The Biggest Haircut Trends Of Fall 2021
Your Complete Guide To Fall’s Top Trends: 21 Haircuts Every Client Will Be Requesting
The fall season has arrived—and this means it’s time to help our clients transition from a laid-back late summer vibe (grown-out salty blondes, we see you!) into their fall persona. So, what are we seeing on the trend radar? We’re sharing 21 of the biggest haircut trends clients will be requesting this season, according to some of the coolest cutting experts on the internet.
Keep scrollin’ for the BTC Fall 2021 Haircut Trend Report, plus get the tips and online courses you’ll need to cut every look like a pro!
1. Soft, Eye-Sweeping Curtain Bangs
We’re calling this “The Audrey” thanks to the “Gossip Girl” reboot’s character and her viral haircut. Xoxo, you know you love it—and by that we mean a longer, sultry fringe that sweeps the eyes. Pro tip from @andreahenty: Always start longer and point-cut. You can always cut more! To achieve that sexy Bardot vibe, slide-cut the sides to customize and make your client’s features POP.
Photo Credit: Instagram via @djquintero
Photo Credit: Instagram via @chrisweberhair
Photo Credit: Instagram via @andreahenty
Ready to try this technique? Watch the tutorial + click here to try @andreahenty’s go-to scissors: PARAGON II 6″ by ARC™ Scissors!
View this post on Instagram
2. Grown-Out, Cheek-Framing Fringe
What’s next for all of the clients who requested curtain bangs for the summer szn? Expect this: Embracing the grow-out into an elongated fringe that feathers out and frames the cheek bones. Your client might just keep this “transition” fringe around!
Photo Credit: Instagram via @pirania_ya
Get a BTC-U Membership for just $10 a month! Sign up NOW watch our best-selling classes: How to cut shags, bobs + long layers.
3. Curly Bangs
Client’s with natural curls have the perfect starting canvas for cutting a custom fringe that accentuates their curl pattern. The volume, the light bounce and the natural separation—curly bangs are it! Click here for pro tips on on shrinkage, tension and how to balance the weight of the bangs to blend into the face frame and overall haircut.
Photo Credit: Instagram via @whitneypeak
Photo Credit: Instagram via @nubiarezo
Photo Credit: Instagram via @salsalhair
4. Soft, Blunt Mini Bangs
For those clients who want bangs without hair falling over their eyes… soft, blunt mini bangs are the answer. Consider this: If they wear glasses, like an edgier vibe or just have the best brows (we see you!)—this fringe is the moment.
Photo Credit: Instagram via @yukistylist
Photo Credit: Instagram via @salsalhair
5. Contoured Layers
The bouncy, face-framing blowout á la Cindy Crawford has been all over our FYPs this year and the ’90s supermodel vibe pairs perfectly with this haircut: Layers that contour the eyes, cheeks, chin and collarbone! Need a refresh on cutting layers? Click here to read our complete guide including the common mistakes you must avoid!
Photo Credit: Instagram via @matildadjerf
Photo Credit: Instagram via @andreahenty
Photo Credit: Instagram via @sza
6. “Barely There” Layers
We know what goes into a haircut when a client requests, “Some layers, but please, I don’t want to lose any length!” Barely-there layers will create the long, undone texture they want to see in the mirror—and keep your books (and pockets 😉) filled!
Photo Credit: Instagram via @erikjonhair
Photo Credit: Instagram via @chelseahaircutters
Photo Credit: Instagram via @yukistylist
Ready to make more money with the 6-figure layered haircut?! Watch this 90-minute course to start cutting long layers like a pro!
7. Tailored Face Frame
Ahh, yes! The “money piece”—we hear these words basically 50x a day at this point, but this is the best opportunity for quick appointments that will make you more money. If you want to create fast impact that is personalized to highlight your client’s features, this is the cut. Pro tip: Pair the haircut with custom color placement to add highs of brightness and lows of contrast where it counts.
Do all color services come with haircuts? Here’s why they should—click here to read the article!
Photo Credit: Instagram via @eunicekimhair
Photo Credit: Instagram via @leohairofficial
Photo Credit: Instagram via @franckhair
8. High-Volume Shaped Curls
What we’re seeing on the curly haircut trend radar: Curls shaped with mega volume in mind. Often paired with fringe or layers, these cuts are tailored to each client’s hair texture and make curls POP—especially, if you add on a color service for some extra ribbons of dimension.
Photo Credit: Instagram via @pekelariley
Photo Credit: Instagram via @curlfactor
Photo Credit: Instagram via @haircolorkilla
9. The Soft, Blended Shag
For the client who wants a shag that’s softer, try this: Seamlessly blend and connect see-through fringe into soft layers that frame the face with this low-maintenance, wearable shag haircut. Click here to learn five tips to cut shags like a pro from expert @rachelwstylist!
Photo Credit: Instagram via @rachelwstylist
Photo Credit: Instagram via @yukistylist
Photo Credit: Instagram via @jhairstylist
Want to try @rachelwstylist’s go-to scissors for texturizing shags?! Click here to buy the SYMMETRY 30/2 Reversible Blender!
10. The Retro Shag
A strong fringe that pushes the hair out into choppy layers with a sultry texture that Farrah Fawcett would approve of—THIS is that retro shaggy haircut we’re seeing on our client’s mood boards. By now, the shag is a household name (again!), so expect to keep the shag requests coming throughout the fall.
Photo Credit: Instagram via @salsalhair
Photo Credit: Instagram via @rachelwstylist
Photo Credit: Instagram via @jayne_edosalon
12. Short Shag
The short shag or “shaggy bob” fuses our client’s two loves into one: a bob/lob length and a shaggy cut. It requires taking the choppy layers shorter but keeping that volume at the crown and undone texture throughout the ends—the fundamentals of the classic shag haircut. When clients request this look, are you ready to deliver? If not, CLICK HERE to learn the technique from start to finish!
Photo Credit: Instagram via @beaubollinger
Photo Credit: Instagram via @mischag
Photo Credit: Instagram via @brittsully
Not confident with cutting SHORT SHAGS?! Register for only $19.95 + get answers to your questions LIVE on BTC-U with @styled_by_carolynn!
13. Long, Curly Shags
Layers, curls and fringe galore! There is nothing cooler than a long, curly shag that achieves that effortless cool vibe with MEGA volume. The secret to keeping first-time shag clients around: Teach them how to style their new layered cut at home with products, air-drying and diffusing routines.
Photo Credit: Instagram via @nubiarezo
Photo Credit: Instagram via @urbanbloomcurls
Photo Credit: Instagram via @jhairstylist
14. More Wolf Cuts!
Some trends carry on from season to season and the viral TikTok trend, “the wolf cut,” will continue to be high on the request list for fall. The cut fuses the elements of a shag and mullet with heavy, disconnected layers that frame the face—click here to read more on the cut!
Photo Credit: Instagram via @donovanmillshair
Photo Credit: Instagram via @coiffeurstory
Photo Credit: Instagram via @artdr3am by @doubleqnyc
Want to gain more confidence cutting layers? Click here to watch @rachelwstylist’s BTC-U course: How To Cut A Shag!
15. Texturized Midlength Cut
The secret to midlength cuts is this: Create a lot of soft, undone texture with airy layers that move. This is a go-to haircut for embracing the bob or lob grow-out with a phase that’s anything but awkward—or simply if a client wants a refresh but doesn’t want to lose too much length!
Photo Credit: Instagram via @andreahenty
Photo Credit: Instagram via @styled_by_carolynn
Photo Credit: Instagram via @mickeycolonjr
16. The Cool-Girl Lob
The lob is a staple in our haircut request list, but a lot goes into cutting this signature look—perfecting the perimeter, adding soft texture with dry-cutting techniques and achieving the effortless look that is easy for clients to style at home.
Photo Credit: Instagram via @erikjonhair
Photo Credit: Instagram via @hairandbeautybyjen
Photo Credit: Instagram via @mikaatbhc
Have you heard about SHEAR SHATTERING?! It’s the secret to texturizing the ends of a lob—CLICK HERE to read the article breakdown.
17. French Mini Bob
“Emily In Paris,” WHO?! She’s soft, romantic and a bit beveled—the French bob is often worn with a full fringe and a soft angled line that sweeps the corner of a client’s lips. Styling the bob for a Frenchie first-timer? We suggest flipping the ends, so they frame the cheeks!
Photo Credit: Instagram via @hairbyashleyfillip
Photo Credit: Instagram via @bareeminimum
Photo Credit: Instagram via @marinapett.hair
18. Blunt Lines
We LOVE to see a sharp line! This statement haircut relies on creating an element of softness within precise lines. Once you’ve perfected the soft, blunt bob technique and start posting it on IG, expect a line of cool-girl clients requesting the look. Remember this: The no.1 factor that can make or break a blunt bob is the perimeter—click here to learn four perimeter cutting mistakes to avoid!
Photo Credit: Instagram via @chrisjones_hair
Photo Credit: Instagram via @ruteboazhair
Photo Credit: Instagram via @donovanmillshair
Learn how to cut a soft, blunt bob for only $24.95! Watch this best-selling online course with 2021 #ONESHOT Bob/Lob Winner @chrisjones_hair.
19. Bobs: *Add A Little Spice*
The resident NYC-cool “hairline” bob hits that spot right around the chin and can be rocked both ways: With texturized waves, or sleek and tucked behind the ear. This ready-to-wear cut looks amaze paired with curtain bangs, a middle part or soft side part.
Photo Credit: Instagram via @cunningluxe
Photo Credit: Instagram via @salsalhair
Photo Credit: Instagram via @justineskye
20. Curly Crops
Client’s want to see piecey texture in their shorter, hairline crops—so a major PLUS for curly-haired clients: They already have that natural bounce in their hair, aka the perfect foundation for a grown-out-pixie length. We’re also seeing a lot of stylists keep the hair a bit longer in the back for a softened silhouette of a mullet or shag.
Photo Credit: Instagram via @yukistylist
Photo Credit: Instagram via @coiffeurstory
View this post on Instagram
21. Mullets
If you thought mullets were a phase, THIS is your sign that they are most definitely not. Paired with cropped bangs, heavy disconnection and texturized corners that start further back than a shag, this is not your uncle’s mullet. So, expect to see more “shullets” on everyone—from your fave celebs and IG follows to that crush from the local coffee shop.
Read this article to understand the biggest differences between SHAGS and MULLETS, plus tips that will have you cutting both haircuts like an expert—CLICK HERE!
Photo Credit: Instagram via @coiffeurstory
Photo Credit: Instagram via @yukistylist
