The "Butterfly Bob" Trend Is Taking Flight This Winter

Wings and things.

A model with her hair in a butterfly bob.

@cristinachenii/Instagram

Key Takeaways

  • The Butterfly Bob is this winter's short and sweet take on the iconic butterfly haircut.
  • It's full of volume and features thinned ends so you don't have to go too short with the layers.

We all know the butterfly haircut. Layered and luscious, the '70s turned '90s chic look has long been admired by both monarchs (the human kind) and regular old stylish folk—even before it had its TikTok-famous name. The versatile style is recognizable by its many long layers and shorter face framing, the mixture of which lend it a soft, voluminous feel. We previously described it as having "the essence of a shag and the length of a '90s superstar layered cut."

The thing is... so many people are still wanting to go short this winter! Thus, it's high time that the medium-to-long cut went through another metamorphosis and became the Butterfly Bob.

Ariana Greenblatt with her butterfly haircut.

@mollyddickson/Instagram

Ahead, discover everything there is to know about the Butterfly Bob trend, including how to get the look yourself.

The Trend

I'm sure you've already seen the Butterfly Bob (and lob) flitting about this winter. It's a red carpet favorite thanks to the old Hollywood-feel it offers when worn blown out. Sydney Sweeney, Rachel Sennott, and Kerry Washington are all fans.

Olandria Carthen with her butterfly bob.

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"This chic style gives the hair a lot of volume at the roots and movement throughout, which makes it really easy to style and maintain," Sarah Potempa, co-founder of The Beachwaver Co, previously told Byrdie when chatting about shorter versions of the famous shape. "[It's] versatile and adaptable for almost all hair types and lengths due to the cut's weightlessness, volume, and movement—traits many of us desire, regardless of hair length."

Sydney Sweeney with her butterfly bob.

@glencocoforhair/Instagram

How to Get the Look

The main thing to know when going in for the Butterfly Bob is that volume will be necessary. Those strands need to literally fly.

This is easy with a long butterfly cut—you just add lots of layers. But for the bob version? Potempa says the key to capturing that movement is thinning the ends only. "Too many layers on short hair can create the look of thin hair where we want the hair to look full and voluminous," the celebrity hairstylist explains. "Taking weight off your [layered ends] will help lift the hair to create fullness." 

Rachel Sennott with her butterfly bob,

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If you don't have natural wave in your hair, go for big and bouncy waves directed away from the face when styling (like pretty wings in flight). A blowout brush will be helpful!

And there it is. Float like a butterfly, slay like a bob.

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