From “recession brunette” to “lived-in blonde”, future-proofing your hair for an economic downturn has never been more popular. It seems that this mode has even reached the zenith of the upper echelon, with one vintage-inspired look permeating the elite: the “cowgirl haircut”.
Indeed, this western-inspired crop is a mainstay in West Hollywood, with everyone from Daisy Jones & The Six’s Camilla Morone and Suki Waterhouse to SoCal socialites like Kendall Jenner craving a taste of the ranch aesthetic.
Though the actual term “cowgirl cut” originated from the upmarket London-based hair salon Hershesons, the rustic chic style is quickly sweeping the globe. Earlier this year in Malibu, emerging actress Ever Anderson opted for the style for Miu Miu’s Beach Club soiree. On the Boulevard de la Croisette, Alexa Chung introduced the style to beauty’s lexicon at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.
Ahead of your next trip to the salon, get acquainted with the cowgirl haircut. (Or prepare to say “howdy” to, if we’re being precise).
Photo Credit of Suki Waterhouse: Naoko Scintu
What Is The “Cowgirl Haircut”
The “Cowgirl Haircut” is a textured take on two classic styles, the ’70s-inspired butterfly cut and the cool-girl mullet. A style versatile enough to suit a range of hair textures and lengths, this style focuses on dimension and volume. Layers are used to create depth to the look, which is an ‘I just stepped off a horse’ aesthetic, without your tresses appearing too heavy.
The most important element to achieving the cowgirl haircut is a face-framing fringe. This can either be micro-bangs cut with a tousled finish or a more conventional straight fringe styled to lift the complexion.
The tone of the hair is also of note, with the ideal “cowboy haircut” being one that feels unfussy and allows for lots of movement. It’s a cut that doesn’t require lots of styling either, with the ideal end look something that compliments the natural texture of your tresses.
For curly-haired readers, achieving this look will require a simple comb through with a hot tool, (we’d recommend any reputable blowout brush), while fine-haired friends will get a lot of benefit out of using a sea-salt spray.
The benefit of this cut is that you can achieve a salon-perfected style without regular visits, as once your lengths are shaped to your desired, shaggy length, the longer you grow it out, the better.
Hung Vanngo
Hair stylist Luke Hersheson, who coined the term, revealed that readers should ask for “shoulder-skimming lob-length” in the salon. “The cowgirl haircut is rough and ready – a little imperfect but beautiful, so that’s where the name came from,” Hersheson revealed in an interview.
“It’s meant to be fuss-free – most of the time the less you do to your hair, the better it looks,” Hersheson noted. “A little volume never hurts and makes the most of any natural texture when rough-drying. Also blow-drying the bangs away from the face is the best way to style this one.”
But as we’ve seen from the recent popularity of cowboy boots and longline shorts, the effortless, slower-paced lifestyle of the great plains is translating into the realms of fashion and beauty. A quality that is converting countless to a less polished, lower maintenance way of living.