The ‘cowgirl cut’ is the latest retro hairstyle trend

Despite its (many) detractors, the mullet may yet dethrone the essential bob hairstyle. Over the past three years, this long-forgotten (or voluntarily suppressed) relic of the 1980s has resurfaced, dominating hair trends with a slew of variations each more sophisticated than the last.

After the ‘chopped bob,’ the ‘wolf cut’ and the ‘shag cut,’ which itself comes in multiple versions, now comes the ‘cowgirl cut;’ also known as the ‘cowboy cut;’ a mix of all these revisited takes on the traditional mullet. It’s an original style for being on trend at the end of the year.

Unlike the mullet cut, which features long hair at the back of the neck and shorter hair at the sides and crown, the cowgirl cut is much more balanced. The idea is simple: to enhance hair’s natural texture and give it movement, lots of movement, like after a long ride on horseback – this isn’t called the cowgirl cut for nothing, after all. There actually aren’t any strict rules for this trendy haircut, other than to privilege bangs, whether micro, curtain or more classic, and go for layers to create volume and movement. This can easily be done on long, short or medium-length hair, and – good news – it works for all hair textures.

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London-based hairdressers Hershesons are credited with coming up with the name for this new hair trend, adopted by a host of celebrities and explained in a tutorial presented on Instagram.

Anja Rubik, Zoë Kravitz, Alexa Chung, Suki Waterhouse, Selena Gomez, Kendall Jenner and Laura Harrier, to name but a few, are among those who have already embraced this western inspiration, either occasionally or on a long-term basis.

But the trend has already gone beyond the catwalks and red carpets, now hitting the streets and, of course, social networks. On TikTok, hashtags associated with the ‘cowgirl cut’ are already racking up several million views.

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It’s worth noting that the ‘cowgirl cut’ is part of a wider trend that celebrates and honours the famous aesthetic of the figure of the cowgirl.

It’s also made a mark recently with ‘cowboy copper hair’; a subtly coppery red that has become the star colour of fall, but also with ‘coastal cowgirl’, the aesthetic that has put cowboy boots back at the heart of fashion trends. And this could well continue into next summer, as seen on the catwalks of the spring-summer 2024 shows, with a multitude of micro pieces – shorts and skirts – worn with high boots and boots, and a noticeable comeback of fringe, as seen at Gucci, Jil Sander, Christian Dior, Prada and Alberta Ferretti.

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