The Lob Is The Effortless Cool Girl-Haircut Celebrities Can’t Get Enough Of

Hitting below the chin but stopping above the shoulder — gracefully grazing the clavicle — the lob, aka long bob, is among the most enduring haircuts. And it makes perfect sense as to why. While short haircuts like pixies, bixies, and French bobs have long transitioned from scandalous to standards, many still hesitate at the idea of going short short. (And though the daily maintenance is low, the need for trims is constant.) Long hair, however, can be tricky to manage and even trickier to achieve. Lobs offer the best of both worlds — which is why celebrities can’t get enough of them.

Frustrated by the lack of styling options offered by super short hair? With a lob, you can rock ponies and updos. Put off by the prospect of constantly monitoring the health of your long lengths, which get progressively more fragile as they grow out? With a lob, you’ll be getting enough trims to abolish those dead ends, without having to practically move in to the salon the way you’d have to with a cropped cut. And that doesn’t even begin to cover how easy and fast they are to style on the day to day.

If you’re looking for a little lobspiration, scroll on to see some of the best celebrity lobs of the last year or so, including Hailey Bieber’s wispy cut, Kerry Washington’s dimensional layers, Halle Berry’s fringed look, and more.

Hailey Bieber

Face-framing and flipped-out ends give Bieber’s lob serious ‘90s supermodel energy (with a healthy dash of “The Rachel”).

Kendall Jenner

Jenner loves bobs and lobs. And who can blame her? They’re a great option for anyone looking for low-maintenance daily styling. This flipped-out, center-parted version features plenty of bounce and shine.

Ryan Destiny

You can opt for a roller set or a round-brush blowout to get a voluminous lob with lots of body, like Destiny’s here.

Kerry Washington

Washington — another frequent lob wearer — wove strategic hazelnut highlights through her layered, espresso-brown cut to add even more dimension.

Rose Byrne

Lobs provide even more styling options than their shorter sister. Case in point, Byrne’s partly slicked-back, partly curled ‘do, which has so much visual interest.

Kate Hudson

This Hudson lob features some brilliant layering: While it looks sleek and streamlined here, with the right tools and products, it takes on a shaggy, ‘70s vibe.

Halle Berry

The undisputed queen of short hair, Berry, is famous for her pixies and chin-grazing bobs. But make no mistake: She can really rock a shaggy lob, too. The curtain fringe and dimensional highlights give the style plenty of movement.

Elle Fanning

With a little patience and the right cream or mousse, you can get the kind of carefree, air-dried waves Fanning is wearing here.

Selena Gomez

Even Gomez, Hollywood’s most committed retro bob-wearer, can’t resist the siren song of the lob. This center-parted style feels modern and looks lustrous.

Kaia Gerber

Speaking of retro bobs: There is such a thing as a retro lob, too. Indeed, Gerber wore one — with bumped-up body at the crown and subtle bends at the ends — to the 5th Annual Academy Museum Gala.