During 2019, I gave myself my very first intentional 80’s hairstyle. One of my clients showed me a picture of her mom from 1986, featuring feathered layers. In the picture, the mom had a wine cooler at a barbecue and looked like she was owning the whole yard. The mom had a staple 80’s haircut. What I appreciated about the picture was the way the layers of the haircut captured the shape of the hair without going overboard. The hair was styled for a specific intention.
In the present day, we have a a lot more tools at our disposal to create the desired color and texture, as well as additional freedom for the layers in hair. The large hair styles of the 80’s, mullets, shags, and all of their face-framing layers look incredible when paired with the modern texture products and a lot less hairspray. We can channel the 80’s without looking like Whitesnake. I have also noticed that many of the more interesting and wearable hairstyles I create now have 80’s inspirations, paired with a better styling product and softer edges.
#1: Long Textured Waves with Quiet Face-Framing Layers
The hair cut looks amazing. The face framing layers are perfect. Not too short but just short enough to catch some movement while still feeling undone. The cut pretty much styles itself assuming your hair has some natural wave to it. Just throw in some sea salt spray and scrunch it. This is a medium density which I find to be the sweet spot for this type of layering. You get all the movement without the pieces going flat or separating too much. I love the combination of effortless and expensive, and it really nails it.
#2: Wavy Textured Lob with Bold Highlights
Your highlights look really good, and I certainly mean that in a good way. A lob this long with bold highlight placement gives the illusion of seeming different lengths, even on the days you skip styling. The wave pattern is not meant to be strong, and free flowing is meant to avoid the “three days post-blowout” look and more like you’ve made that choice. It will take you the better part of 10 minutes to finish that loose curl if your natural hair is completely straight, and although that is a small time investment, it’s still effort. This looks more like a single-process blonde than a highlights look. That difference in color between the base and the highlights gives a brightness that single-process blonde just can’t reach.
#3: Long Waves with a Defined Crimped Finish
Sometimes people love crimping hair and other times people absolutely hate it. Most of the time though, the hate comes from remembering how poorly they did it back in middle school or some other time. But look how great this crimp is! Just take a look at how it creates an intentional uniform look, giving an almost sculptural quality to the hair. It creates an incredible amount of volume, especially on medium-length hair. If your hair is thick then get ready for it to really be out there. When done right, with heat protection, and the right amount of consistent crimps, it really pays off because you will be crimping each section individually, and there won’t be a short cut that looks right.
#4: Flowing Long Layers with Soft Beachy Waves
I really enjoy the long layers because the n color gradient adds depth to the n hair. The flat, single-tone color looks dull in n comparison.n The n layers are also long and blended enough so that all of the n movement is cascading, while none of the pieces look too disconnected. n This is definitely a case of “if it’s not styled, it looks like nothing,” so n keep that in mind. The beachy waves look n great, but ultimately the cut does need n some sort of natural texture, or a wand to create the waves. Overall, the look is worth the effort, and the cut looks n incredible in pictures n and moves beautifully in slow motion.
#5: Deep Auburn Long Waves with High Shine
The color compliments their light skin tone and the rich deep auburn that’s almost burgundy in the dark then warm coper in the light is incredible. This shade is more nuanced so the top colorists get the right undertones. Getting it \”rich and intentional\” versus \”accidentally purple\” comes down to one bad toner choice. These waves look defined but not overly tight, suggesting natural hair cooperation, or a good round brush user. It’s a high maintenance color but paired with a color depositing conditioner, it holds up between appointments really well.
#6: Long Layered Waves with Subtle Highlights
This is a great example of subtle highlights and long layers. The long layers begin just below the collar bone, so you can keep your length while also adding more movement, making long hair more interesting than just being long. With this finer hair, the layers really add more body without sacrificing thickness at the ends, which is something a lot of cuts get wrong. If you are already sitting in the chair, it is worth getting a gloss for shine and to keep the highlights from getting brassy. A gloss every six weeks would keep that shine where it is.
#7: Voluminous Layers with Face-Framing Waves
The volume here is from layering, not product or heat, which is obvious from how it falls and doesn’t have that set quality. The face-framing pieces curve away from the cheekbones and this small detail really helps to open the face rather than close it in. This is the kind of cut that will really benefit from a good boar bristle round brush and a blow dryer in the right position. If your hair already has some body and cooperates with a round brush, this could easily become your lowest effort, highest compliment cut.
#8: Layered Shag with Soft Bangs
We’ve all seen a shag cut at some point and most of the time we roll our eyes because it looks like it tries too hard. This one does not! The bangs are so soft that you won’t even remember what a round brush is because you won’t need to spend an hour of your life brushing them. The mid-length shag layers provide that lived-in shaggy quality that screams I woke up like this. The length that is a little past the shoulders is super forgiving for the hair days where you don’t style it. Cutting this shag does require some maintenance though. You’ll want to book trims every six to seven weeks because an outgrown shag looks neglected instead of casually carefree and it loses its shape really fast.
#9: Curly Shag with Bold Bangs
What makes this haircut special is that it works with the curls, rather than against them, The full thick bangs really balance the haircut out and create an anchoring element and the shaggy layers give a rounded effect that resembles a lion’s mane. The scarf is a super cute addition, but this cut would still stand out without it. The most important thing about your haircut with this style of curls is knowing how to cut dry curly hair. A wet cut to this shape would produce a very different and most likely disappointing result.
#10: Textured Curly Long Cut with Shaggy Bangs
The curl pattern shown here has real density and a springy quality, while the shaggy bangs disrupt what may be a wall of volume and add more architectural interest. This is a cut that requires some degree of trust, as the look is best when the layers are done quite boldly as opposed to merely snipping. The move here is to use a good curl cream on soaking wet hair and then to do nothing while it dries. The less you touch it, the more defined and the less frizzy it will be afterwards. Curls like these are best when left alone while they’re setting. This shape is especially good on heart-shaped faces, as the volume on the sides provides a good balance.
#11: Textured Wavy Cut with Soft Bangs
This haircut hits different! Feels like inspired by French girls in the 80s era. Romantic, messy, soft, and totally not trying to be perfect about it, just like the bangs and cut. The best part is you won’t have to dry it, or style it every day, and almost no time to be honest. If your hair is wavy, you really can wash your hair and go. If your hair is straight, you’ll just need to do a little bit of styling and it’ll give you the right look. You definitely don’t need to do all that to get the vibe. Just flatten the front part of your hair straightener, and bend those ends away from your face and you should be good! To finish it off, just a little subtle highlights around the frame and it’ll blend beautifully. Without changing the overall vibe tone and feel of your hair it’ll flow.
#12: Choppy Layered Lob with Textured Bangs
This lob is designed to look a little more ‘natural’ and less corporate. The bangs have been cut and layered to lessen the weight and allow them to sit lighter over the forehead. The warm brown colour also adds a richness that elevates the cut. The length is just above the shoulders which gives it a lot of movement and also means that it doesn’t require too much styling. This cut is created for those with medium to thick hair as the choppy layers allow for the ideal amount of thinning to keep the shape interesting without losing volume where it is needed.
#13: Softly Textured Long Layers with Flirty Bangs
Golden highlights on different layers of hair provide that softness in feel to the chop that captures the essence of late afternoon light, and that’s a pretty hard thing to do without looking over-processed. The bangs are cut to sit at the brow and are long enough to be able to be pushed to the side for days when you don’t want to deal with them, but short enough to frame the eyes when you do. This is a cut that is appropriate for a broad spectrum of hair textures since the layers are long and blended instead of short and choppy. The versatility is unmatched! You can wear it straight, wavy, or even air dried with a texturizing spray, and it looks like a totally different cut every time.
#14: Softly Textured Layered Cut with Blunt Bangs
Fine to medium hair may end up looking awkward with different blunt cuts, however, that is not the case here. These bangs look intentional and are the perfect weight to not overshadow smaller features. The ends are layered and this helps to soften the look, which is always a concern with a blunt cut on a softer hair style. From my point of view, these bangs need to be kept trimmed every 3-4 weeks at the most, because once they start hitting your eyelashes, it becomes an issue. The moment you start to squint, your immediate instinct is to clip them up, thereby losing the entire look.
#15: Long Layered Cut with Soft Face-Framing Bangs
The bangs do what they are meant to do, which is drawing attention to the eyes and cheekbones, and also do not take a lot of upkeep or styling on a daily basis. The texture throughout the length of hair adds a contemporary feel to the cut and prevents it from being just a plain long layer, which can get dull on the wrong person, this is particularly good for round and oval shape faces. Because the framing creates a vertical line that elongates the face without being obvious. This is not just an ordinary long haircut, it’s the kind of different that people will notice but won’t be able to put their finger on it.
#16: Textured Shag with Blunt Bangs
The combination of shag layers and blunt bangs is unique and shows a nice balance between artistic and structured. It’s a soft and strong look. I think this cut looks best at a medium length because long shaggy cuts with blunt bangs can look a bit costume-y, and shorter cuts just don’t have the movement that makes the shag worthwhile. If your face is more round, I would recommend taking off the corners of the bangs instead of going fully blunt across because that can emphasize a line in a spot you don’t want to draw attention to. To keep it simple, a subtle balayage would add some dimension without competing with the bangs.
#17: Textured Long Layers with Soft Bangs
Long layers and short bangs may sound boring, but this one is a great example of how nice the combo can be. The layers are placed to encourage movement where it’s needed instead of thinning the hair out to the point it’s stringy, which I see done far too often. The bangs hit right below the brows and the softness of them keeps it from looking like the commitment you may regret. With medium to thick hair, this cut will not end up feeling heavy or getting that triangular shape that poorly layered long hair tends to get. With some highlights, the added movement would create more contrast.
#18: Layered Long Cut with Bold Copper Highlights
Due to its location surrounding the face and frontal areas, the Copper has the most effect and draws the most attention. The different layers will give the color more variety because it would look more like a stripe without movement. The layers will also give more structure to the style because fine to medium hair needs some volume to avoid looking flat. While the warm tones will complement the appearance as well, the bright copper will fade quicker than other colors, including your vivid colors. So color-depositing shampoo will be part of your routine. Expect to fade more.
#19: Voluminous Curly Layers with Rich Auburn Highlights
Confidence combined with naturally voluminous curly hair creates a delightful effect. The way auburn highlights intertwine with each curl gives the look a flat tone with a sense of depth that is completely one-dimensional. Based on the photo, many people might assume this is a wash-and-go look, but it’s actually the opposite. Long curls of this density require consistent styling to maintain definition and control frizz. This look appears to be the result of the Denman brush method or sectional raking. When styled to perfection, this is the kind of look that turns heads.
#20: Curly Shag with Fluffy Bangs
A fluffy fringe on curly hair binding hair is liberating as it doesn’t mean straightening the hair into submission. The shaggy layers create a rounded face-framing shape that is so good, you won’t need to touch it all the time. The length that goes past the shoulders gives the curls enough weight to shrink up. With this cut on medium density curls, it strikes a good balance between volume and control. The unrefined, slightly unpredictable, and alive texture is warm and easy going. It feels wonderful because of the not over-styling.
#21: Textured Curly Lob with Soft Bangs
The curly lob with bangs is a very difficult style, as there is very little room for error for the cut falling into the category of “growing out awkwardly”. This example gets it right with the bangs cut short enough to take into account the shrinkage that occurs with curls when they dry, and the shape rounded enough to look intentional from all angles. The layers here enhance the curl rather than disrupt the curl pattern, which tells me that this was probably dry cut by someone who really knows what they’re doing with curly hair. If you’re thinking of getting this cut, that’s the most important takeaway I can give you: go to someone who is really good at curly cutting. The difference in technique here is probably greater than for any other haircut.
#22: Edgy Short Shag with Choppy Layers
What makes this look unique compared to other short shags is the subtle asymmetry present in the layers. It may look simple at first, but the right layers create an imbalance that draws attention. The bangs have just enough boldness to make a statement but not enough for the stylist to go into costume territory. Practically speaking, this shape has a lot of edgy styles beat because it holds well between cuts. This type of cut will be at it’s best a week after leaving the salon because it will have settled and lost that just cut precision.
#23: Modern Textured Mullet with Shaved Sides
It’s a mullet, and I respect the fact that someone means business. The shaved sides bring a graphics-y feel to the cut, and turn the mullet from retro to fully contemporary. The texture in the back is less severe, and this haircut shows off bone structure more than others – so if you have prominent cheekbones or a well-defined jaw, it’s going to show them off. Just be careful about maintenance on the shaved sides – they grow in fast and in about three weeks, they go from looking intentional to just grown out. So, you’re going to need to factor in clean up visits if you go for this cut. It’s a commitment to a certain point of view, and the haircut rewards that commitment.
#24: Bold Curly Shag with Defined Layers
The layers here form a shape that follows the natural curl pattern of the hair creating a visible silhouette. Rather than a big mass of curls that lacks shape, you can see structure. That takes planning and vision for the form before cutting. The hairs falling just below the shoulders means they are long enough to allow the curls to show their full pattern without the weight of the hair pulling them down. Some highlights through the top layers would add dimension that catches light with the movement of the curls. But the cut alone carries this look without color saving it.
#25: Curly Shoulder-Length Cut with Bangs
Curly hair such as in the photo adds lots of volume and shape to the bangs. The stylist took into account the shape and added volume to the bangs by adding layers. The shoulders have layers cut to eliminate the pyramid shape that most curly hair gets if cut improperly. The overall look is very fun, free, and thick hair. The added layers aid in getting the curls to spring and bounce into place.
#26: Layered Curtain Bangs with Subtle Highlights
Curtain bangs remain one of the most charming styles, and this example highlights why they are so good. The middle part where the bangs are swept helps to soften and frame the face. One of the issues that tends to come up with long hair is a lack of dimension, but the highlights are a great touch to avoid that problem. This style is relatively low maintenance. Once the cut is done, you can just air dry your hair, and while it’s dry, spend about a minute using a round brush to style the bangs. Curtain bangs work best with medium to thin hair, as they don’t need to have a lot of fullness to look good.
#27: Soft Layered Blonde with Wispy Bangs
What makes these wispy bangs so clever is the fact that they are see-through enough to see the forehead. This keeps the face open while still providing a bang vibe. This is where growing out bangs, differs from purposely created wispy bangs. The blonde tones are warm and blended with enough variation between highlights and base to create dimension without the stripe thing that some people do. In finer hair, these layers create a really good fake density, and the whole thing falls in a way that is just going to require a blow dry and a bit of patience with the bangs.
#28: Curly Mullet with Blonde Contrast Highlights
The mullet done here is a fun style created for curly hair! The addition of soft curls paired with some bold blonde highlights to create depth and dimension. This cut works fabulously with wavy to curly hair of medium density. Keeping this style fresh with defined curls and vibrant color will take some maintenance. This is a bold choice and may not be suitable for some workplaces, but it’s great for that creative, ‘think outside the box’ expression!
#29: Textured Mullet with Soft Layers
A quieter mullet is not a contradiction, simply a different interpretation. The front blends into the back without that “business in the front, party in the back” vibe. The subtle texture will save you from the daily struggle of using too much product just to keep the shape. Highlights woven through the layers add a bit of warmth and brightness in indoor lights. A texture paste would be enough to define the layers and shape. For someone who wants to embrace the mullet trend without yelling, this is the mullet to get.
#30: Voluminous Layered Cut with Face-Framing Waves
This cut accentuates the parts of the hair that frame the face by angling away from the jawline, creating flattering openness around the features. The volume in the crown and mid-lengths is from layered lifting, which is one of the more important and often under appreciated distinctions. For finer hair, this type of layering can be very useful as it provides an illusion of density that was previously absent. As for the waves, they are soft and look natural as long as you twist sections around a wand and break the curls with your fingers. I’ll be honest, there will be a bit of work involved, but the hair will give an effortless vibe that will make people think you just rolled out of bed looking that good.
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