannetos tells Vogue.
To lock in the look, he finishes with a few drops of hair oil to keep strands smooth and frizz-free. For heat protection, Color Wow’s Dream Coat delivers a humidity-proof shield while dialing up the shine during styling. Pro tip: A narrow brush like Denman’s helps detangle as you straighten, ensuring an ultra-sleek finish. As for Giannetos’s hair oil of choice, it’s a tried-and-true classic from Moroccanoil.
Option 2: The Mod Bob
The ’60s-inspired flipped bob (a.k.a. the “fob”) is officially back—and Giannetos is the mastermind behind Gigi Hadid’s perfectly sculpted mod crop. “This is all about the flip, so using a beveled straightener to curve the ends is key. Next, lock it in with a high-shine gloss that doesn’t weigh down the hair or make it greasy,” says Giannetos, who reaches for Redken’s gloss spray to achieve the result. To protect strands without that dreaded sizzle or soggy finish, Olaplex’s heat protectant serum glides through shorter styles with ease, moisturizing while shielding against heat damage.
As for tools, I will forever wax poetic about the Dyson Corrale—the ultimate beveled-edge straightener—thanks to its copper plates that minimize breakage and effortless glide. To ensure my flipped ends stay flipped, I rely on a touch of R+Co’s molding paste to sculpt the perfect C-curve that’s so locked in it’s practically gravity-proof.
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Option 3: The Bouncy Blowout Bob
While the pros make it look oh so easy, most of us can rarely get the hang of a simple round brush and hair dryer when trying to give ourselves a blowout at home—but Giannetos has a hack. “If you’re not a pro with a round brush, that’s ok: Cheat by using a heated round brush,” Giannetos says, noting you can also opt for a two-in-one tool that dries hair while styling (hello, Dyson AirWrap!). To amp up the volume and overall oomph of your blowout, texture mists like this popular pick from Living Proof add major height and hold. Ready to set your new Italian bob-inspired look? Giannetos likes to complete his clients’ styles with L’Oréal Paris’s classic Elnett hairspray for a “bouncy, brushed-out finish.”
Option 4: The Wavy Bob
Arguably the most low-maintenance style, a wavy bob can be achieved in several ways. Diffusing natural waves, using a hair waver, or allowing your lengths to air-dry—Giannetos opts for a combo of all three methods. “Let hair air-dry, then spritz in a salt spray, and use a barrel waver for that undone texture,” Giannetos says. “When you’re done, tousle your hair with your fingers, and you’re good to go. It’s effortless but intentional!”
If you’re going the diffusing route, Bio Ionic offers a universal option that pops on any blow dryer. For wave spray, Ouai offers a high-performing, salt-free choice for adding texture without drying out lengths. For heat-styled waves, Bed Head offers an adjustable barrel waver with nearly 19,000 glowing Amazon reviews. To finish off the look, IGK’s multipurpose texture spray adds a touchable hold to your style sans crunch.
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Meet the Experts
- Dimitris Giannetos is celebrity hairstylist and colorist. His clients include Gigi Hadid, Amal and George Clooney, the Kardashians, and more.
