Beauty 20 Choppy Bob Haircut Ideas to Inspire Your Fall Refresh By Rebecca Norris Rebecca Norris Rebecca R. Norris is a full-time freelance writer living in the DC metro area. She writes for a variety of publications, covering everything from beauty and wellness to style and celebrity news. InStyle's editorial guidelines Published on September 14, 2023 @ 01:32PM Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Getty Images If you're of the mindset that a new season automatically calls for a new haircut, you might be thinking of all the ways you can transform your look with a few scissor snips. As much as we love long layers, wolf cuts, and lobs, bobs seem to be on the rise. In particular, choppy bobs seem to be popping up everywhere we look. As the name implies, a choppy bob is a chin-grazing cut that features various chops or layers. "It's a great short haircut if you're looking for something playful, sexy, and fresh looking that adds movement, definition, and volume to your hair," says Mehria Aziz, a Warren Tricomi expert stylist. Not a fan of layers? No worries! Many celebrities are proving that you can showcase the look of a choppy bob without actually getting layers. It all comes down to the haircut you choose and how you style it (ah, the wonders of S-waves and texturizing spray). Keep reading to uncover 20 choppy bob haircut ideas to consider for your next salon appointment. Meet the expert Mehria Aziz is a Warren Tricomi expert stylist. Howard McLaren is one of the co-founders of hair care line R+Co. 01 of 20 Wavy Bob Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images Julianne Hough has one of the most instantly recognizable choppy bobs in Hollywood. It's a classic interpretation of the cut, showcasing a variety of layers to add texture, definition, and volume to the hair. If you're hoping to achieve a true layered, choppy bob, Aziz says to ask your stylist about a razor, thinning shears, or point-cutting techniques before the chop. "These will ensure that your stylist is familiar with this trend and knows exactly what you are looking for," she explains. 02 of 20 Deep Side Part Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images Remember: You don't have to have a ton of layers to rock a choppy bob. You can take Gabrielle Union's lead and opt for long layers paired with a deep side part to achieve the look. 03 of 20 Center Part Bob George Pimentel/Getty Images To create volume at the bottom of your choppy bob—like Lucy Boynton's, above—R+Co co-founder Howard McLaren says that using hairspray is key. For best results, he suggests misting hairspray into your styled strands, then tilting your head from shoulder to shoulder, prompting your ends to bounce out. 04 of 20 French Bob Mike Marsland/Getty Images Lily Allen's French bob takes on a more lived-in effect thanks to choppy bangs. To tame your fringe while adding body from roots to ends for an A-line effect, Aziz says to reach for your favorite mousse. (Need a reco? Living Proof Full Thickening Mousse is a fan fave—even Lily Collins loves it.) 05 of 20 Natural Coils Aaron J. Thornton/ Getty Images One of the many beautiful things about natural coils is that, when styled just so, they can take on the appearance of a layered bob. Here, Yara Shahidi pinned back the hair along her hairline to add more definition to the angular cut. 06 of 20 Tousled Layers Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Getty Images Sydney Chandler's effortlessly choppy bob is the product of layers and a modest fringe. While many people believe bangs to be difficult to maintain, McLaren says that a softly layered look like Chandler's can be perfected with mousse and shine cream. When he styles similar cuts, he likes to use R+Co WATERFALL Moisture + Shine Lotion ($34) followed by R+Co AIRCRAFT Pomade Mousse ($36). "It's a true carefree style that lasts," he says, noting that it works well to provide separation while highlighting the blunt chop. 07 of 20 Choppy Blunt Bob Dan MacMedan/Getty Images Beyoncé has proven time and time again that she can rock literally any haircut or style. Here, queen Bey is shown smiling with a choppy blunt bob that looks messy-chic. To achieve such a style, Aziz suggests using a texturizing spray to add piecey volume and definition to the cut. The 9 Best Texturizing Hair Sprays of 2024 for Instant Volume and Tousled Waves 08 of 20 Angled Chop Jon Kopaloff/Stringer/Getty Images While Shay Mitchell is wearing a picture-perfect wig here, McLaren says you can achieve a similarly voluminous angled chop by being proactive with your product selection. Rather than simply misting your hair with detangler and heat spray and styling it as usual, he recommends using an elixir spray, like the R+Co CENTERPIECE All-in-One Elixir Spray ($36), to boost volume at the roots while creating separation at the ends. No elixir on hand? He says tousling dry shampoo in the roots, mids, and ends can have a similar effect. 09 of 20 Curtain Bangs Steve Granitz/Getty Images Rihanna's take on the choppy bob features minimalist curtain bangs (in that, really, they're choppy bangs parted in the middle) and glossy, wet-looking waves. 10 of 20 Asymmetric Bob David Livingston/Getty Images Asymmetric bobs are particularly popular for people with fine hair, as keeping it all roughly one length makes it look fuller. That said, here, Kaia Gerber's asymmetric bob looks as though it has layers thanks to the gentle S-waves and ear tuck. 11 of 20 Thick Fringe Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images We love Kerry Washington's wavy bob, complete with choppy bangs. To achieve a shiny bob like Kerry's, consider spritzing your styled hair with a shine spray, like the Color Wow Extra Mist-ical Shine Spray ($29). 12 of 20 Side Part Bob Presley Ann/Getty Images A choppy bob haircut can look picture perfect no matter which way you part it. Lana Condor proves that with her voluminous, layered cut worn in a deep side part. 13 of 20 Blunt Chop Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Don't think that all choppy bobs have to have tons of texture. Here, Bella Hadid shows how even slightly jagged ends on a blunt cut can have a similar effect. 14 of 20 Uniform Strands Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images If you love the idea of a blunt cut for your everyday but want to be able to rock a choppier look for certain occasions, take a page out of Hailey Bieber's book. Here, her single-length strands take on a choppy appeal thanks to piecey, defined waves. 15 of 20 Feathered Ends Steve Granitz/Getty Images Jennifer Lopez is no stranger to switching up her strands. Once upon a time, she even rocked a choppy bob. To recreate her look, ask your stylist for a collarbone-skimming cut with razored ends and piecey definition. Make sure to bring a picture with you, too—you know what they say: A picture is worth a thousand words. 16 of 20 Choppy Bangs Jason LaVeris/Getty Images Kelly Rowland has rocked a bob on more than one occasion. Here, she let her bangs bring the choppy effect while the rest of her strands were the same length. 17 of 20 Side-Swept Bangs Kevin Winter/Getty Images Cameron Diaz has made a case for bobs more than once in her life. (The Holiday, anyone?) To copy her look above, ask your stylist for side-swept bangs and soft layers. Then, when styling, blowout your bangs and add waves to the rest of your hair. 18 of 20 Curly Bob Frzer Harrison/Getty Images Another way to look at the choppy bob is to think quite literally of the chop. The shorter your bob is, the more chopped it will appear. So even if you have curly hair like Zendaya's, above, you can showcase a more chopped appearance despite a lack of layers or extra piecey strands. 19 of 20 Longer Layers Steve Granitz/Getty Images While most of Cate Blanchett's hair is the same length in the picture above, her face-framing layers give her bob a choppy, defined quality. Feeling inspired? Bring this picture with you to the salon, and make sure to ask them how to style it if you want to be able to copy her exact texture, too. 20 of 20 Lived-In Lob Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Not sure a bob is quite right for you, but still want to chop your ends? Consider a choppy lob like Karlie Kloss' above. The shoulder-grazing cut features long layers that can be worn straight or easily volumized for a more tousled look.