4 Haircut Trends You're Going to Fall Head Over Heels For This Autumn

Think of this year's shift in haircut trends [1] the same way you would a rom-com: you cheer when the protagonist cuts it off or gets blunt [2], but eventually, you're rooting for them to make room for romance. That's exactly what you can expect in the hair department this Autumn [3].

"There's definitely a romantic inspiration," said Mark Townsend [4], hairstylist to the stars and Dove brand ambassador. "Trends aren't seasonal anymore — they transition from season to season but get updated slightly. So last Autumn and even into Spring and Summer, we saw a lot of blunt haircuts [5] with no layers. Those cuts don't give you as much versatility, so going into Fall, we're going to see a lot of the same lengths but with a lot of layers and movement. We're moving away from more sophisticated looks and seeing more fun, romantic haircuts."

From shaggier bobs to Boho-inspired styles, Townsend is breaking down the four haircut trends [6] you're going to fall in love with this season. Prepare to be wooed.

Autumn Haircut Trend: Shaggy Bob

The bob [7] has lived many lives — first in the 1920s as a symbol of rebellion for women, then on just about every celebrity since [8]. In the last year, that meant ends-so-blunt-they-might-cut-you, but this Autumn's take on the trend is much softer.

"The bob is sticking around, but now we're seeing a shaggier bob," said Townsend. "The movement it gives the hair is almost flirty and youthful, and it's a haircut that works on every hair type and texture. A lot of the inspiration behind the transition from a blunt bob to a romantic bob is actress Lucy Boynton [9]. She rocked the look throughout awards season this year and showed off how incredibly versatile a layered bob could be. She wore it up, she wore it down, straight and sleek, with very soft waves."

Autumn Haircut Trend: Shaggy Bob

Autumn Haircut Trend: Fringe Redux

Like clockwork, fringe [10] seem to catch new wind every Autumn, and this season is no different – only this time around, the cut isn't so one-size-fits-all like the peek-a-boo fringe or curtain bangs [11] of yore.

"It's no longer about everyone running out and getting whatever the new bang trend is," he said. "Women are starting to really talk to their hairstylists and get the bangs that are right for their face shape, hair type, and how much time they are going to spend on their hair. I'm seeing bangs mostly on the lob or longer cuts. A great example is Zoe Chao [12], who I just worked with. She has this great lob with beautiful layers and then a micro fringe, which makes the look so unbelievably cool."

Autumn Haircut Trend: Fringe Redux

Autumn Haircut Trend: Boho Fresh

"Boho is making a comeback again with lots of 60s and 70s haircut [13] inspiration," said Townsend. "We're seeing super long lengths and lots of layers, which is my favourite. It's a trend that transitions really well from Summer to Autumn because women are just getting a small trim to clean up the ends and then letting it grow even longer. All of the Olsens, but Mary-Kate and Ashley in particular, and Dakota Johnson [14] are rocking this long, boho layered look. These layers make for a great messy ponytail [15], which is huge trend right now. When you pull all those layers back, especially when you have bangs, you get this face-framing fringe that's basically a whole a separate hairstyle."

Groovy, indeed.