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Layered haircuts are a great option to add texture, bounce, and volume to your hair. Though often the haircut of choice for women with fairly thin hair, they also work wonders for anyone with regular or even thick hair, such is their style and grace.
As there are so many layered haircuts to choose from, we consulted our expert stylists to recommend eight of the best layered cuts to choose from this year. We have covered all bases, with recommendations for long, medium, and short hair.
So, without further ado, let's take a look at layered haircuts in more detail and run through our recommendations to help you choose the best cut for your preferences.
What is a layered cut?
A layered cut is all about creating shape and movement in your hair. Instead of cutting it all one length, your stylist trims different sections at varying lengths; shorter on top, longer underneath. This gives your hair a natural flow, adds volume where you need it, and takes away weight where you don’t. It’s a simple technique, but the effect is anything but boring.
The beauty of a layered cut is how well it works for almost everyone. If your hair is thick, layers help it feel lighter. If it’s fine, they can make it look fuller. And if you’ve got waves or curls, layers help define them without making your hair feel heavy.
Top 1. Layered cut with bangs
Our favorite layered haircut for women
Bangs are all-in right now, and we love the look that layered hair achieves with this ever-popular style. Bangs are a particularly great addition to long layers, offering a face-framing addition to your cut that can truly accentuate your signature style. There are so many ways to style bangs, so ask your stylist for a unique look that will help you showcase your style this year.
Top 2. Blended layers
A front layered haircut for long hair
Blended layers have long been popular with celebrities, thanks to the buoyant, voluminous look that they so effortlessly achieve. If your hair is colored, this is a great look for enhancing your highlights or balayage, too. Though blended layers are great for multiple hair lengths, we recommend this look for anyone with long hair - check out some of Julia Roberts' recent styles to see what we mean.
Top 3. Long layers
A stylish, long layered haircut
Many women opt for a long-layered look as the starting point for a layered style. Why? Well, long layers help to shape your face and flow below the shoulders for an unrivalled, flattering look that showcases your style. You can also pin your hair up on days when it's necessary, enabling you to mix things up without disrupting your layers.
Top 4. Face-framing layers
A 90s layered haircut that is back in vogue
Rachel from Friends, or Jennifer Aniston, is the queen of face-framing layers from the 1990s. Tune into any of your favorite episodes of the hit show to see Rachel rock layered hair that was all the rage in the 1990s. We love how effortless her face-framing layers look, enhancing her facial features in a shoulder-length look that is easy enough to achieve.
Top 5. Layered bob haircut
A stunning bob haircut with layers
The layered bob has enduring popularity in 2024 thanks to its chic style and minimum upkeep. This shoulder-length style looks natural and modern and is a great option if you want to eventually grow your hair out. Ask your stylist to experiment with color and don't be afraid to add highlights to elevate this look further.
Top 6. Choppy layers
Our favorite medium layered haircut
If you like a windswept, beachy look for your waves, choppy layers are a brilliant option. Choppy layers are perfect for achieving a carefree, sun-kissed look. Ask your stylist to create a choppy look with lots of angles and texture. A great shortcut to this look is sea salt spray, which helps to emphasize the depth and structure of the choppy layers in this cut.
Top 7. Feathered layers
A chic, short layered haircut
Ideal for slightly older women with short to medium-length hair, feathered layers create a look that is similar to the feathered layers of a bird, with hair moving in different directions. We love this look because it delivers volume and texture to slightly thinner hair, and it's great for any length down to the shoulders. Ask your stylist for razor-cut layers to achieve this look to perfection.
Top 8. Layered shag haircut
A messy, layered shag haircut
The shag is one of this year's most iconic looks, and is a brilliant option for women with medium or long hair. The shag is messy and carefree, styled on rockers of the 1980s. One of the reasons we love the layered shag is that it achieves volume and bounce with minimal fuss, and it's a great hairstyle for a low-maintenance lifestyle.
How to haircut layers?
Layers are a fairly complex look to achieve, so you need to employ the services of a talented stylist to help you achieve your chosen look. You can take a picture of your favorite celeb to your stylist and ask them to model your look on a specific style.
Alternatively, ask your stylist to recommend different layered haircuts that are well suited to your length. This is particularly important if you have thin hair, as layers are great for adding volume and texture.
Which layered haircut you will try?
Layered haircuts have been popular for a long time now, as they add texture, volume, and style to your look. Women with short, thin hair often go for layers given the many benefits of this impressive style.
Whether you have short or long hair, you can opt for layers to add something impressive to your look. Ask your stylist for inspiration or opt for any of the looks above to rock a layered look this year that will turn heads for all the right reasons.
FAQs
Q1: Which are the best medium layered haircuts?
Some of the best medium layered haircuts include the classic shag, long bob with layers, and the feathered cut.
Q2: What are the best short layered haircuts for women?
Pixie cuts with choppy layers, layered bobs, and the modern French crop top the list. These cuts give structure and lift, especially for finer hair, and they’re incredibly versatile.
Q3: Which hair type is best for layer cut?
Layered cuts work well for almost every hair type, but they really shine on thick, wavy, or slightly curly hair. Layers help remove bulk, add shape, and enhance natural texture. Even fine hair can benefit, with light layering, it gets a subtle boost in volume.
Q4: What is the most popular layered haircut?
The long layered haircut is easily the most popular, which is flattering, easy to maintain, and works with nearly all face shapes and hair types.
Q5: Who looks good with layers?
Almost everyone can look great with layers. Layers can frame the face, highlight cheekbones, and balance features. Whether you want to add volume, lighten up thick hair, or soften a strong jawline, layers can do it all.
Q6: What are the disadvantages of layer cut?
While layers can be gorgeous, they do come with a few downsides. They may require more styling to keep the shape if your hair is frizzy or fine. Growing them out can also take patience, as the hair may fall at uneven lengths for a while. But with the right cut, these are usually easy to manage!
