The bob haircut is back, Long Island stylists say. But it's not the cut you remember
It’s got the moves. It’s got the motion. The bob is back in a new iteration. Rather than being smooth and controlled, the newest variation of the 'do (which some say dates back to Joan of Arc) is more flowy, less structured and effortless.
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According to Lauren Balsamo, the beauty director at Cosmopolitan, bobs "are really having a moment in 2025. The difference is that the new bob feels modern and playful. They have movement, volume and a sort of textured feel. Instead of being super polished, it feels more ‘lived in’ with lots of piece-iness and separation. It’s a hair transformation that’s relatively easy to maintain." She notes that singer Gracie Abrams and actor Ayo Edebiri have styles that "are the epitome of how bobs should look in 2025." And, according to People Magazine, earlier this month, even uber-influencer Kim Kardashian caught the bob bug, chopping off 7 inches of her long hair to create her current (and chic) flipped-up bob.
THE BOB HITS LONG ISLAND
Over at Herbivore Hair Studio, a vegan, cruelty-free suite in Bay Shore, stylist and owner Ashley Curry has been working with razors on her newest bob cuts.
"We’re shifting away from the 2010-2015 blunt line where the weight lived at the bottom or in the back to creating a fun, textured thing," she says, dubbing the 'do as "shattered." She observes that her clients "want to own their looks and having short hair is a way to do it. It's almost a little rebellious."
Ashley Curry, owner and stylist at Herbivore Hair Studio in Bay Shore, says she is using razors to create bob cuts with more texture. Credit: Herbivore Hair Studio
Among the styles that are having a moment here is the bixie — part bob, part pixie. "Essentially, what you’re doing is a '70s-style curtain bang in front and really cutting into soft petal-y pieces in the back. It’s soft and feminine without having to go in with a buzzer."
In Oceanside, at the Jakari J Salon, owner Shanel Harris is doing plenty of bobs. She too sees a freshness. "They were straighter in the past," she says. "There’s definitely more movement and we’re seeing pops of color and light layering." One recent client, Nakasia Smith, 24, of Jamaica, Queens, cut 2 inches off her hair (previously in "quick braids"), colored the ends in green and blue and received a silk press treatment. "I absolutely love it," she says of her new coif. "It frames my face and has some bounce and volume. Everyone says it looks so good."
Nakasia Smith, 24, of Jamaica, Queens, came in with braids at Jakari J Salon in Oceanside and opted for a bob. Salon owner Shanel Harris added color at the bottom for depth. Credit: Nakasia Smith
Seekers of change are also heading to Salon Rai in West Babylon where stylist Amanda Rai says bob requests are coming from clients who are "looking for something new and different. The girls who have worn long hair forever are saying, 'I want to chop it. It's too long; it's just hanging there; it's not doing anything,' " she explains. "They want fullness, and the bob creates body and wave," she says, citing interior layering and texturizing that achieves this.
Rai adds that convenience plays a role. "A lot of my clients have kids, and the bob is a quick and easy style and you can wave it for a date night to look really cute."
BRAIDS AND BOBS WITH A BANG
Nawa Kandee Coleman, the salon director at K&D African Hair Braiding in Bay Shore, notes a trend towards braided bobs like this one dubbed the asymmetrical bob. Credit: K&D African Hair Braiding
While braids, of course, are the mainstay at K&D African Hair Braiding in Bay Shore, salon director Nawa Kandee Coleman says that braided bobs have become popular. One style, the asymmetrical bob, is "a nod to the bold and edgy '90s era that exudes confidence." Added benefit? "In hotter weather, some people want their braids off their neck."
At nuBest Salon and Spa in Manhasset, owner and creative director Jamie Mazzei touts the universality of the new bob. "It works for the majority of people. You can be 10 or 70, it’s very versatile and for most people very wearable. The classic bob is very straight and less of a softer look. But the most current bob has layers and is not necessarily one length. It feels like time to break the mold and add some modern edges."
One of his clients, Sarit Ebrani, 39, of Great Neck, really embraced a bob transformation recently. "The last time I went short was 10 years ago," says Ebrani, who had her fifth child almost a year ago. Mazzei lopped off 8 inches of her mid-back length hair. The result? "I’m so excited. It’s like the opposite of aging. I’m refreshed and it livens up my face and makes me feel younger."
The new 'do heralds a new decade for Ebrani. "I wanted a change as I enter my 40s," she says. "And now I can say I’m going in with a bang" ... or a bob.
