What’s a bixie, you may ask? Unofficially: One of the coolest haircuts of the summer. Officially: A hybrid between a bob and a pixie. In other words, the best of all worlds. Here, a look at what exactly makes a bixie a “bixie”—and how to style it if you decide to make the chop yourself.
Breaking down the bixie cut
The bixie has quickly become the most-requested haircut at salons. For good reason: “It’s a cut that combines the freshness and casualness of the pixie with the length of the bob, combining shorter layers at the nape of the neck and sideburns and leaving longer ones at the top and close to the face,” explains Spanish hairstylist and Redken ambassador Juandiegoteo. Think: A grown-out pixie or a choppy bob with face-framing bangs.
With a vibe that calls to minds the It-girls of the 1990s like Winona Ryder, Cameron Diaz, Halle Berry, and Victoria Beckham, it allows multiple variations depending on hair texture, bone structure, and desired length. “It can be adapted to all types of hair and face shapes: play with the bangs and leave them down, tousled, or wavy to achieve a classic or edgy style,” recommends stylist Mar Peón of Menta Beauty Place in Madrid.
Who can wear a bixie cut?
While the bixie can be adapted for anyone, “it’s a cut that especially favours oval faces as it highlights the cheekbones,” says Juandiegoteo. He also considers it “ideal for fine hair because it adds a lot of volume. And, it also works well with wavy and curly hair for a more casual style,” he explains.
Felicitas Ordás of Felicitas Hair says it’s also a great cut for anyone who wants to highlight their jawline, shoulders, and neck. “With this cut, the nape of the neck and sides are lengthened.” Her advice: Comb it with the ends slightly outwards to give it a playful, gamine look.
Those with wavy or curly hair may find the bixie surprisingly wearable: “The rounded contours formed with the right cut are very versatile,” Rafael Bueno of Felicitas Hair explains. “We can gather the curls on one side or on both, leaving the top part free.”
The beauty of the bixie
In other words, the bixie cut is stylish, versatile, and low maintenance. It’s easy to style by either air-drying or combined with product for a wet or textured effect. Juandiegoteo recommends “combing it with salt water or some pomade.”
Although the bixie may require more frequent visits to the salon than the average bob, Peón emphasises that it’s still pretty easy to keep up: “You can space out the cuts a bit more than you would with a classic pixie, which looses shape ore quickly and requires more precise edges.”
This article was first published on Vogue.com.
