30 Iconic Bob Hairstyles Defining 2025
'It's clean and intentional, and it can completely transform the way someone carries themselves,' says Kazu Katahira, a celebrity hairstylist with Forward Artists in New York, NY. 'And what I love most is how customizable it is. No two bobs are the same when you are doing it right. You can play with the length, the angle, the texture, and it becomes this little signature for the person wearing it.'
I witnessed this wide variety of bob possibilities during Cosmo's photo shoot, dedicated to documenting the hairstyle's takeover. We invited 30 women with New York City's greatest bobs to come in, show them off, and share what makes the bob lifestyle a preferred one. From the French bobs to the graduated ones, these 30 New Yorkers have all braved the big chop and are better off for it. They're also proof that there's no one fixed way to rock this haircut. So ahead, find some inspiration and the reference pictures you'll be showing your hairstylist—along with guidance from the greats on how to live your best bobbed life.
Occupation: Artist/DJ
Social handle: @lumia.nocito
Hair type: Just found out I'm 2B.
The most unexpected thing about having a bob? How many people remember me from DJ sets as 'the one with the bob.'
Best bob styling tip: Let it live.
Occupation: Attorney + Mom!!! [Editor's note: Mom to Cosmo's creative director, Samantha Adler]
Hair type: Wavy/curly
The ultimate famous bob inspiration: Meg Ryan
Best bob styling tip: Pray for low humidity and the mercy of the hair gods.
Occupation: Dancer/actor
Social handle: @AvaNoble
Describe your bob without using the word bob: Chic as fu*k
The most unexpected thing about having a bob: I cut my hair to a bob the day after a breakup….Happy to report that single men love a bob. The pickup lines always stem from the bob. Life hack for a single girl in NYC.
Best bob styling tip: Bob blindness is real—you will keep going shorter until your friends tell you to stop. Don't let the trim get out of control! Shout-out Li at Cutler Soho.
Occupation: Model/artist
Social handle: @madisonjohnston
Hair type: Curly (but she has a mind of her own...)
Ultimate famous bob inspo: Nadia Lee Cohen (I want to be her)
The most unexpected thing about having a bob: You can look like a million different things at once. Young, old, cute, hot, or sometimes a little like Lord Farquaad.
Occupation: Artist and founder of Beepy Bella
Social handle: @isabellelalonde
Hair type: Curly
Describe your bob without using the word bob: Pungent
Ultimate famous bob inspo: Me at 5 years old, Edna from The Incredibles, and Kiki's Delivery Service.
Occupation: VIP Relations at Gucci
Social handle: @madelisey
Hair type: Cantonese
Describe your bob without using the word bob: F*ckass
The most unexpected thing about having a bob: Feeling the breeze on your neck.
Occupation: Broadway Actor/Singer
Social handle: @jadeamberlitaker
Hair type: 4 A/B
Ultimate famous bob inspo: I think Rihanna was the first with a bob who made me really want one.
Best bob styling tip: Having locs and a bob?! Honestly, water. Just spraying some water makes all the difference.
Occupation: Photographer
Social handle: @ambejphotography
Hair type: Kinky curly 4 A/B
Ultimate famous bob inspo: Velma Kelly
Best bob styling tip: For the curly girls—the Doux mousse, water, and a dream!
Occupation: Actor
Social handle: @huisterry
Hair type: 1.5 B
Describe your bob without using the word bob: Wolf cut…
Ultimate famous bob inspo: Traditional bob → Rose Byrne in US Weekly 'Celebs w/ bob hairstyles'...My cut bob→ Hyunjin from Stray Kids
Occupation: Comedian
Social handle: @chloe_troast
Hair type: Brown :(
Ultimate famous bob inspo: Will Byers Season 1 of Stranger Things
The most unexpected thing about having a bob: Getting a cold neck. Also I have a long neck, so sometimes my silhouette looks like a penis/mushroom.
Occupation: Model, writer, superstar extraordinaire
Social handle: @ellasnyder
Hair type: Fine and wavy
Ultimate famous bob inspo: Anna Wintour, duh, but also Gracie Abrams <3
Best bob styling tip: See Jaz Shepard in NYC for the best cut of your life.
Occupation: Actor/educator
Social handle: @jessiehookerbailey
Hair type: Curly
Ultimate famous bob inspo: The curly Whitney Houston bob
Best bob styling tip: Moisturize!!
Occupation: Actor
Social handle(s): @JuliaKnitel
Hair type: Pretty wavy
Ultimate famous bob inspo: Diane Keaton…obvi
Best bob maintenance/styling tip: Just…don't do anything. A great haircut will do so much of the work when it's short!!
Occupation: Model/Actor/DJ
Social handle: @KelseyHealey
Hair type: Thick, semi-wave
The most unexpected thing about having a bob: How much more confident I feel!
Best bob styling tip: I never used much product…until I had a bob…or else it just feels like a helmet.
Occupation: Fashion critic, The Washington Post
Social handle: @theprophetpizza
Hair type: Insanely thick and bleached
Describe your bob without using the word bob: Crisp
Ultimate famous bob inspo: Bernice from F. Scott Fitzgerald's 'Bernice Bobs Her Hair'
Occupation: Model/beauty influencer
Social handle: @daniellemareka
Hair type: 4C
Describe your bob without using the word bob: Eclectic
Best bob maintenance/styling tip: Mini flatiron!! Best life hack.
Occupation: Director, Fashion & Lifestyle in retail
Social handle: @chloe4dayz
Hair type: Linguine straight
Ultimate famous bob inspo: The Supremes
The most unexpected thing about having a bob: The bob community
Best bob styling tip: Get as blunt a cut as you can bear! And Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray
Occupation: Retired from the federal government, now on IG, volunteer for NY Senior Medicare Patrol
Social handle: @idiosyncraticfashionistas
Hair type: 1B/1C
Describe your bob without using the word bob: Signature look—low-maintenance between haircuts.
The most unexpected thing about having a bob: I can never start a life of crime—the police would find me so fast!
Occupation: Media personality/creator
Social handle: @stehfuhnee_
Hair type: 4C, heat-treated
Describe your bob without using the word bob: The essence of my mother.
Best bob styling tip: Bobs look best when they're a little old. Dry shampoo is your best friend.
Occupation: Textile artist, content creator
Social handles: @ellaemhoff, Substack: softcraftsclub
Hair type: 3B. Used to be 3A, but your hair texture changes every seven years.
Ultimate famous bob inspo: Ilana Glazer. Great bob.
Best bob styling tip: Mousse will make it super voluminous. Oil is great in the summer for a nice, messy look.
Occupation: Writer
Social handle: @mackenzie
Hair type: Thin as fuck. Light as air. I blame my dad.
Describe your bob without using the word bob: Evocative
Best bob styling tip: Your hair is gonna look like shit for a whole calendar year, but that's actually really important for your bob education.
Occupation: Fashion stylist and content creator
Social handle: @sierrarenas
Hair type: 3B/3C
Ultimate famous bob inspo: Edna Mode
Best bob styling tip: Don't be afraid to use heat.
Occupation: Musician/model
Social handle: @yung.merlot
Hair type: Unnatural, my hair has been through it all.
Ultimate famous bob inspo: Hari Nef
Best bob styling tip: A Dyson, unfortunately ($$$)
Occupation: Model
Social handle: @josephine__dupont
Hair type: Curly, but I won't blow it out.
Describe your bob without using the word bob: Cunty.
Ultimate famous bob inspo: Linda/Shalome/Whitney
Best bob styling tip: Keep the scissors in your purse.
Occupation: Content creator
Social handle: @tinyjewishgirl
Hair type: 3A if I'm lazy; 3B if I'm taking care of myself
Describe your bob without using the word bob: What season 5 Carrie Bradshaw should've given.
Ultimate famous bob inspo: Not season 5 Carrie Bradshaw. TBH, my 19-year-old self and, lowkey, Owen Wilson as Hansel but without the bangs.
Occupation: Beauty editor and expert
Social handle: @mayaalenaa
Hair type: Naturally 4C
Describe your bob without using the word bob: A power cut. It's like a power suit for my hair. It makes me feel fierce and effortlessly chic without ever having to try too hard.
Best bob styling tip: Dry shampoo. Imperfect is perfect. Embrace the texture—it just works!
Occupation: Stylist
Social handle: @chanelncrocs
Hair type: Curly
Describe your bob without using the word bob: Cunt.
The most unexpected thing about having a bob: The less hair I have, the more powerful I feel.
Occupation: Artist
Social handle: @sashaarijanto
Hair type: Jew-Asian
Describe your bob without using the word bob: Comic book character.
The most unexpected thing about having a bob: Number one 'They always come back' catalyst. Also, it's the best haircut if you hate washing your hair.
Occupation: Photo Director, Vogue
Social handle: @pkv15
Hair type: Short, blonde, cut straight (but I'm not)
Ultimate famous bob inspo: Probably Leo [DiCaprio]? Or River [Phoenix].
Best bob styling tip: Starlina, my hairstylist
Occupation: Actor and filmmaker
Social handle: @vournalist
Describe your bob without using the word bob: French
Ultimate famous bob inspo: Amélie from Amélie
Hair and makeup: William Scott at The Wall Group. Creative director: Samantha Adler. Senior entertainment director: Maxwell Losgar. Visual director: Scott M. Lacey. Associate visual editor: Sabrina Toto. Motion graphics designer: Ying Chen.
Annabel Iwegbue is an associate editor at Cosmopolitan where she primarily covers entertainment and lifestyle. Before joining Cosmo, she covered entertainment at Harper's Bazaar, The Knockturnal, and Black Film. She's originally from Charleston, South Carolina, and is currently based in Brooklyn, New York. She holds a B.A. in Journalism and Cinema Studies from New York University. You can check out some of Annabel's work here and also find her on Instagram and Twitter.
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She's said she has since repaid the loan and has posted on Instagram that she "made her mom a millionaire" by giving her a stake in Newsette Media Group. Without venture backing, she had to be profitable right away, she said, so she began selling ads, making $25,000 in her first month of accepting advertisers in 2017. Pierson was successful in attracting press attention, at first from small college-targeted outlets and her hometown station, later from outlets including Elle, WWD, and Business Insider. The interviews were peppered with her catch-phrases: The Newsette was a "gift in your inbox," she often said, and at the beginning, she had three employees, "me, myself, and I." In 2019, a meeting with von Furstenberg, whom Pierson calls her fairy godmother, resulted in a partnership with the fashion designer: a publication called the Weekly Wrap, which Pierson said on the "Money Rehab" podcast was one of her big breaks. 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On August 10, 2022, the day the Forbes story came out touting more than half a million subscribers, The Newsette had 411,000, according to documentation reviewed by Business Insider. In a 2023 interview with Forbes, she said it was on track to reach 1 million subscribers by the end of the year. According to company documentation, The Newsette had no more than 570,000 subscribers that year. At the 2024 Stanford talk, she said she had hit the 1 million mark; the records say The Newsette had fallen below 500,000. She repeated those numbers to advertisers. A pitch deck used earlier this year claims that The Newsette has "1.3 million+ subscribers" who receive its weekday, Saturday, and Sunday editions. A spokesperson for Pierson told Business Insider that there are 1.2 million emails in the company's total contact list — including people who no longer receive the newsletter regularly — and said the daily edition currently goes out to about 500,000 active subscribers. Jacob Donnelly, the founder of A Media Operator, a newsletter-based publication for people building digital media companies, said that standard industry practice is that the number of subscriptions refers to the number of people who receive the newsletter. "If I were to go out and say I have 1.3 million subscribers, what I'm saying to the advertiser is when I hit send, it's going out to 1.3 million people," he said, speaking generally and not about The Newsette specifically. "If someone is not subscribed to a product, I don't see how they could be classified as a subscriber." In a meeting with a potential advertiser earlier this year, a recording of which Business Insider reviewed, Pierson mentioned a subscriber count of "a million" and boasted that "every single day, our sponsors get at least 250,000 unique views." In the more than two years of newsletter data that Business Insider reviewed, The Newsette's newsletter only hit that many unique opens one time. More than half of the days, it had fewer than 200,000. At the end of 2020, von Furstenberg personally pitched Pierson to Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Pierson previously told Business Insider. The tech giant soon became one of the first clients of Newland, a creative agency that became, for a short time, The Newsette Media Group's cash cow. In 2021 and into 2022, Newland completed a number of projects for Amazon; Pierson told the Stanford audience that the company "was responsible for tens of millions of dollars in revenue." The agency took a 360-degree approach to social media marketing, coming up with the brief, hiring the talent, and handling the paid media. Campaigns included a viral Prime Day TikTok push featuring Snoop Dogg and a number of creators, and content for Women's History Month with Keke Palmer, Mindy Kaling, and von Furstenberg. According to two former employees familiar with the financials, the $40 million revenue figure Pierson touted represented gross revenue, or all of the money that flowed through the company, inclusive of cash reserved for talent and paid media. Most publicly owned ad agencies report net revenue — the money left over once a campaign is finished — and not gross revenue, which includes money the agency gets to pay for things like celebrity endorsements. When Amazon underwent a reorganization toward the end of 2022 and into 2023, the company largely paused its new work with Newland, according to four former employees. Amazon declined to comment to Business Insider about its business with Newland. After Amazon's departure, Pierson struggled to bring new clients to the agency, said four former employees. Newland, Pierson said, grew to eventually employ the majority of Newsette Media Group's employees. In December 2022, Newsette conducted one of several rounds of layoffs. Former employees said the layoffs were due to a cash crunch. By the end of 2023, Newland had completely folded. The Pierson spokesperson said the job cuts were not due to a "financial crunch," but were made for the sake of "efficiencies." For 2024, the company's revenue goal was a modest $5 million, according to internal documents. The Pierson spokesperson said those numbers were not accurate, but declined to provide additional numbers or documentation. In addition to Newsette Media Group, Pierson has been involved in other ventures. In 2021, she was announced as the co-CEO of Wondermind, a mental health website that she cofounded with Selena Gomez and the singer's mother, Mandy Teefey. In 2023, she quietly left the company; the circumstances of her departure have not been disclosed. After a press release about Pierson's investment in a group attempting to purchase Forbes went out, she posted on X that she was "on the board" of the magazine. The deal ended up falling through, and she was never on any board. Her most recent venture launched in May. Chasm is a $25,000-a-year membership club that aims to "close the gender gap through entrepreneurship." The club says its members include singer Lionel Richie and Spanx's Sara Blakely, neither of whom responded to Business Insider's request for comment. Membership fees will fund a website and award monthly five-figure grants to entrepreneurs, the first of which was announced on August 6. After being contacted for comment, Pierson sent a statement and posted it to Instagram, saying there was a coordinated attempt by people "who represent everything that my gender equality initiatives have fought to change" had launched a "smear campaign" against her and her companies, resulting in "false statements and fabricated information" aimed at eliminating her ability to "continue to put millions of my own dollars into helping women." "These false statements don't just affect me," she wrote. "They affect the thousands of women who we fund, spotlight, or promote via my companies." She said The Newsette Media Group "absolutely did" make $40 million in 2021, and defended Chasm, saying it was "on track to give away free resources and grants for female entrepreneurs worth millions this year alone." In a 2021 podcast interview, Pierson offered a vision of what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur. "If you can sell yourself," she said, "you can basically do anything."
