Trust Me: These 9 Short Hairstyles Are Guaranteed to Earn You Compliments and Are Perfect for Party Season

Party season is officially here which means it’s the time of year when our calendars get a whole lot busier. From indulgent dinners and festive cocktails with friends to work parties and pub lunches at the weekend, whatever your diary currently looks like we bet there’s at least a handful of opportunities to go all out when it comes to your outfits and makeup looks. And as for your hair? Well that’s just the star on top of the Christmas tree.

best short party hairstyle ideas

(Image credit: @halleybrisker)

However, there’s no denying that short hairstyles can feel trickier to style at home. And with 2024 seeing a huge surge in the popularity of bobs, pixie cuts and short layers, we reckon that there’s a fair few of you out there trying to style your new shorter lengths for the first time. Worry not. Ahead, we caught up with hair experts Zoe Irwin, Creative Director at John Frieda Salons, and Tom Smith, expert hair stylist and trend forecaster, to get their steer on the best short party hairstyle ideas for the season ahead.

The 9 Best Short Party Hairstyle Ideas, According to Experts:

1. Ultra Gloss

best short party hairstyle ideas Rochelle Humes with glossy slick bob

(Image credit: @rochellehumes)

"I’m massively into gloss in hair—it looks chic and modern and makes for a fantastic party look," says Irwin. "To get the look, blow dry hair back off the face, perhaps with a deep side parting, and a high level of shine to the hair by with a gloss or pomade."

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2. La Dolce Vita Crop

Best short party hairstyle ideas Florence Pugh

(Image credit: @halleybrisker)

This tousled yet high-fashion style, coined by Smith himself as La Dolce Vita Crop, is set to be one of the biggest short hairstyle trends for winter 2024—and it's perfect for party season. "It's a soft, short shape which combines a strong and powerful silhouette with a feminine softness," describes Smith.

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3. Grown Out Crop

best short party hairstyle ideas grown out pixie

(Image credit: @patrickwilson)

Irwin is a huge fan of pixie cuts as the perfect short party haircut, but it's this more textured grown-out version that she thinks will be huge this year. "The grown out pixie is very popular right now," says Irwin. "It's very layered and '90s-inspired." Charithra Chandran's slick, shiny, wet-look take on the trend feels perfect for a special occasion look.

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4. Deep Side Part

best short party hairstyle ideas deep side part

(Image credit: @jamescatalanohair)

Simple but surprisingly effective, a deep side parting is one of Smith's go-to special occasion looks for short hair. "A deep parting with hair styled either off the face or gently sweeping across the forehead, and combined with a statement pair of earrings, is easy to do but super effective at looking thought out and carefully curated," explains Smith.

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5. Flipped Ends

best short party hairstyle ideas flipped bob Carey Mulligan

(Image credit: @jennychohair)

"A short bob with flipped out ends will be popular for party season this year," says Irwin. It's simple yet with the right products to boost shine and add gloss it can look so expensive and elegant.

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6. Bell Bottom Bob

best short party hairstyle ideas Kelly Rowland bell bottom bob

(Image credit: @kellyrowland)

Not dissimilar to the flipped ends we just saw, Smith coined the "bell bottom bob" as having more of a "playful and bouncy nature" than its predecessor—which makes it perfect if you want something with even more personality for your party season look. Kelly Rowland's style is so glam with its dramatic side parting and curved contours.

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7. Soft Pixie

best short party hairstyle ideas soft pixie cut Greta Lee

(Image credit: @jennychohair)

"This party season it is all about the French aesthetic," says Irwin. And what's more French than a pixie cut? "It's becoming more popular in the salon and we've been doing more of them in the salon as we head towards the end of the year." While the cut itself is quite sharp, Greta Lee's slicked-back style still feels soft and pretty.

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8. Shimmering Touches

best short party hairstyle ideas

(Image credit: @nikkinelms)

"Using a festive hair accessory or minimal metallic hair clips can really add detail and design to a short party hairstyle," says Smith. His top tip? "Just make sure to use an odd number of accessories—1, 3 or 5 work best depending on the style and size of your accessories." Janelle Monáe agrees with her silver threaded cornrow style shining on the red carpet.

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9. Sleek Bun

best short party hairstyle ideas sleek bun

(Image credit: @jamescatalanohair)

"This party season it really is all about super shiny, luxe hair kept simple with a parting or drawn back into a sleek twisted bun," says Irwin. "This look is refined yet modern." And even better? It's so easy to do yourself at home.

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Mica Ricketts

Mica Ricketts is a freelance beauty editor, copywriter and regular contributor to Who What Wear UK. She also writes for titles including Marie Claire Refinery 29 and Cosmopolitan, and previously worked at Who What Wear UK as Beauty Editor. With experience in both editorial and content management, she also works with beauty brands and small businesses on brand messaging and content strategy. As a busy mum of two, she is passionate about finding efficacious beauty products that can disguise all signs of tiredness with minimal effort.