Want to know what summer hair trends 2023 has in store? With the weather warming up, we need to be armed and ready to put our best foot (and hair) forward in a sunshine-friendly manner.
Hair is set to get shorter, according to Pinterest's 2023 predictions. This means cute cropped cuts are already heating up in popularity on one side of the scale. But, on the other end, endless, beachy mermaid lengths are bringing the drama. Breezy updos (from messy twists to neat ballerina buns) are in. And, with the sunshine giving us the mood boost we need, there'll be plenty more experimentation when it comes to our strands.
As for cuts, we tapped up some of our top hair stylist friends to ask them to spill on what chops we should be looking out for. The good news? Finding a haircut you like could be as simple as ABC, thanks to the wave of alphabet haircuts that are currently headlining. The “C” and “U” cut continue to be major (more on that below if you haven't come across them already) and they offer a slightly softer take on the heavy layers that have dominated for the past couple of years.
As for animal-inspired chops (see: the wolf cut, butterfly cut, octopus cut and jellyfish cut), they'll continue to be popular, so we're keeping our eyes peeled for what summer creature will come next.
As for the biggest trend…umm. “We don’t really have one trend nowadays. They come and go so quickly thanks to social media," confirms celebrity hairstylist and ColorWow international creative director, Dom Seeley. "The trend comes from the quirks and personal style of the individual,” he adds. Which means that for summer 2023 attitude is everything.
Here's the 7 hair trends 2023 will be seeing a lot of this summer…
Cropped cuts
“Short hair cuts are huge,” confirms celebrity hairstylist, Dionne Smith. “We'll be seeing a lot of pixie cuts, short bobs, fringes and styles of that variety. Short crops and bobs will be the most in-demand cuts,” she adds.
“Bobs are getting much shorter, expect to see a shorter, square length,” agrees pro hairstylist and founder of Percy & Reed, Paul Percival. Other popular options include the French girl bob. “It will never go out of style as its classic and timeless, and it's a real head-turner,” says Dom. “For summer 2023 it will have an updated feel with more layers and softer cropped fringes, like a ‘70s or '90s-esque curtain bang, and copious amounts of movement made easy from internal layers – perfect for that on trend cool girl,” he says. Or, if you can’t decide between a bob and a pixie, combine both. “The Bixie is the best of both worlds," says Dom. “It’s got all the texture and shape of a pixie, but with more of a bob length and a ton of wispy face framing texture. It’s a great option to transition your pixie if you still want that cool edge but want to grow it out. Or if you’re over the long lengths then it’s a great happy medium,” he adds.
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This beloved look has been overdue for a return to trendiness.
Mermaid lengths
Mermaid mania has definitely hit our shores and the mermaidcore aesthetic is everywhere. Along with glistening eyeshadows and highlighters, this means XXL mermaid length hair, whether it's waved, braided, crimped or super straight.
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There's a new hype queen in town...
Next-level texture
The natural texture movement is in full swing and we are very much here for embracing what Mother Nature gave ya. For summer, push it a little further with styles and cuts that spotlight and celebrate your coils, curls and waves. The beauty lies in “how irregular the textures are," and how totally unique it is to you, according to Joey Scandizzo, hairstylist and co-founder of Eleven Australia. “Embracing your natural texture – working with it as opposed to against it – is the biggest overarching hair movement. The key to this look is to not overstyle, but to use products as a foundation to work with the natural texture,” he says. This could mean a curl cream or a salt spray. “This keeps the hair looking natural and not overdone, perfect for the ‘less is more’ vibe,” he says.
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Sleek & snatched
On the flip side, we also love some statement styling, and sleek, snatched strands will definitely be a vibe for this summer. There's something about glam, poker straight styles against a carefree summer backdrop that just feels so slick.
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Cool blonde
With the weather heating up, the temperature of this season's hottest blonde shade is cooling down (but only slightly). Rather than heading all the way to icy platinum, or in the other direction toward a bright golden blonde, split the difference with cool blonde – the cool-girl way to wear the shade this season, according to trend setters like Margot Robbie (who ditched her Barbie blonde hair to settle for this shade ahead of summer) and Black Pink's Rosé. The shade feels fresh with cool creamy tones, without feeling too ashy.
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Sunkissed copper
Copper has been popular for several seasons now, but it's going nowhere for summer. Instead, it's simply being tweaked to a slightly softer sunkissed shade (imagine fabric that's been worn and mellowed in the sun. The key is to “tone down the orange tones, while keeping the warmth and shine of lighter auburn,” says hair stylist and trend forecaster, Tom Smith, who loves a pecan-toned copper “with subtle dimension and multi-tones giving the hair a glow from within.”
But, even though we want it to look a little gentler, it's still worth remembering that “dyed copper tones are susceptible to fading,” says Tom. So top up with colour-depositing masks and conditioners. “Evo Fabuloso provide an incredible ‘off the shelf’ conditioner in copper, caramel and chestnut for various toning needs,” says Tom, as do Josh Wood and Moroccanoil.
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'90s volume
The '90s called, they're flattered. We've been mining the ‘90s trends all the way to the bottom, but one hairstyle we can’t get enough of is the decade's supermodel blow-dried volume, which means oomf remains firmly on the agenda (and we have a guide on how to do it at home, here).
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The 'supers' 2.0.
Summer updo
Want your hair swept up and out the way on hot days but still want to look glam? A summer updo is where it's at, and there's so much versatility within the one style. You could choose a messy Pamela Anderson-inspired updo, a neat ballerina bun, an elegant chignon, or low bun at the nape of your neck, a chic French twist, a cool spiky bun or a cute top knot. The options are endless.
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Pretty braids
Pretty, practical and protective, braids look good all year round, but they really offer extra salvation in the summer when you want to keep your strands safe and out of your face. Again there's so much room for personalisation and showing your personality, whether you want pretty locs, twists, cornrows, baby braids, or just a simple plait.
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Grunge waves
If you love messy second-day hair, grunge waves should be right up your street. The indie-sleaze mussed texture of the '90s is having a revival which means this bedhead-meets-beachy-hair texture is a great shout for summer.
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Black eyeliner is optional.
The “C” cut
“The ‘C’ shape haircut is going to be huge,” says Dom. In a nutshell, it features a “softer ‘U’ shape through the length and layers and face framing pieces,” explains Dom. “It’s a progression of the heavy ‘70s and ‘90s cuts we saw everywhere in 2022. It's like the revival of The Rachel, but much more soft and not as heavy on the face framing. It gives a more rounded, balanced haircut that’s still fun to style and easy to do, but the hair has more intentional, rounded shapes and curves – instead of the “V” cut where hair goes to a point.” says Dom. The bonus? It'll make hair look thicker, too. As for styling, “the soft rounded curves will look great styled or left to dry naturally,” Dom adds.
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The cool-girl way to wear layers.
Mix 'n match cuts
“One thing that's a massive trend for 2023 is that clients are starting to put different haircuts together, such as combining the front of one type of haircut, with the back of another (maybe shorter in the front, longer in the back), such as people's own takes on mullets and wolf cuts,” says pro hairstylist and founder of Percy & Reed, Paul Percival. “People are almost having a DIY version of a haircut. There is a real trend of mixing and matching,” he adds. "We’ll see a lot of ‘70s and ‘90s styles fused together taking the best of both eras,” agrees Dom. "So you might see the shag or wolf cut turned into the octopus cut, or the mullet and shag turned into the shullet. The haircuts have evolved, taking the best bits from each cut and making a hybrid version,” he adds.
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Fierce by name, fierce by nature.
Curated curls
“Coily and curly hair already has incredible texture, so there isn’t one specific trend,” says Dom. But he’d recommend tailoring your cut to meet your hair goals, “whether it be volume, balance, length or overall shape.” To do this, Dionne says taking a curated and bespoke approach is important. “The best cut for those with curly or coily hair is one that grants the opportunity to work with the hair's natural texture such as the Deva Cut. This trend sees the stylist cutting on Afro hair in its dry state, with the curls cut section-by-section to allow the hair to fall naturally,” she says.
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‘90s midis
Don't like your hair too long, or too short? The '90s midi cut is the perfect middle ground. “The easiest way to update a midi cut is to add some internal layers and texture," says Dom. “Instead of it being one length at the shoulder or collarbone, it should have a ton of movement allowing it to be more voluminous and fluffy. We’ll see an update on the ‘90s style with flicked-out wispy layering that’s still heavy in the length so you don’t lose the overall style,” he says.
But, for that ‘90s blow-out aesthetic, there will be some styling involved. “As a rule of thumb, any length that’s at the shoulder and shorter is in a ’style' so a simple hair wash and air dry will have you looking cool. Any length longer than the shoulder needs styling. It should be cut well enough to wash and leave to dry naturally, as a great cut should give you versatility. But with more length you usually have to style it to maximise your cut, so get your hair dyer, brushes and curling or straightening irons out to create the style you want. The cut will do the majority of the work but a little styling is needed to get the most out of your final look,” says Dom.
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The shoulder-grazing length we want in on.
You didn't think we were going to forget about layers, did you. They remain the single biggest hair trend of right now since they encompass dozens of the hairstyles going viral including the butterfly cut (which will remain popular), the wolf cut and variations of the shag and mullet. Better still you can tailor them to you and your style whether that's more minimal and low-key (looking at you, invisible layers), grungey and choppy (anything shaggy) sleek and sliced (like the chunky ‘90s Rachel layers), or fluffy and voluminous (like the ’70s flicks that are still everywhere).
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The easiest shortcut to unbelievable volume.
Curtain bangs
So the curtain fringe is going nowhere. Just like 2022 it's set to be major in 2023. As for how to get it just right, “it should start mid-way between the eyebrows and the bridge of the nose, but it has more length at the sides," says Dom. Depending on how heavy you get it cut it can feel ultra plush or barely there, and tuck back into the rest of your hair when up, or teased forward. “It has a flowy vibe. It’s not a solid bang or fringe, but it’s also not just face framing. It’s somewhere in the middle and it suits the majority of hair lengths too,” says Dom. “There are so many options for people with long hair when it comes to cuts,” agrees Dionne. “If you don't want to take the plunge by going for a short cut, you can add a wispy fringe to your long or mid-length hair,” she says.
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For more from GLAMOUR's Beauty Editor, Elle Turner, follow her on Instagram @elleturneruk