Haircuts 2026: The 'Mouse' Haircut and 9 Other Looks to Book This Season

Think of it as a grown-up pixie that never quite committed. It sits somewhere between the cheekbone and the jaw, with soft, feathered ends, a wispy fringe and lots of texture through the crown. The name started on TikTok and refers partly to the shape, small and neat, and partly to the colour that tends to go with it: a natural, unfussy light brown. Mousy, in other words, and finally a compliment.

It suits fine to medium hair best, and it is kind to anyone growing out colour. Ask for point-cut ends rather than blunt, a fringe that breaks into the brows, and texture rather than volume. Style with a little cream and your fingers. If it looks too neat, you've overdone it.

The bixie. Half bob, half pixie, and the easiest short cut to grow out. Good for thick hair that needs taking in hand.

The Italian bob. Jaw length, full and bouncy, with a little movement at the ends. Looks expensive with almost no effort.

The box bob. Blunt, square and very precise. The sharp counterpoint to all the softness. Needs a trim every six weeks.

The bottleneck fringe. Short and narrow in the middle, longer at the sides. The gentlest way into a fringe if you've never had one.

Long curtain layers. For anyone who won't go short. Face-framing pieces starting at the cheekbone add shape without losing length.

The soft wolf. The shaggy wolf cut, toned down. Fewer choppy layers, more blend. Brilliant on natural waves.

The French crop. Very short, with a textured fringe and soft sides. Bold, but it does wonders for cheekbones and earrings.

The collarbone cut. A straight mid-length with invisible layers inside. The safe bet that still looks like a change.

The defined curl cut. Cut dry, curl by curl, by someone who knows curly hair. It changes everything about how curls sit. Worth travelling for.

Bring three pictures: the front, the side and the back. Also bring one picture of a cut you don't want, which is often more useful. Be honest about how long you spend on your hair in the morning. A cut that needs a round brush and twenty minutes will never look like the photo if you have five.

Most of these cuts want texture rather than shine. A texture spray from Boots does the job for under a tenner. At the luxe end, Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray is the one stylists keep in their kit. A light styling cream scrunched into damp hair helps the mouse cut and the soft wolf. For the bobs, a Dyson Airwrap makes a salon finish at home almost achievable.

Short hair grows out at roughly a centimetre a month, so a pixie takes over a year to reach your shoulders. Short cuts also need more frequent trims, so the saving on shampoo goes straight to the salon. Still tempted? Start with a bob and go shorter next time. And if a sharper line appeals, see how to ask for Jessica Chastain's blonde bob.