THE BOB STIIL RUJES — AND IT'S EVOLVING

As women go shorter and softer, men flood salons asking for perms, curls, and full grooming rituals

- CHECHE V. MORAL

(From left) Rose Byrne, Selena Gomez and Emma Stone all sport variations of the bob at the Golden Globes 2026.

(Images: Instagram)

If 2025 flirted with restraint, 2026 arrives unapologetically expressive — textured, intelligent, and deliciously undone. Hair is no longer about rigid rules or intimidating upkeep. It’s about knowing who you are and letting your cut and color do the talking while you sip your coffee and forget the flat iron exists.

Veteran hairstylist Henri Calayag doesn’t hesitate when asked what still matters. “The bob is still very hot,” he says, almost amused by its staying power. “The chicest haircut right now is the bob, any kind. Blunt, jagged, chin-length, Vidal Sassoon-style. Look at Lily Collins in Emily in Paris — that’s chic without trying too hard.”

Globally, long, straight hair has fallen out of favor. Those who insist on keeping length are softening the look with waves and movement — body perms, beach waves, hair that feels touched by air. Calayag points to women like Collins’ Emily older costar Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu as references, and notes that Filipinas in particular are finally letting go of ultra-long hair in favor of sharper, more intentional cuts. Long hair, when worn, now comes alive only when it moves. On the recent Golden Globes red carpet, not a few stars sported bobs.