Few haircuts have had as storied a history as the bob. From a rebellious statement of women’s liberation to red carpet mainstay, fashionable women have been sporting chin length locks for well over 100 years, and likely won’t be stopping any time soon. However, as with any haircut, the texture of your hair is among the factors you’ll want to consider before breaking out the shears.
To find out more, we tapped stylists Gretchen Friese and Joanna Zee for their insights into the most flattering bobs for those with fine tresses, including which hair types and face shapes they compliment best. While some of these examples feature hair that’s on the thicker side, the styles themselves are perfectly suited for fine hair. With that in mind, we rounded up our favorite bob haircuts that aim to create a fuller, denser, and more volumized mane.
Keep reading for 50 super-chic bob options for fine hair.
Karlie Kloss
Though Kloss is something of a hair chameleon, the model’s chic bob haircut will forever live on in our hearts as one of the best options if you’re Team Fine Hair. Plus, that fringe.
Kat Graham
When we think “bob,” something short, sleek, and flapper-esque almost always seems to come to mind. Exhibit A: Kat Graham’s above-the-shoulder chop, which “plays off her texture and shows bobs don’t have to be straight and sleek,” says Zee. “I like how the dimension looks with the ends of each curl,” she adds.
Olivia Culpo
Olivia Culpo does Old Hollywood glamour just as impeccably as she does a modern wet look or slicked-back high pony. Here, she offers up that classic style with her enviable bob, voluminous mermaid waves, and a deep side part.
Kate Mara
Typically, we look to actress Kate Mara for head-turning inspiration when it comes to color (she’s gone from brunette to copper to blonde and back again), but she’s also had some drool-worthy haircuts as of late. We love this breezy bob for its long layers and polished texture.
Jourdan Dunn
Jourdan Dunn’s hair is always on point, and this look is no exception. Her modern take on the classic bob, featuring chic bends and waves, well-placed layers, and high-brow bangs, has got it all.
Nina Dobrev
Time pretty much stood still (for beauty lovers, at least) when Nina Dobrev took an even deeper plunge and updated her cut to a shorter, chopper look. “She shows how a bob doesn’t have to be just a straight style. In fact, it can also be fun, textured, and playful,” comments Zee. Just one of Dobrev’s many good hair days.
Rowan Blanchard
Having trouble getting volume with gelled hair? Comb it over! “An all-one-length blunt bob (around chin length) is a great option for fine hair. It can be worn straight and sleek as well as wavy and tousled, which is very popular right now,” comments Friese.
Kristen Stewart
Let’s face it: Kristen Stewart is the queen of mastering every edgy hair look we’ve coveted from afar. However, this wavy take (a great option for hair craving a boost of body) presents a happy medium.
Kerry Washington
There’s nothing more demure than a loose curl like the one Kerry Washington is wearing here. Waves give the appearance of hair being thicker than it is, but applying a moisturizer like As I Am Doublebutter Cream ($15) also lends a hand.
Constance Wu
Constance Wu’s crisp center part and voluminous curls are the ultimate cure-all for fine, limp strands. Even if your hair is stick-straight, you can still achieve the bouncy waves of your dreams.
Julianne Hough
Julianne Hough left us all awestruck when she chopped her usually long, perfectly curled hair for a short, straight bob with fringe. Friese also points out how this ‘do is especially “great for fine hair because the fringe directs the eye upward to the crown where most of the hair lives.”
Eva Marcille
Eva Marcille’s chin-grazing bob offers the perfect loose texture with a bit of grit. To add volume to thinner hair, try a deep side part and flip the shortest front pieces over to one side.
Lily Collins
Lily Collins shows some major glam with her perfectly coiffed curls. A simple curl or wave is a quick and easy way to breathe life into flat hair, a common side effect of fine texture.
Léa Seydoux
MATT WINKELMEYER / GETTY IMAGES
Léa Seydoux is a vision with her slightly wavy blunt bob at Cannes. She also proves how short hair is a great canvas for ombré color. According to Friese, in addition to their fine-haired counterparts, those with thicker tresses can also rock this look.
Joan Smalls
Joan Smalls never seems to do any wrong in the hair department, and is always a source of inspiration as far as cut, color, and style are concerned. And as for those baby bangs, well, Bettie Page would be proud.
Nicole Richie
Do something different with your hair and opt for an asymmetrical style like Nicole Richie’s bleached bob. From its platinum color to its face-framing form, this is one hairdo to add to the it-girl lookbook.
Chrissy Teigen
Chrissy Teigen looks absolutely effervescent wearing a chin-length bob with hair tucked behind one ear. For extra volume at the roots, try Color Wow Raise the Root to thicken and lift ($24).
Yvonne Orji
While Hollywood is chock full of bob inspiration, we’re particularly fond of this straightforward number (we mean that literally and figuratively) on Yvonne Orji. “It is a classic style that can be parted either in the middle or on the side” and flatters most face shapes, says Friese.
Hailey Bieber
Hailey Bieber always has aspirational style, but look how beautiful her hair is here in a short and sleek blunt bob. The combed-over style gives the side-swept illusion of bangs, without the commitment.
Tiffany Haddish
Hollywood is gaga over slicked-back hair. But apart from being super trendy, this style also pairs perfectly with fine tresses. After slicking hair back, simply tease up the roots like Tiffany Haddish for a burst of volume.
Rose Byrne
Rose Byrne plays with her bob’s length, leaving it slightly shorter in the back and growing gradually longer toward the front. It’s obvious that she knows what she’s doing since “an A-line bob is perfect for fine, textured hair,” says Friese.
Gabrielle Union
Gabrielle Union shows off the power of perfectly-placed hair accessories and how “clearly textured hair works well for a bob style. It’s still long but also has volume,” says Zee. Friese agrees: “This cut caters to her very curly natural hair and opens up her face. The layers add wonderful volume and texture to create a balanced style.”
Margot Robbie
Hairstylist Bryce Scarlett is the genius behind most of Margot Robbie’s iconic looks—including this straight, tucked number. It looks simple, chic, and French all at the same time.
Jessica Chastain
The hair flip at ends of Jessica Chastain’s sultry-but-defined waves adds a flirtatious finish, while also creating volume.
Mindy Kaling
We’re now halfway through our list, so we have to ask: Are you ready to make the chop? If you’re on the fence, know this: “Bobs are flattering for fine hair because usually, fine hair is limp and a bob takes weight from the bottom out, making it lighter and more bouncy,” explains Zee.
Cara Delevingne
Cara Delevingne makes the case for side-swept bangs with this modern take on a shaggy bob. “The long side-swept fringe opens up the face, making it a great look for most shapes, especially oval and diamond,” comments Friese.
Regina King
Regina King looks like a queen with this elegant wavy bob. It’s clear she knows a thing or two about the benefits of hydration given her waves’ softness and shine. We’re betting we could find something like the Pantene Gold Series Hydrating Butter Cream ($7) in her haircare routine.
Karrueche Tran
A textured or lightly layered bob—like the one seen here on Karrueche Tran—works especially well for fine locks since it lends more volume and bounce, Zee explains. Her imperfect finish is actually perfect for fine hair, since a little bit of frizz can add a volume-inducing aura.
Lana Condor
A textured, tousled bob does wonders for fine hair and can also be adapted to your face shape. “Say for a round face shape, I can create a look that will make the face appear oval,” comments Zee. Here, Condor’s face-framing cut with a mussy finish does just that.
Ashley Benson
Ashley Benson’s beachy waves are the perfect gold tone to complement her complexion—and jewelry. Armed with just a few pumps of mousse, you too can score the perfect undulating texture.
Kim Kardashian West
From Rapunzel-esque length to this collar-bone grazing ‘do, Kim Kardashian is never short of jaw-droppingly gorgeous hair moments. We’re partial to this slightly longer bob—lob, as we know it best—with plenty of soft shine.
Tyra Banks
Tyra Banks works it with this bob-bang combo. Side-swept bangs are stylish, easy to maintain, and ideal for fine hair: “It also draws the eye upward toward the crown where the hair has the most density, which helps create an illusion of thicker hair,” says Friese.
Emma Roberts
The pairing of her roots-out platinum lob with blackberry lipstick here makes Emma Roberts look like a grunge princess. Fine haired folks take note and finish with a volume-inducing side flip. Zee also gives props to this bob for showing off Roberts’s killer bone structure by drawing attention to her strong jawline.
Ciara
When it comes to hair, Ciara can do no wrong. A deep bang draws attention to the fullness and density of hair at her crown while her loosely half pulled up style favors volume. A red lip really makes this look pop.
Charlize Theron
“Bobs are so versatile. They look great on any face shape. It’s where you add your layers or your weight distribution that makes it specific to the client in your chair unique for them,” says Zee. Here, Charlize Theron rocks a platinum bob that makes her pink eyeshadow pop.
Úrsula Corberó
The hashtag #shorthairdontcare follows Úrsula Corberó wherever she goes. Her mussy bob paired with full-bodied fringe is a match made in hair heaven. To keep bangs from falling flat or getting greasy, refresh throughout the day as needed with Nexxus Dry Shampoo Refreshing Mist ($15)—after blowdrying with a round brush, of course.
Lucy Liu
She shocked everyone when she cut inches off her hair, but Lucy Liu absolutely rocks a chic bob. “I think most people hear bob/lob and automatically picture the classic bob,” like Liu’s says Zee. “You can do a lot with them! No matter your hair type or texture. You just have to customize it to the client.”
Emilia Clarke
Similarly shocking was Emilia Clarke’s post-Game of Thrones hair transformation, but we love the elegance. Sure, her brows might get most of the attention, but this bob is just what the hair doctor ordered.
Jennifer Lopez
We might all be after that J.Lo glow, but Jennifer Lopez’s mane is equally as envy-inducing. Therefore, it came as no surprise when she launched her own haircare line. To achieve her level of thickness and shine, we recommend applying a bit of KérastaseElixir Ultime Bi-Phase Oil Spray ($51).
Lucy Boynton
Her eye makeup might be what gets your immediate attention, but it’s the side-parted bob that really pulls Lucy Boynton’s look together. This is a versatile cut that you can also wear straight, but we’re into the lived-in texture that makes it feel modern.
Kelly Rowland
Sometimes the best bob is the simplest bob, like this classic one on Kelly Rowland. Her blunt ends lend structure and weight to her hair. “Any cut with a blunt perimeter, such as the bob, will create the illusion of thicker hair. More so than a cut with more texturized or feathered ends,” explains Friese.
Jennifer Lawrence
She may have gotten her big break as a long-haired brunette, but this fresh platinum lob looks incredibly natural on Jennifer Lawrence. Just keep in mind that bleaching hair, especially fine hair, makes it extremely fragile so treating it with extreme care is key.
Alicia Vikander
Alicia Vikander debuted this cut at the 2017 Vanity Fair Oscar party, and although it’s a departure for her, we’re absolutely into it. Since “bobs are typically worn as a veil to the sides of the face,” notes Zee, they allow you to show off, accentuate, and frame your features.
Selena Gomez
We’re deeming this look the TLC because it’s CrazySexyCool. From its perfectly tousled texture to its cool-girl side flip, Selena Gomez nails off-duty hair.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
With one long tendril hanging down her face, Gugu Mbatha-Raw shows us how the bob can be styled. If you’re trying to maintain your wave or curl, a few spritzes of medium-hold hairspray like Bumble and Bumble Spray de Mode Flexible Hold Hairspray ($32) will get the job done.
Dakota Johnson
Dakota Johnson’s dress/lob/bangs combo takes us back to the ’60s in the best way possible. Friese says this style tends to work well on those with sharper face shapes (think: diamond, triangle, or square), but when it comes to hair type, anything goes.
Tia Mowry
It might be a 180 from her natural hair—gray color and all—however, we can’t help but be wowed by Tia Mowry’s sleek caramel-colored lob. A thick, straight-across fringe perfectly complements an oblong face.
Emma Stone
Emma Stone utilizes the length of both sides of her bob to create volume—and achieve supreme elegance in the process. Zee also explains how the right cut can work to compliment and even enhance your appearance: “I love how a bob will draw your eye right to the jawline and neck. [Emma Stone’s style] doesn’t just show off her facial features, but accentuates her neck and shoulders.”
Michelle Williams
As Michelle Williams demonstrated at the Emmys, sometimes a side part can make your whole look. And according to Friese, if you’ve got fine hair that is either straight or wavy, you can easily pull off this style. “It gives the illusion of thickness on the heavy side and works well on any face shape,” she adds.
Diane Kruger
Diane Kruger absolutely rocked this wavy lob at a 2020 Chanel pre-Oscar dinner. We love the effect of her textured waves perfectly framing her high cheekbones.
