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The Italian Bob Is the Perfect Transitional Haircut

 

Whether you're one of the select lucky few to had yourself an Italian summer in Italy, or you were sipping an Aperol spritz and eating cacio e pepe that you made with a Pinterest recipe from the comfort of your backyard, the aesthetic has taken on a life of its own. It's influenced every sector of people's lives, so it should come as no surprise that the Italian bob haircut is trending right now.

The ever-popular short hairstyle has cemented itself as a top choice for the upcoming season, and this twist on the trend may be the coolest yet. The Italian bob is the chicer cousin (it is European, after all) to your standard type of bob, and it embodies everything we know and love about the destination. It's effortless, laid-back, flirty, and an all-around good time. Recent examples of this haircut can been seen on "The White Lotus" star Simona Tabasco, Zendaya, and Hailey Bieber.

If you already have short hair but want to freshen up your look or you're considering going for the big chop, keep scrolling to read more about the trendy Italian bob haircut.

Experts Featured in This Article

Jenna Spino is a hairstylist at Maxine Salon in Chicago.

Devin Toth is a hairstylist at Salon SCK in New York City.

 

What Is the Italian Bob Haircut?

Hairstylist Jenna Spino calls this an "easy-to-wear bob." The look is bluntly cut and hits around the chin or slightly longer (but not lob length) with lots of volume around the face. "An Italian bob is a grown-out French bob," hairstylist Devin Toth tells PS. "It retains more length and thickness and just overall oomph." The style gets its bounce and movement from all of the layers that are seamlessly blended throughout the head, which are accentuated as you flip your hair from side to side.

It works with all hair types, though your stylist should be careful not to thin out too much weight from your ends with layering if you have fine hair. "You can get this look with or without bangs — the key is the length, the thickness at the bottom, and subtle layers," says Toth.

How to Style an Italian Bob Haircut at Home

The beauty of an Italian bob is how easy it is to style. For most hair textures, it can be a wash-and-go type of haircut. If you do blow it out, Spino says you can give it a retro '60s vibe. "I recommend doing a fast-but-good round brush blowout — not too perfect or bubbly," says Toth. He recommends a root-lifting product, like the Shu Uemura Awa Volume Volumizing Mousse ($42) to add extra movement, and hitting it with a blast of texture spray, like the Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray ($52). "You can also bump it with a curling iron, but again, not too contrived," he says. "The bottom of the cut should look blunt and geometric without looking flat and straight."

And on that topic, he also recommends forgoing your middle part in lieu of just letting your hair do its thing. "This is a no-part hairstyle," he says. "They can make hair look too 'done.'" This means you can toss it from side to side as you please.

Simona Tabasco With an Italian Bob

Tabasco arguably put the Italian bob haircut back on the map after starring in season two of "The White Lotus." She styled her bob in relaxed curls for a slightly more romantic feel.

Hailey Bieber With an Italian Bob

As Bieber's bob haircut grows out, it's crossing into Italian bob territory thanks to the blunt ends. The model went for a super short version of the trend, just grazing her jawline.

Italian Bob Haircut With a Middle Part

This slightly messy middle part is a great example of how to wear the look without side-parting it. The beauty of this haircut is it's not too polished or serious — it looks great when it's a little lived-in.

Italian Bob Haircut With Blunt Ends

If your hair has a slight wave to it, you can easily wash and air-dry your cut. The blunt ends will keep it looking fresh and chic.

Italian Bob Haircut Styled Smooth

The Italian bob looks beautiful when styled smooth and straight with a round brush if you'd prefer to wear it that way. The gently flipped-in ends add a sophisticated touch.

Italian Bob Haircut With Thick Hair

The Italian bob works great on thick hair because it creates a lot of body and movement, while the layers also help remove extra weight from your style. For extra volume, opt to wear it with a side part.

Zendaya With an Italian Bob

When Zendaya chopped her hair, she went for a laid-back, wavy Italian bob. The look has an "I-just-woke-up-like-this" feel to it with the soft wave at the ends.

Italian Bob Haircut Styled With Waves

You can use a curling iron to add messy waves to your haircut for more volume. Waves and a side part give this cut a lot of body and life.

Jessica Harrington is the senior beauty editor at PS, where she writes about hair, makeup, skin care, piercings, tattoos, and more. As a New York City-based writer and editor with a degree in journalism and over eight years of industry experience, she loves to interview industry experts, keep up with the latest trends, and test new products.