From Gracie Abrams to Zendaya, Everyone Is Chopping Their Hair Into an "Elfin Bob" for Spring
The elfin bob is poised to dominate salons after being seen all over the runways and the awards season.
This time of the year is my favourite time to spot hair trends. Over the past couple of months, we've had the awards season, fashion month and a flurry of premieres and red carpet moments, all of which are the perfect fodder for us beauty editors to spot the next big beauty trends. And after keeping a firm eye on the haircut trends this year, one thing is for certain. Everyone seems to be going for a short haircut right now. And I'm tipping the elfin bob to be circulating amongst salons as a major spring hair trend this year.
What Is the Elfin Bob?
I first spotted it on Gracie Abrams' BAFTA hair look. It's not quite a pixie cut, and not quite a bob haircut. The elfin bob marries the two together, featuring the impish silhouette of a pixie cut with the longer length of a cropped bob haircut that still allows you to wear it tucked behind the ears. It's easily one of the chicest short haircuts I've seen this year, with celebrities such as Zendaya and Iris Law wearing this elegant yet cool-girl cut. Tinkerbell, eat your heart out.
Ready to try the elfin bob out for yourself? Scroll ahead for all the inspo pics to take to the salon, as well as the best styling products to get the look at home. Chop chop!
Elfin Bob Haircut Ideas
We've see Zendaya wearing her elfin bob in multiple ways on The Drama press tour, including in glamorous curls and this cool-girl coded wavy crop.
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Jessie Buckley shows how chic an elfin bob looks when worn in a swept-over side parting.
My jaw dropped when I first saw Emma Stone's elfin bob haircut with impish waves.
I adore this '50s-coded curled crop on Jourdan Dunn.
Iris Law has long worn her hair in an elfin style, and celebrity hairstylist Luke Hersheson recently cut it for the Fendi show. “I cut Iris' hair into a short elfin cut—even though it’s short, there are so many ways to style and wear this cut—it’s super versatile," says Hersheson. "I smothered her hair in Almost Everything Cream (£20) and drew a low, deep parting while creating a modern kiss curl on her forehead, inspired by Josephine Baker of the '20s—we made it very subtle so it’s more of a nod to the era but still felt modern and fresh," he says.
I've been mesmerised by Teyana Taylor's ethereal elfin haircuts over awards season.
Taylor Hill shows how to pair an elfin bob haircut with a wispy fringe. So chic.
How to Style It
If you're thinking of going short, consider investing in a slimmer pair of hair straighteners, which are nimble enough to reach the roots on short hair, whether you're styling your hair straight or curling.
The best elfin bobs have plenty of texture, and this texturising spray is perfect for adding oomph to fine lengths or flat roots.
A good curl cream like this one allows you to enhance your natural curls and waves without weighing them down.

Eleanor Vousden is the beauty editor for Who What Wear UK. She was previously deputy editor at Hairdressers Journal, health writer at Woman & Home and junior beauty editor at Powder. She has also contributed to Wallpaper and Elle Collections.
With a degree in fashion journalism from the London College of Fashion, she has 10 years of industry experience and has been highly commended at the BSME Talent Awards for her work on Powder and also contributed to the title winning Website of the Year at the PPA Awards.
Eleanor’s journalistic focus is providing readers with honest and helpful beauty content. She has interviewed celebrity makeup artists, hairstylists and dermatologists throughout her career, as well as celebrities such as Hailey Bieber, Sarah Jessica Parker and Scarlett Johansson.