Few haircuts have had as storied a history as the bob. From a rebellious statement of women's liberation to a 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 learn 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 complement 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 hair.
Meet the Expert
- Gretchen Friese is BosleyMD's trichologist and stylist. She is also a hairstylist and salon director at Foushee SalonSpa in Denver.
- Joanna Zee is a hair stylist with more than 20 years of experience in the hair industry.
Keep reading for 47 super-chic bob options for fine hair.
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Deep Side Part
Lori Harvey is no stranger to a bob. Her chic blunt cut is enhanced by the deep side part.
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Sophisticated Lob
Kristen Bell is proving you can't go wrong with a lob. Her hair looks incredibly sleek and sophisticated.
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Sleek Body Waves
Adding some loose waves to your bob will give it a bit of volume and texture. Just take a look at Cara Delevingne's hair as proof.
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Tousled Waves
Emma Chamberlain's cut is the perfect example of how cool air-dried, tousled hair can look.
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Icy Blonde
Kourtney Kardashian is in her bob era. Her icy blonde cut is definitely worth recreating.
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Wispy and Flippy
From the bouncy layers to the wispy ends, Billie Eilish's bob has tons of flair.
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Two-Tone Layers
Lizzo is always switching up her look, but this bob is one of our favorite styles. The chic haircut features perfectly placed highlights and loose curls.
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Edgy Bangs
Kelly Rowland is the queen of short cuts—and this bob is yet another shining example of why. The chunky bangs and lightly flipped ends are the perfect finishing touches.
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Honey Highlights
Put a fresh spin on your bob by playing around with color. Here, Ella Mai added a pop of color by dispersing honey brown highlights throughout.
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Sophisticated and Sleek
It’s very obvious why Hailey Bieber’s chop inspired a zillion bobs. Consider her version the latest cool girl haircut. We wouldn’t expect any less from Mrs. Bieber.
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Blunt Fringe
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.
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Old Hollywood Waves
Ever the trendsetter, Zendaya’s bob manages to look simultaneously fresh and Old Hollywood. Take a cue from her stylist and go with big, bouncy curls, which will make even the finest hair look full and fabulous.
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Deep Bangs
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.
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Straight and Tucked
A true hair chameleon, we’re partial to Rose Byrne with a blonde bob. Simple yet elegant, she has worn it both straight and textured, illustrating its versatility.
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Playful Curls
Just the right amount of texture gives this bob a touch of movement and playfulness. Go for a side part like Chan and give it lift at the roots for volume to take it up a notch. A sea salt spray will deliver the texture fine haired types crave.
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Piece-y Blunt Bob
Though she’s experimented over the years, Natalie Portman sprung into the scene as a child actor with a great blunt bob—and she’s still rocking one today. This version is piece-y to perfection, but we’ve loved seeing all the variations over the years.
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Sleek Side Part
Don’t worry, darling—this bob reminds us of the power of a side part. Florence Pugh is the poster child of cool, short haircuts.
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Textured and Tousled
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.
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Fine Fringe
ThoughKloss 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.
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Sleek and Minimal
Sleek AF. That’s truly the only way to describe this minimalistic masterpiece of a bob. Even better, it’s the ideal cut for fine, straight locks.
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Chic Bends and Waves
Jourdan Dunn's hair is always on point, and this look is no exception. Hermodern take on the classic bob, featuring chic bends and waves, well-placed layers, and high-brow bangs, has got it all.
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Short and Choppy
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.
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Edgy and Wavy
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.
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Loose Curls
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.
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Crisp Curls
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.
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Short with Fringe
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."
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Chin-Grazing Bob
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.
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Coiffed Curls
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.
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Slightly Wavy Blunt Bob
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.
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Natural Waves
Need a reminder that curly hair can work a bob too? This snapshot of supermodel Joan Smalls will do all the convincing. Play up your natural texture to steal her look.
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Asymmetrical Bob
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.
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Classic and Straight
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.
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Slicked-Back
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.
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Larger-than-Life Curls
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."
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Pin-Straight and Sophisticated
As Margot Robbie’s mane man, celebrity hairstylist Bryce Scarlett has put his touch on many of the actress’s bobs. But we’re all about the pin-straight sophistication of this shoulder-grazing lob.
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Defined Waves
The hair flip at ends of Jessica Chastain's sultry-but-defined waves adds a flirtatious finish, while also creating volume.
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Elegant and Wavy
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.
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Shoulder-Grazing Lob
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—withplenty of soft shine.
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Classic Bob
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."
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Shiny and Sleek
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).
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Lived-In Side-Part
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.
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Simple and Straight
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 sothan a cut with more texturized or feathered ends," explains Friese.
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Cool-Girl Side Flip
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.
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Face-Framing Updo
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.
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Elegant Volume
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."
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Deep Side Part
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.
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Textured Waves
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.
FAQ
What is a sliced bob?
A sliced bob refers to a blunt bob that has sharp edges. It can help make fine hair appear fuller.
Should fine hair be layered or all one length?
If you have fine hair, opt for longer layers—too many can make the hair appear sparser.
Is fine hair the same as thin hair?
Fine hair and thin hair are not the same. Fine hair refers to how thick or thin the hair shaft is while thin hair refers to the density of the hair (aka how much of it you have).