Why the Soft-Wave Bob Will Be Everywhere This Summer

FRESH CUTSWhy the Soft-Wave Bob Will Be Everywhere This Summer Here's all you need to know about how to achieve the boho hairstyle.

By Elle Turner

May 20, 2022

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Courtesy of Instagram/@stxph.h/@brycescarlett/@amritapalahey

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Sure, the shape of a bob is fundamental. A great cut can make or break your hair's ability to look delicious on the daily. But the soft-wave bob? Well, it's proof that a little styling can breathe new life into your hair and make you fall back in love with it, even if you're overdue for a cut.

In fact, that's when a soft-wave bob works best. The unstructured shape compliments outgrown strands, especially if you like a laid-back, undone look. But equally, the breezy styling can help loosen up ultra-neat cuts, such as freshly chopped blunt bobs, and give them a much more relaxed vibe. 

So what exactly is the soft-wave bob? Simply put, it's a looser, less structured wave that gives a slightly slept-in texture. It's the hair equivalent of no-makeup makeup – minimally styled but still super natural looking. It's exactly the right amount of relaxed.

And depending on your hair's natural texture and your desired look, it can be achieved in a few ways. For instance, naturally curly hair textures can be encouraged with styling products (such as salt sprays, texturizing sprays, and curl creams) to emphasize the shape further. For straight-ish or wavy textures, air-drying hair that's tucked behind ears or twisted into dinky buns can create a gorgeous soft wave. Or for something a little more glam, heat tools can introduce loose waves, especially when they're brushed out to look like second- or third-day hair.

Beach waves have headlined for years, but for summer 2022, this offers an even subtler cool-girl take that looks more minimal, and less deliberate. 

Here are 10 of our favorite ways to wear the soft-wave bob.

The caramel soft-wave bob

Influencer Estela Newbold paired soft-wave sections at the front of her hair with pretty caramel money piece highlights.

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Baby braid soft-wave bob

Digital creator Steph Hui teamed naturally wavy hair with cute baby braids framing her face.

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Side-parted soft-wave bob

Laura Harrier's hairstylist, Bryce Scarlett, opted for a side-parted, soft-wave bob, flicking extra waves over the other side for volume and to emphasize the gently waved texture.

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Shaggy soft-wave bob

Actress Ella Purnell wore loose, scrunched, unstructured soft waves for a rebel take on the style.

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French soft-wave bob

Model Marsella Rae's soft-wave bob is a cheeky French bob length, hitting at the lip and making the most of her naturally wavy texture.

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Semi-straight soft-wave bob

Actress Zoey Deutch's soft-wave bob is a little more structured. It looks like 'S' waves have been styled in, then combed out to leave a much looser, softer wave.

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Messy soft-wave bob

We love model Amrita-Karma's slept-in texture. It's the hair equivalent of no-makeup makeup – slightly styled, but still super natural looking. 

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Tucked soft-wave bob

Model Kaia Gerber's soft-wave bob looks beautifully undone – like it's been tucked behind her ears and left to air-dry to encourage some natural movement.

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Blunt soft-wave bob

Rose Byrne's more structured soft-wave bob features one giant wave that's been stretched out and loosened up. It's a pretty way to emphasize her sliced blunt shape. 

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Silky soft-wave bob

This silky bob is mostly straight, with the exclusion of one face-framing section, waved to add movement and add dimension for the light to bounce off her silky strands.

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This story originally appeared on glamourmagazine.co.uk.

Read more stories about bobs:

• How to Master the Art of the French Bob
• How to Achieve a Shag Cut on Wavy or Curly Hair
• The '90s Bixie — a Hybrid of a Bob and a Pixie — Is Back and It's the Short Hairstyle of 2022

Now watch hairstylist Joseph Maine transform this long curly hair into a gorgeous bob:

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Elle Turner joined GLAMOUR as Deputy Beauty Editor in June 2019. Elle previously worked for The Telegraph and was part of The Pool’s founding team. She has built up a vast knowledge of the digital landscape and is an award-nominated beauty journalist. Her special interests include in-depth skincare (the more... Read more

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Keywordsbobhaircelebrity hairbobstextured bobblunt bobNewssyndicationbob haircut