10 French Bob Haircut Ideas With Styling Tips From a Pro

Anyone who’s ever gotten a big chop knows: cutting your hair is like hitting a giant reset button on your life. If you are experiencing fatigue (with your hair or otherwise), desperately looking for a change, or wanting to feel inspired, a new haircut will do the trick, but sometimes it’s hard to know where to begin.

Somewhere between a lob and a pixie cut is the sweet spot we call the bob haircut. It’s cool, it’s easy, it’s low-maintenance. But if the typical blunt-end bob style doesn’t suit you, there are more options out there just waiting to be discovered — like the French bob.

Ahead, learn more about the style and get inspiration to bring with you to the salon.

Experts Featured in This Article

Raven Hurtado is a hairstylist at Maxine Salon in Chicago.

What Is a French Bob Haircut?

Unlike the straight ends of a blunt bob, the French bob haircut is more layered and choppy with piecey ends. “A French bob haircut is a short, chin-length cut,” says hairstylist Raven Hurtado. “It consists of soft layers and bangs for volume.” It works on curly, straight, and wavy hair textures and instantly gives your look a touch of attitude. “However, on curly, thick hair, it can have a boxy look if it’s not cut right.”

How to Style a French Bob Haircut

Allow the following street style shots to serve as inspiration and proof that the French bob is the chicest cut around. It makes for a laid-back, perfectly messy style that looks like you just rolled out of bed but also like you’re ready to step onto a runway — which pretty much sums up French beauty.

“To style this cut, you can air dry or heat style,” says Hurtado. “For a tousled look, air dry using a mousse (you can also add a diffuser). To heat style, you can use a round brush and blow dry going under.”

As you scroll through these French bob haircut ideas, it’ll take everything in you not to chop off your hair right here and now. (But of course, we advise strongly against that.)