The lob (or long bob, if you're unfamiliar) is a phenomenal short hairstyle, especially if you want to cut your hair but need something less extreme than, say, a pixie cut. A lob haircut can look drastically different depending on your hair texture, curl pattern, and face shape, but because there's so much variety in the type of cut, you can more easily find a lob that works for you. (It's generally accepted that a lob can be as long as roughly shoulder-length and as short as just below the chin.) Luckily for all of us, celebrities are constantly experimenting with hair colors and cuts, and we have a lot of celebrity lob-lovers to give us inspiration.
It's worth repeating that celebrities have resources at their disposal to make these looks work, including extensions and other types of synthetic hair if they need to add volume. A talented hairstylist can help you identify the right cut (and styling!) for your unique hair. It's one thing to take an inspo photo to someone asking for an exact replica, and it's another to get a custom cut that works perfectly for your features (and isn't tons of work to do upkeep). This gallery is really meant to give you options, so that you can find the style that gives you a full-body "yes": The cut that makes you get excited to go to the salon and try it out for yourself.
Below, 32 lob haircuts on celebrities to show your stylist.
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
Huntington-Whiteley's lob is the stuff of legend—she popularized this deeply layered, face-framing, highlighted blonde look (and I'm betting a lot of people took this exact picture to hairstylists all over the place). The key to modernizing it, if you want that, is to keep the layers longer and wear a middle part.
Selena Gomez
Frankly, Selena Gomez's exact, blunt lob is a testament to her gorgeous face. Not everyone can pull this blunt of a cut off, even with a longer, shoulder-length style. (I certainly can't, with my curly hair!) It helps to have straight hair, some natural volume (or extensions), and familiarity with a curling iron.
Viola Davis
Our queen Viola Davis has mastered the short haircut (and this generally works well for a "mature," less twee style). There's a gentle curl through the body, but the face-framing layers angle outward; The whole effect is buoyant without being bouncy, and chic without being over-the-top.
Ashley Benson
If you have straight hair but you're looking to emulate this curled blonde lob, obviously you already know that it takes a bit of effort (though an ombre color can help prolong your need to color it as frequently). If you have curly hair, make sure you're adding more layers throughout.
Millie Bobby Brown
Millie Bobby Brown established herself as a fashion force early on, including with this blunt-beyond-blunt lob. There's face-framing fringe at the front (say that three times fast), but the rest of the cut is rigid across the bottom, and the perfect center part is the cherry on top.
Beyoncé
When Queen Bey debuted this blunt lob, it immediately made it to the list of her best hairdos ever. While most of us would be afraid this cut would give us the dreaded hair triangle, the curtain bangs help soften the look (and in practice, you'd probably want more long layers throughout. You get it: Talk to a stylist!).
Emma Roberts
Emma Roberts has perfected the bob, and this lob is deceptively simple: front part, straight on the bottom, a teeny tiny, almost imperceptible wave to bring in a little volume. Easy, right? Well, if you happen to have this exact hair, some texture spray, and a good hair dryer, yes!
Mary Steenburgen
This very long lob on icon Mary Steenburgen here is full of dimension and layering. The side bangs plus face-framing pieces in the front make for fun visual interest, but the rest of the cut keeps most of the hair long with some subtle layers throughout. This lob works for a lot of face shapes!
Jennifer Lopez
When Jennifer Lopez blesses us with a shorter haircut, it always feels like such a gift. For all those who have thinner hair volume (myself included), this is a nice inspo pic. J. Lo has lots of highlights (which helps the hair look more full) even when the cut itself isn't layered.
Cate Blanchett
Like many style and beauty icons, Cate Blanchett has picked a general hairstyle (bob/lob) and really made it her own, experimenting with different lengths within that general definition but always staying in the same general wheelhouse. This long bob has gorgeous natural-looking waves, and the deep side part gives a satisfying shape.
Rashida Jones
Our favorite Parks and Rec character (that's Anne Perkins, in case you missed it, played by Rashida Jones) had a longer, layered hairstyle. But in her real life, Jones takes the bangs and shortens the cut to magnificent effect. It's like...if Anne discovered her wild side and chopped off all her hair. I like it!
Taraji P. Henson
Taraji P. Henson is a style chameleon, and she's made all kinds of hair cuts and styles work for her. But I confess to be nostalgic for this pretty, wavy bob, with just a touch of curliness and a little long layering alongside a very pretty side fringe. It's so simple, but she looks like a million bucks.
Elizabeth Taylor
In her early years, Elizabeth Taylor made this long, brushed-out curly lob into her signature style. (She then traded it for other styles as she got older, but I still love this!) If you're going to modernize it, don't be afraid of it looking a little frizzy and even lean in on making it a bit messier.
Jada Pinkett Smith
Jada Pinkett Smith stunned us all when she gave us an "Old Hollywood meets modern day" wavy bob that feels like it could have come straight out of the '40s. This actually would work well for someone with naturally curly hair, depending on how a stylist layered the cut.
Rose Byrne
Rose Byrne can rock a bob! This ombre version is a feast for the eyes, from its brown-to-golden-blonde evolution to the fringe at the front to the curl at the bottom. In practice, this specific look might take effort to pull off unless you have some natural volume or love working with a curling iron.
Emma Stone
Emma Stone is already rocking a deep auburn color, which helps any haircut thanks to its deep vibrance. This shoulder-grazing long bob would be easy to style perfectly straight or (as we see here) with a wide curl at the bottom. This would also be easier for someone who doesn't have thick hair.
Alessandra Ambrosio
When the goal is beachy waves, where else would you go except to a Victoria's Secret model? Even when it's a shorter cut, Alessandra Ambrosio still gives us a "just gone surfing" vibe thanks to a ton of layers and highlights (plus some very dark visible roots at the top). Even if it took a lot of effort, which it probably did, the effect is windswept and uncomplicated.
Hailey Bieber
For a perfect, dictionary-worthy example of "blunt bob," look no further than Hailey Bieber (who has been rocking versions of short hairstyles for a while). The deep side part and side-swept front piece keep the hair out of her face, and the slightly curled-out ends are just so cool.
Jennifer Lawrence
J. Law here rocked a number of short cuts after The Hunger Games series, including a pixie cut she apparently hated (lol). I feel much better about this platinum lob. The color could be too intense...but the cut softens it. Her hair could look too flat...but she has pieces framing her face and some long layers.
Margot Robbie
When Margot Robbie debuted this slightly asymmetrical lob cut, I'm positive she inspired a million pairs of scissors. If you're ever going to rock an asymmetrical cut, you want to consult with a stylist to make sure it works with your face shape. But seriously, she looks so cool that if you can work it—work it.
Kerry Washington
Kerry Washington often wears he hair straight on the red carpet (it's naturally curly), so when she doesn't—as with this layered lob—it feels like an extra special treat. For anyone with 4A to 4C curls, a long bob is probably going to necessitate some layers, but the longer length at the bottom makes for such a cool shape.
Lauren Bacall
Classic Hollywood cinema star Lauren Bacall was known for her wavy, shoulder length lob (which probably inspired many a cut back in the day). The wavy pinup style is perhaps a little of its time, but there are lots of ways to modernize it, including making it more layered...
Jessica Chastain
This asymmetric cut on Jessica Chastain is giving us Old Hollywood but brought forward to modern times. The curls are tight and structured, but not overly so, and the shorter length at the back draws the eye upwards towards the top of her head. Petition for Chastain to bring this look back.
Jourdan Dunn
A perfect messy, edgy lob! This cut has a tooooon of layers angling backwards towards the crown of the head (instead of keeping the layers shortest at the front), which is a nice touch. FYI, Jourdan Dunn has rocked some less severe lobs if this one feels like too extreme for you.
Grace Kelly
Back in the day, fewer long bobs were more recognizable than Grace Kelly's. And what's more, it's a classic cut that wouldn't need a ton of tweaks to work today. (Obviously, her hair could be longer here and pinned to give the effect of a curled-under style, but I argue a lob at this exact length would be v chic!)
Lucy Hale
When we're talking about piece-y, choppy bobs, Lucy Hale's the inspiration you need. The point here is that the ends are deliberately uneven but don't look like you cut it yourself (a tricky balance to master). The side bangs really help here, since the whole thing looks asymmetrical anyways.
Emilia Clarke
A softer but still effective way to achieve a choppy bob is to layer the heck out of the bottom, as we see with Emilia Clarke. Lots of long layers also work well if you don't have a ton of hair volume but still want the lob to have some "bounce" to it. This one also has slightly lower upkeep than others on this list.
Gabrielle Union
If you have more hair volume, skip the long layers and instead opt for an uneven length at the bottom to help your bob feel less "exact." (It also helps as your hair is growing out!) Gabrielle Union wears a piece-y cut that feels playful and fun—but she's still a cool, serious person, you know?
Zendaya
Zendaya lit the internet aflame when she debuted this gorgeous curly lob. She's given us an impressive number of extreme hairstyles, often with the help of wigs, but when she opted for this soft style, it showed off how much she can do with a simpler cut, too. If you have curly hair, you may want to layer more than she does here.
Alexa Chung
"It girl" Alexa Chung is known for, among other things, her blunt, almost haphazard looking lob. She's actually stated before that, for her, the fewer layers the better. To obtain this style, have your stylist focus on an angled fringe in the front around the face and do fewer and fewer layers towards the back of the head.
Tracee Ellis Ross
The Black-ish actor knows how to make the most out of her hair, whether it's long or short—but when it's short, it's got a spectacular shape. This lob has, predictably, a lot of layers that give a lot of volume; It's the perfect balance between an ovular and circular shape, and it'll also grow out nicely.
Demi Lovato
I loooove this look on Demi Lovato. It's very rock and roll, thanks to the color, but the long layers give life and dimension to the monochromatic look. The front layers are also short enough to be face-framing without having full-on bangs. In my opinion, it's a perfect mix between soft and edgy.
