The '90s Bixie — a Hybrid of a Bob and a Pixie — Is Back, and It's the Short Hairstyle of 2022

Short StylesThe '90s Bixie — a Hybrid of a Bob and a Pixie — Is Back, and It's the Short Hairstyle of 2022I don't think we called it a bixie the first time around, but this beloved look has been overdue for a return to trendiness.

By Marci Robin

December 16, 2021

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Just when I thought we'd figured out what all the big hairstyle trends were going to be in 2022, a familiar look from a few decades ago is throwing a gamine wrench into things. Although I honestly don't remember it being called this back in the '90s — and I remember pretty much all the great portmanteaus I've encountered in my lifetime — the "bixie" is back, and it's ready to delight, dazzle, and potentially confuse.

The bixie is called the bixie because it combines elements of two distinctly recognizable hairstyles — the bob and the pixie — and creates a new hairstyle in a gray (but very cute) area. "A bixie cut is equal parts pixie cut and a bob," says stylist Andrew Fitzsimons. "It's a shaggy bob with a mix of layers, to add dimension and texture." Think of the influx of short haircuts in the mid- to late-'90s — the ones that weren't cropped enough to be called pixies, but weren't long enough to be considered bobs. (At the time, I think we just called the looks "short hair"…?) So many stars were doing it: Winona Ryder, Meg Ryan, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cameron Diaz, Halle Berry, Rachael Leigh Cook, Neve Campbell, Drew Barrymore, and the Aussie soap opera star turned pop singer who inspired my own college crop, Natalie Imbruglia. 

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It was an undeniably adorable look that eventually fell out of favor; my theory is that it evolved from a carefree look to a more heavily styled, extremely angular look that felt pretty cool when Victoria Beckham did it and then a little less so when Kate Gosselin did. (Is there any haircut more indelibly associated with the phrase "I need to speak to your manager"?) But a new wave of celebrities are bringing back that original, lower-key bob-meets-pixie vibe, and with it, an inevitability: we're all going to be getting bixies in 2022. 

We can credit Rowan Blanchard for getting the ball rolling two years ago while attending Paris Fashion Week with an authentic '90s bixie, complete with choppiness and different lengths.

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Much more recently, Florence Pugh seems to be leading the charge with a similar not-too-short but definitely not chin-length look.

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Sarah Hyland recently cut her hair into what some might call a bob with bangs, but we're gonna go ahead and call it a bixie since it definitely checks off enough of the boxes — and because her stylist, Nikki Lee, called it that. "We went short and added a full bang," she said. "It's our take on the bixie, but more timeless and classic."

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Even Anne Hathaway was spotted on a movie set with what's arguably a bixie, though it's all but confirmed that she was wearing a wig. That said, it proves hair doesn't have to be straight to look cute with this cropped style.

Needless to say, the momentum is building, so if you're thinking of trying it yourself, you can feel confident that plenty of hairstylists will know exactly what you're talking about if you ask for a bixie, according to Fabrice Gilli, a stylist at Fekkai SoHo in New York City. "With that being said, it’s always good to show your stylist a picture of the look you’re going for to ensure it’s exactly what you want," he adds. As for which hair types may be best suited for a bixie, he says very thick or coarse hair may not be the ideal candidate. "I recommend a bixie for fine to medium texture hair."

More on short hair:

• Kourtney Kardashian Proved You Can Do Old-Hollywood Curls on Short Hair
• Courtney Love Just Chopped Off All Her Hair Into a Pixie Cut
• We're Obsessed With These Wedding-Ready Short Hairstyles

Now check out more 1990s beauty trends:

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Keywordshaircutshort hairbobpixie cuthaircutshairstylehairstyles90swinona ryderDrew BarrymoreCameron Diaz90s hairstyles1990sAnne Hathawaytrendhair trendSarah HylandTrends