The A-Line Bob Is Officially Summer's Chicest Haircut - Here's How To Style It

Elle

23-05-2025

The A-line bob is one of the most iconic haircuts of all time; think Victoria Beckham, Kiera Knightley, Taylor Swift - or more recently, Naomi Watts, Lily Collins and Zendaya. It's graphic and striking cut, and the ultimate hairstyle statement.
However, with tousled cuts like the French bob having taken a backseat in recent years, the A-line bob now runs the risk of looking slightly dated. In turn, it requires an expert eye to translate the style for 2025, taking it from a 2000s cool girl hairstyle for the history books and turning it into a fresh, eye-catching modern cut.
Luckily, we enlisted the help of in-salon experts to breakdown the need-to-know details of the A-line bob, including how to cut and style it with a contemporary allure. Here's what they said.
The A-line bob is a nostalgic and instantly recognisable cut, not too dissimilar to the coveted graduated bob. It's angular, sharp and has a timeless appeal.
'An A-line bob is an angular short haircut a little longer at the front than the back,' explains Jake Schaverien, Stylist, Hari's South Kensington. 'It can suit almost anyone and can bit contouring for some as long as it is kept well below the jawline. However, it can also drag the face down on longer, more oval face shapes.'
The good news is, the A-line bob is generally a very adaptable haircut, and it can be flattering across many face shapes and hair types as long as it's curated to you. 'You would just determine the length with your stylist best suited for your face shape,' says Molly Newell, Creative Stylist at the Neil Moodie Studio.
The process of cutting an A-line bob is a fairly straightforward one, but always one that's best left to the professionals given its sharp, graphic angle.
'For an A-line bob, you cut as you would a normal bob however instead of creating a blunt line you would graduate the nape area and create a round shape,' explains Newell.
Be sure to take reference images to your stylist, too. It's a great way of creating a visual representation of the shape, length and angle you want to replicate; it can then be tweaked to fit your own facial anatomy.
As with many other crisp, angular bobs, your styling options are plentiful.
'Styling an a-line bob can be easy for different textured hair. Both natural curls and straight hair work for the look,' says Schaverien. 'You could also use a tong to create soft waves for a carefree and playful look. If you mean business then a super sleek finish with your straighteners will look super professional.'
It's important to ask your stylist should cut your A-line bob according to your everyday hair routine, says Newell. 'For smooth and straight, I recommend styling using the Davines Oi All in One Milk, layered with their Volume Boosting Mousse. Use a classic Denman Brush with the Dyson Supersonic R dryer to blowdry straight. For a more playful wave prep with the same products but either diffuse dry or blowdry with a large round bristle brush then curl using a GHD curling iron.'
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Katie Withington (she/her) is the Beauty Writer, at ELLE UK and Harper's Bazaar. Working alongside the ELLE UK Beauty Team, she covers all things beauty for both print and digital, from finding backstage make-up trends at London Fashion Week and investigating buzzy skincare ingredients, to unzipping the beauty bags of Hailey Bieber and Margot Robbie. Prior to joining ELLE UK in 2022, Katie studied (BA) Fashion Journalism at London College of Fashion and has previously contributed to Red, Good Housekeeping and Prima.