Are you just about due for a haircut—or at least some styling inspiration? Perhaps a layered hairstyle should be next on the agenda. Could I interest you in a choppy bob, which was all the talk during the 2024 awards season? How about a wolf cut? Whether you’re in the mood to recreate the oh-so-popular butterfly cut a la Matilda Djerf or Gwyneth Paltrow’s classic long, face-framing layers, there's a layered cut and style that'll work for your face shape and hair texture.
While a layered hairstyle is the perfect way to emphasize certain facial features, it also makes styling easier than ever before. Air-dried textures will look more polished, curly hair will stay defined and separated, and fine, thin hair will be blessed with volume. When it comes to upkeep, these looks are about as low-maintenance as it gets.
"To maintain a layered haircut, regular trims are essential to prevent the layers from losing their shape and becoming overgrown. Additionally, using a lightweight, volumizing shampoo and conditioner can help keep the layers looking fresh and bouncy," shares Laurie Heaps, the artist responsible for cutting Sabrina Carpenter's hair.
Ahead, you'll find inspiration just in time for your next salon appointment. We’ve rounded up over sixty (!) layered hairstyles to choose from, from on-trend, '90s-esque curtain bangs to blended ringlet curls.
Bouncy '90s Curtain Bangs
Because her client is the current queen of a layered blowout, Heaps perfects Carpenter's hair by keeping her signature curtain bangs regularly trimmed—constantly adding freshness to her long-layered style.
Loose Blowout
Unlike its wearer, this hairstyle isn't too rare—which is to say it looks good on just about everyone. If you're not ready to rock a major Matilda Djerf or Sabrina Carpenter-esque blowout, ask your stylist for soft curls and a little less volume.
Long Shaggy Layers
Walking the red carpet alongside her fellow Yellowjackets cast members at the 2024 Emmy awards, Sophie Thatcher wore her brunette shag long and heavily layered, with a full, tousled bang adding even more intrigue to the hairstyle.
The Wolf Cut
You can spice up a shorter hairstyle by adding choppy layers a la Renée Rapp. Dubbed a wolf cut, this style lends itself perfectly to an air-dried wave or loose bend as it creates instant dimension and volume.
Newly Chopped Strands
When you have a freshly layered haircut, styling can be extremely simple—run your brush through (or don't) and be on your way. “Everybody’s hair grows out differently, but if your hair is really dry on the ends, you want to go at least every two months to get a trim,” says Justin Anderson, a hairstylist and co-founder of dpHUE.
Classic Round Brush Blowout
Devin Graciano, a professional hairstylist and haircare product developer at Goldie Locks, is all about the full-bodied, classic round brush blowout (aren't we all?) because of its smooth, shiny finish and touchable texture.
To achieve the look, she recommends starting with freshly washed hair. "How you start your style matters, so use the appropriate styling product prep for your end results," adds the chemist.
A Layered Wet Look
For a red carpet appearance last month, Kim Kardashian tried another wet look—this time incorporating major layers and a side bang into the mix. While the wetness makes it hard to see the separate sections at play, the side part gives us a peek at the texture.
Textured Ponytail
Anne Hathaway is my hair hero. "Pulling back the hair into a high or low ponytail while leaving out some layers to frame the face creates a chic and stylish look," shares Heaps.
Goop-y Long Layers
Not quite sure how you feel about a layered look? Dip your toe in the (natural, gluten-free, organic) water with a few long layers like Miss Gwyneth Paltrow. The look is polished, but still adds a little personality to your cut. And if you decide it isn’t for you? The grow-out phase is insanely easy.
Body-Boosting Cuts
Anyone who curls their hair on the regular should take notes from the brilliant Amal Clooney. Her gradual layers ensure that each chunk of hair remains defined. If you're someone who switches between a center and side part, just make sure your front layers aren’t too short. See how they fall so nicely?
Subtly Layered Locks
Here, Kendall Jenner proves that a layered hairstyle can be super subtle. It may look uniform, but there are slightly different lengths at play here, giving her medium-length strands an extra boost of volume.
Bold Volume
Will we ever stop talking about Miley Cyrus's 2024 Grammys look? Probably not. Or at least I won't. Inspired in part by the singer's godmother, the one and only Dolly Parton, you can see all of the "Younger Now" singer's layers at work here. To get the look, grab your favorite hairspray and spray away.
Angled Layers
Asymmetric layers add unmatched excitement to any style—regardless of length, color, or texture. To achieve Willow Smith's edgy cut, your hairstylist should add sharp layers with blunt ends.
Random Ringlets
Rocking my favorite hairstyle from the last I-don't-even-know-how-long, Kylie Jenner looked absolutely ethereal when she stepped out at Paris Fashion Week in January 2024 with a random array of soft ringlets worked into her dark hair.
Voluminous Curls
As Da'Vine Joy Randolph so expertly exhibits above, layers and curls are a perfect match. They give the illusion of length and volume while simultaneously giving the hair a thinner, less bulky feel. It’s a no-brainer style for summer—or for when you're caught under the bright lights of a red carpet.
A Gradual Swoop
You’ll want to ask your stylist for jagged layers to achieve Michelle Pfeiffer's gradually layered hairstyle. When styling at home, achieving her perfect inward bend will require a bit of heat styling (remember a protectant!). You’ll glide your favorite hair straightener through the ends of your hair with a round brush.
Minimalist Waves
You can also easily enter the world of layered hair with a look like Simone Ashley’s. Her soft and expertly blended layered look works great with all hair types and textures.
Wispy Layers
Balance out your bangs (how cute are these on Jenna Ortega?!) with some wispy layers. This will give your fringe a messy, just-woke-up-like-this feel as opposed to something more structured and styled—and trust us, that's a great thing.
Polished Updo
Focusing on layers toward the front of your head while getting a haircut is an ideal plan of action for anyone who loves an updo. Similar to curtain bangs, short layers instantly up the ante on any bun or ponytail. The singular left-out layer from Priyanka Chopra's textured cut adds so much dimension here.
Short and Sweet
If your hair texture falls on the wavy side, take a page out of Florence Pugh’s playbook. A choppy cut can add a little extra bounce to your texture—especially when you're working on growing it out.
U-Shaped Cut
Widely known as the U-shaped or V-shaped haircut, this is a style that’s longer in the back and shorter in the front—a great option for those with thick, full hair (I see you, J.Lo). It helps keep structure, but doesn’t disrupt your natural texture.
Barely-There Layers
Make like the lovely Brenda Song and add a little personality to your simple style by playing ever-so-slightly with the length of each strand. This look is especially great for thin or medium hair types on the seemingly never-ending search for texture.
Sleek Styles
Oh, Rihanna. Here, a long, eyelash-grazing side bang is paired up with an array of blonde layers for a straight, sleek, and sexy look that I wish we'd see over and over. However, this is RihRih, which means it's probably a one-and-done style.
Voluminous, Vibe-y Layers
Cardi B is our queen when it comes to all things glam. Here, she rocks the most voluminous blowout. Each layer seems to add another inch to her style vertically and horizontally—and there are a lot of layers.
Lightly Crimped Layers
While Olivia Rodrigo's strands are by and large one length (it's her signature look!), she adds a bit of movement with long, long layers and a bit of added texture.
Angled Bob
The comedian's bob is a different take on a layered look. Ultra crisp, Ayo Edibiri's deep side part makes the chic style move from short to long(er).
Side Swept Bangs
Featuring a heavy side bang and soft layers that play with different textures (there's even a braid in there), Taylor Swift's epitomizes the tortured poet aesthetic—which is exactly what she wanted at the time.
Lengthy Side Part
Want to give your long layers a more dramatic vibe? Change up your part and immediately shorten how the front pieces fall. Jennifer Lawrence is an expert at this—see how much shorter that first section looks?
Wavy Bob
Bobs are everywhere right now, and there are so many ways to play with them. Here, short, choppy layers give a wavy, above-the-shoulder bob a jaunty bounce for America Ferrera. The deep side part also creates a smart asymmetry.
Graduated Layers
Molly Sims showcases a single mezzanine level of layers just along the collarbone, then snippy layers at the ends to break things up. Genius.
Gentle Waves
"Effortlessly tousled waves give a relaxed, carefree vibe that complements layered hair beautifully," notes Heaps. Miss Hailey Rhode Baldwin Bieber, the most effortless trendsetter we have (what does she need to do besides paint her nails to start a movement?), is an excellent example of this oh-so-easy trend.
Half-Up, Half-Down
Another perk of layers? Unless you go super shaggy, it's still easy to keep your hair out of your face. See Gigi Hadid's style above: while the front pieces are pulled away, you can still see the artistry of the cut as it falls behind her shoulders.
Layered Ringlets
With swishy layers and amazing natural texture, Ciara's layered cut is perfectly bouncy. We especially love how the middle part makes each separate section shine. By piling shorter pieces on top and around the face like she did here, tighter curls have a more defined shape and need less styling.
Razored Bob
Jennifer Aniston is layered hairstyle royalty (hello, "the Rachel"), but it's been a while since we've seen her hair *this* short. A bit longer in the front, her strands are razored up and in throughout for a style that looks almost mono-length and is anything but.
Long, Long Layers
Layers need not hit you square in the face. In fact, they should do just the opposite and float away to meet their full face framing potential. Here, you can see Blake Lively's lengthy layers drifting gently away from her gorgeous smile, thereby highlighting it even more.
Face-Framing Layers
This Barbie wears her hair in face-framing layers. To recreate Margot Robbie's soft, loose waves, make sure you have a great sea salt spray on hand.
Wavy Layered Bob
Hilary Duff went for a choppy layered bob with a not-so-subtle hint of wet look wonderment. Her hair looks even fuller thanks to her hairstylist's addition of texture and a little volume (via plenty of great hairspray).
Romantic Updo
Here, Emma Stone plays the role of "woman with perfect romantic updo." Letting a few of her layers fall around her face, she'd look right at home at a ball held under the stars or in a field of flowers with her long-lost love.
Long Blue Layers
The hardest part of this hairstyle is definitely dying your hair blue. The good news? It'll look just as great with any shade. Megan Fox's wavy situation can easily be achieved with a medium barrel curling iron. Patiently curl your hair piece-by-piece and maintain the length by cutting layers past the shoulders.
Choppy Lob
Jazz up a classic blunt lob with a fun balayage hair color, like Mandy Moore's warm brunette shade, and some choppy layers for added texture.
Shoulder-Length Waves
You can never go wrong with a shoulder-length cut and a middle part. Kerry Washington has the ability to pull off just about any style, and this staple is no different.
'70s Layers
To achieve a classic '70s-inspired look like Cindy Crawford, subtly layer the front of your hair and curl the strands away from the face for a feathered curl effect.
Asymmetrical Bob
Taraji P. Henson added some personality to the ever-popular bob by styling it with a deep side part, creating an asymmetrical style that let her layers pop. This particular style was crafted by Tym Wallace using a wig from True Indian Hair. Remember: If you don't feel like undergoing a chop, faux hair is always a possibility.
Curly Layered Mane
Layering naturally curly hair is the perfect way to achieve additional volume. Here, Ellis Ross' bangs are just slightly layered to keep the look full but not too heavy.
Fabulously Frizzy Curls
A little frizz and humidity won't do any harm to a good layered hairstyle, as Shakira's natural curls showcase. In fact, it'll only make it more amazing—with layers, the more volume the better.
Face-Framing Curls
Zendaya is a great actress, but even if she wasn't, she'd probably be able to make a career out of her ability to rock any and every hairstyle. Cutting your curls may seem scary, but we promise you that curly bangs will not be a mistake. Layers will give your natural curls *so much* definition.
Brushed-Out Waves
Brushed-out curls and layers will add fullness to any hairstyle—not that Julia Roberts needs any help in that department.
Blunt Bob
Who says your bob has to be one length? No one. If you're looking for a fun way to jazz up a simple bob, take pre-red hair era Dua Lipa's asymmetrical layers as inspiration to experiment with length.
Feathered Lob
Modernize Farrah Fawcett's famous feathered hair with a center part like Keke Palmer. Parting your layers straight down the middle is a classic trick to accentuate your facial features, and her makeup artist's killer eyeshadow didn't hurt the situation either.
Asymmetrical Pixie
Short hair serves layers well with lots and lots of volume. Kate Mara's wispy side-bangs add a layer (haha!) of eccentricity to this choppy style.
Texturized Bob
While showing off her new bob at a photo shoot last month, Gigi Hadid proved that—although the layers aren't super short—her newly textured haircut added a ton of fullness to her locks.
Subtle Texture
Nicole Kidman teaches us to keep a haircut from falling flat by cutting a bunch of long layers that start at the jawline and gradually thin out toward the ends. Lightly curl random sections around your head, raking through the curls while they're still warm, to add even more body and definition.
Layered Bangs
Wispy bangs that melt into long, face-framing layers automatically add definition to Dakota Johnson's face—it's no wonder she's kept her fringe around for so long.
Glossy Curls
Thick hair can weigh down your face. Try Gabrielle Union's solution: thin out the bulk of your strands with feathered layers that fall softly around your cheeks and over your shoulders.
Waterfall Layers
Thicker hair plus longer layers makes for the perfect opportunity to curl your locks out in cascading mermaid waves. And Chrissy Teigen is never one to pass up an opportunity for cascading mermaid waves.
Beachy Braids
Beachy waves work especially well on layers that start from the chin down. Just think of all the hair-flipping—and braiding—potential. Nicole Richie simply threw her hair into these plaits and left out a couple of shorter strands to craft the very cutest style.
Royal Curls
Use a large barrel iron to achieve soft spirals like Kate Middleton.
Wispy Waves
When you've got piece-y layers like Sienna Miller, achieving this adorable, wispy style is as simple as wrapping hair lightly around a straightening iron for subtle waves.
Windswept Cut
On finer hair with super subtle layering (as seen here on Rashida Jones), add some body by spritzing some gritty texturing spray throughout your hair and scrunching at the roots.
Layered Braids
Known hair chameleon Halle Bailey chose braids of various lengths for this particular style in June 2023.
Dark Roots
Camila Cabello makes this messy, layered look even more interesting with dark roots that draw the eye right to her hairstyle.
What Face Shape Looks Best With Layers?
Anyone can make layers work for them—as long they have the right stylist. “I always say, go to a professional. Talk to them, let them see [what they’re working with],” says Anderson. But as a rule of thumb, he suggests that those with round faces opt for longer layers, as it elongates the face, and those with more oval face shapes go with shorter, face-framing pieces.
Where Should Layers Start?
According to Heaps, the starting point for layers varies depending on factors such as face shape and hair texture.
"Generally, layers can start anywhere from around the chin to the ends of the hair, with the goal of enhancing volume and adding dimension to the hairstyle," she says. "It's best to consult with a hairstylist to determine the most flattering starting point for layers based on your specific features and hair type."
Who Shouldn't Get Layers?
Heaps notes that individuals with very fine or thin hair may want to avoid layers, as they can sometimes make the hair appear even thinner. "Additionally, people with extremely curly or coarse hair may find that layers disrupt the natural texture of their hair and cause it to become frizzy or difficult to manage," she adds.
