Not Just the Wolf Cut—16 Androgynous Hairstyles to Save for Your Next Salon Visit

Hair is deeply personal. From the shade you sport to the texture you have and the styles you choose, hair is an undeniable expression of creativity and self—which is why it’s important to pick a style that feels true to you.

Whether you like to shear it short or wear your tresses a bit longer, there are boundless hairstyles that defy gender norms. Because after all, there are no “rules” for what defines a cut as feminine, masculine, or anything in between. “Think hairstyles with strong lines, but maybe a flirty piece of hair sweeping across an eye,” celebrity hairstylist Lacy Redway suggests. “I love short haircuts like pixies, shags, mullets, mohawks, bowl cuts, and [a] blunt lob,” she adds. You can even take things a step further by adding a deeper side part, says the stylist to the stars. It’s a great way to add a touch of appeal and “mystery” to your look, Redway elaborates.

Needless to say, there’s a deep well of inspiration to dive into when deciding on your next haircut. Ahead, 16 androgynous hairstyles that suit a variety of face shapes, hair textures, and above all, transcend heteronormative genders.

16 Androgynous Hairstyle Ideas

Layered Bob

One of the easiest ways to dip into androgynous hairstyles is with a cropped, deeply parted bob that frays just above the shoulders. This style gets its movement from a landscape of layers along its length and face-framing pieces that curl at the jawline. Especially flattering on heart-shaped faces, this swooping style accentuates high cheekbones and “snatches” the face.

Wavy Shag

Lean into your retro side with a wavy shag. This clipped cut features swooping, face-framing fringe that keeps things short in the front and flows gracefully towards the back. Most of its length is found behind the ears and looks especially chic with curly ends. While this style works on a variety of hair types, it’s a great option for those with waves and curls, as it takes little upkeep and gets most of its volume from your natural texture.

‘80s Mullet

It doesn’t get much more rock n’ roll than this. If you don’t want to lose your length but still want to edge up your look, try this retro, '80s-inspired mullet. Clipped short in the front to give the illusion of thick, pixie-esque bangs, this style keeps things uniformly short past the ears (think: where you’d typically tuck your hair) before extending into a longer length, with little to no blending. Whether you choose to keep the back cropped to the chin or sheared at the shoulders, this style looks effortlessly cool.

Natural Afro

The afro has never sequestered to a gender, and we love how this style embraces your natural texture. Whether you’re wearing your curls in tight spirals or picking them out to create mega volume, the afro is always fashion-forward and expressive. Redway believes that any good hairstyles starts at the root, which is why she recommends using a restorative curl cream to enhance your natural texture. “If you have curly hair, you may want to try Dove Amino Curl Define Curl Cream, to help nourish and define your curls,” she explains.

‘70s Shag

The shag is reminiscent of groovy ‘70s hairstyles—think Stevie Nicks and Farrah Fawcett. This style features swooping, often wavy bags and cascading long layers that blend brow-skimming fringe into your longest length. To give this look the most body, try air-drying to bring out your natural texture and misting it with a texturizing spray.

Piece-y Wolf Cut

Yes, we know it’s not the only option, but we’d be remiss to discuss androgynous hairstyles without a nod to the wolf cut. Suki Waterhouse’s effortlessly cool shear is a blend between the ‘70s-inspired shag and ‘80s mullet, resulting in something totally 21st-century. It includes choppy bangs with a mullet-esque difference in length, connected by piece-y layers. While it’s versatile enough to be styled at many lengths, we’re obsessed with this long version on the “Good Looking” songstress.

Cropped, Curly Pixie

Timeless, yet always eye-catching, a close-cropped pixie cut (especially when curly!) will never be out of style. This shear features defined, curly fringe that swoops just above the brow and remains short throughout the entirety of the hairstyle—almost like the pixie iteration of a bowl cut. While it looks incredible alone, we love how this mini cut looks when dressed up with a trendy pillbox hat, as shown above.

Trendy Baby Bangs

Nothing screams “cool” like this bob and baby bang combo. Kept a considerable amount shorter than your typical fringe (clipped about mid-forehead), this Gen-Z-approved style defies gender norms and looks effortlessly chic on any length of hair, so long as it keeps your chopped fringe front and center. Style it straight for a sleek, urban look or embrace curly textures for more movement.

Textured Crop

We can’t stop thinking about this cool cut on Emma D’Arcy. Copy their look by asking for a bob that lands at the nape of the neck—keeping the hair short and face-framing in the front, and heavily layered to keep length in the very back. The key to this look is volume, so try running a hair serum through your strands to define your texture before teasing the roots with volumizing mousse to achieve that wind-blown, effortless effect.

Modern Bowl Cut

The word “bowl cut” might dredge up images of bad, at-home haircuts from the second grade, but hear us out. Taylor Hill’s chic crop is the epitome of cool, embracing a similar length from her brow-grazing fringe to the nape of her neck. You can choose to undercut or buzz the bottom section of your hair to fully embrace the bowl, but we’re also fans of this longer iteration with baby curls in back.

‘20s Crop

We’ve talked about ‘70s and ‘80s-inspired looks, but what if we took things back even further? There’s a bountiful supply of androgynous hairstyle inspiration in the 1920s, when ear-grazing chops and ultra-short styles were the looks du jour. Quinta Brunson’s flapper-esque curly shear at the 2025 SAG Awards feels charmingly vintage and modern all at the same time, and we love that it allows her natural texture to shine, too.

Angular Pixie

You’ve met the baby bang, but now it’s time to introduce different lengths. A combination of a shortly sheared pixie and piece-y micro bangs, this fashion-forward style is great for anyone who wants to keep their strands cropped without losing that stylish edge. These angular bangs are meant to look uneven, their jagged edges offering an perfectly undone look that immediately ups your cool factor.

Patterned Buzz

Who said buzzes need to be boring? If you’re hankering to shave it off altogether, we don’t blame you—but consider upping your game with a shaved design. Take FKA Twigs’ geometrically shorn hair, which forms a maze-like pattern in her buzz cut. This artistic direction feels ahead of its time and instantly elevates any super-short style.

Undercut Mohawk

We can’t possibly speak of undercuts without referencing Tilda Swinton’s iconic look. An undercut with a mohawk twist, this unisex style transcends gender, age, and time. The celebrated actress has tried many iterations of eye-catching pixies, but this style at the 2025 Golden Globes, complete with shorn sides and mega volume on top, is one of our favorites.

Micro Bang Pixie

Want to go even shorter than the baby bang? This micro-fringe style might feel just right. Zoë Kravitz’s hair from the Catwoman era is one of our favorites, and we love how fluid this sleek, yet edgy style is. Her super-cropped pixie gets a modern twist thanks to angular, short bangs that detail the center of her hairline in a 2025 Josephine Baker sort of way.

Shaggy Crop

Not ready to go scalp-short? Try this effortless pixie on for size. Not quite the “Karen” cut, yet not a full-on shag, this in-between style suits a wide variety of hair types and allows you to play with layers—including flattering, face-framing pieces and a smattering of all-around lengths that offer volume and touchable texture.

How to Style Androgynous Haircuts

You’ve gotten the chop—now, how do you manage it? “No matter the cut, maintaining your style and care always starts in the shower for me,” Redway muses. “I recommend hydrating products to offset products you may use on your day hair, which can be matte or drying.” The celebrity stylist recommends Dove’s Intensive Repair 10-in-1 Serum Mask, which is a one-minute treatment you can do once per week for smoother, stronger hair. Preventing breakage and split ends is imperative when you’re rocking a shorter style, which is exactly what nourishing hair masks help to do.

Redway also recommends finding lightweight, multi-purpose styling solutions like hair serums or oils to help manage your style without creating unnecessary buildup. “While you learn to work with your new style, seek out products that won’t weigh down your style while still adding benefits to your hair,” she explains. She recommends the Dove Intensive Repair 10-in-1 Serum for frizz control, shine, and heat protection, but editors favor the Rōz Santa Lucia Styling Hair Oil for the same reasons, plus its enchanting scent.

Best Products to Style Androgynous Haircuts

Who’s Who

• Lacy Redway is a celebrity hairstylist and Dove Partner who totes a celebrity client roster that includes Chappell Roan, Laura Harrier, and Pamela Anderson.

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