The pixie cut is back with a bang for springtime. We’ve spotted the gamine style on several stylish women this fashion month, while Google searches for the style have spiked by 350 percent over the past few months, too. “There is a huge resurgence in pixie cuts and other cropped haircuts—and lots of different textures–right now,” says Eugene Smith, a senior stylist at John Frieda Salons in New York who cites Teyana Taylor and Coi Leray as two women with great crops. “It’s due to the return of all things ’90s–the pixie cut was a key look back then.”
Halle Berry, Winona Ryder, Nia Long, Linda Evangelista, Toni Braxton… 30 years ago the celebrity pixie cut game was seriously strong. “These women ushered in a new-look pixie cut,” Smith says. “But the style really became a thing in the 1920s, thanks to Josephine Baker. A lot of the time people talk about the pixie cut in relation to Mia Farrow in the ’60s, but Josephine–with her slicked finger waves and shine–was the original.”
Baker’s look remains incredibly chic to this day. At New York Fashion Week earlier this month, Industry actor Myha’la Herrold modernised an excellent Baker-style pixie, while fashion director Dara Allen showed off a softer, wispier crop that was giving Audrey Hepburn and ’90s Halle Berry in a big way.
“Both Braxton and Berry’s pixie cuts were big deals back then–everyone wanted a short, cropped haircut because of them,” says Smith. “In a sea of long hair, their cuts turned heads and were associated with a kind of brave femininity. The pixie is one of the most vulnerable haircuts you can have–there’s no hiding, it shows all of your face.”
While some will balk at the idea of cutting off all of their hair, when you get the pixie cut just right, there’s nothing quite like it. Different face shapes and textures can make the look work, the cut simply needs to be adapted to each face shape. “It might be about adding more length or going shorter at the front, but anyone can have any cut they want,” argues Smith.
It pays to get the colour right, chimes in celebrity colourist Nicola Clarke, who references Michelle Williams and Linda Evangelista as examples of women who achieved pitch-perfect shades. “A cut like this is more flattering with a global, all-over hue, rather than highlighted pieces,” she says.
If you are considering going for the chop–and why wouldn’t you?–be warned that this is not as low-maintenance as you might imagine. “It’s a misconception that shorter hair is easier,” says Smith. “Once it starts to grow out, you lose the whole essence of the cut, so you do need regular cuts to keep it looking good.” A “perimeter trim” is Smith’s solution. Not as time-consuming (or expensive) as a full pixie cut, dusting the edges around its sides keeps the style looking fresh and sharp, with little fuss.
This article was originally published on Vogue.com.
