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Popularized by Audrey Hepburn inThe Roman Holiday, the pixie haircut has since taken on many guises over the years. There was the famed ’60s pixie fronted by Twiggy, which soon came to symbolize mod style and rebellion, followed by the late Princess Diana, whose gamine cut formed part of her signature style, before the ’90s added a subtle edge to the look, thanks to the likes of Sienna Miller and Halle Berry.
Today's version speaks to a growing trend for undone, insouciant, and low-maintenance hairstyles centered upon soft definition, easy layers, and a focus on hair health. Everyone from Zoë Kravitz to Florence Pugh and Gracie Abrams has been embracing the trend, with many eschewing their chin-length bobs for softer pixie cuts featuring undone layering that frames the face.
The soft pixie is all about ease. It's both subtle and a little textured and can work for both type 1 hair types and curly hair textures. Ahead, Eugene Smith, senior stylist at John Frieda Salon, breaks down how to style the trend for your specific hair type and why it's a perfect option for spring.
What Is a Soft Pixie?
“A soft pixie is a more relaxed and grown-out version of the classic pixie cut. It still has the short sides and cropped length, but with softer edges, longer layers, and more movement. It’s not as sharp. It’s more loose and lived-in,” shares Smith.
Smith believes that the soft pixie is currently having a revival because more of us are favoring simpler, cooler, and more effortless hairstyles. It makes sense if you consider the omnipresence of thebob haircut, once a daring trim reserved only for the runway and supermodels, which is now among the most popular styles of 2025, with endless iterations cropping up by the week.
While this gamine style is relatively low-maintenance, it does still require daily styling. “You’ll need to visit the salon for trims every five to seven weeks to keep the shape, too,” adds Smith.
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How to Style the Soft Pixie According to Your Hair Type
Smith reveals how to style a newly adopted pixie haircut for winter, depending on your specific hair type:
Straight hair:Scrunch, twist, and manipulate the hair to create some texture. Tuck behind the ears for a chic, French vibe, like Iris Law.
Wavy hair:Let the waves just fall naturally. Scrunch in a curl cream and air-dry for a more carefree finish, like Zoë Kravitz.
Curly hair:Use a lightweight curl cream or mousse to define the curls. Let your hair air-dry or diffuse gently to create volume at the crown, like Logan Browning.
Fine hair:Add a root-boosting spray or a lightweight wax to give more fullness, like Emma Stone.
Thick hair:Your haircut should have lots of layers through the top to help the hair sit nicely. Use polishing products like creams or pomades to keep the shape controlled. Thick hair holds texture beautifully, so you can style it really tousled for that effortless look.
Which Face Shapes Best Suit This Style?
Every face shape will suit a soft pixie; the style is completely dependent on your natural hair texture and overall preference, and can be tailored to you. “The pixie just needs to be customized. Round faces could add a little more height on top, square faces can opt for a soft fringe to balance the angles, while heart-shaped faces can add longer layers around the sides.”
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