The Case for the Choppy Bob: 12 Takes on the Iconic Cut

It’s rare that a Halloween costume has the capacity to inspire a real-life beauty change, but that’s precisely what happened this weekend when Zoë Kravitz Instagrammed herself as Mathilda from Léon: The Professional. Though only a wig, her choppy, off-kilter bob, with its home haircut–worthy jagged edge, was on the pulse of the moment. And you wouldn’t be alone in suddenly wanting to reach for the scissors. History has shown that the broken line of an above-the-collarbone crop is all but guaranteed to give your look an equally unruly edge. It’s something Debbie Harry and Patti Smith had in mind when they turned the shears to their own lengths, amplifying the imperfection of a DIY cut.

Those movement-creating results are exactly what drove hairstylist Mark Townsend to carve out an uneven silhouette on Dakota Johnson’s hair recently, as it grew from a chin-length cut to a shoulder-grazing lob. What’s more, once the shape has been cemented, “You don’t have to do anything to that hair,” says Townsend, who prefers the effortlessness communicated when his clients look like they “threw on a dress and walked out the door.” What could be more modern?

To embrace the cut’s laid-back vibe, Townsend recommends styling it with ample amounts of dry shampoo (Dove for starch-supplied volume and Elizabeth and James for nongreasy shine) and adding a bend, if necessary, with a double-barrel curling iron. “It’s the new beach wave,” explains Townsend of the choppy bob’s relaxed real-girl appeal. Because it’s customized to your face shape and desired length, it’s sure to be entirely your own: Alexa Chung’s kicky cut is a world away from Courtney Love’s piece-y style. But, if you need direction, Townsend says that nothing beats a shoulder-skimming shape. “[With Dakota] we’ve been waiting for this day to happen. You get so much natural movement from the hair hitting the shoulders and pushing it out in different directions.” How’s that for turning up the volume?

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