The ‘baby bob’ is the heat-friendly cut for curly girls

All bounce, zero crunch.

27 July 2025

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Sarah Connell - @sarahcnl / Instagram

From feeling the breeze on your neck to a style that actually looks better the more tousled it is, bobs have a certain siren call in summer. The ‘baby bob’ is the latest iteration to have on your radar – and, better still, it looks just as good with a bunch of curls tumbling around your face as it does peaking out of a bandana with a few loose tendrils.

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So what exactly is the ‘baby bob’? “Named after the iconic bob worn by Jennifer Grey – Baby in the film Dirty Dancing – this cut is a tribute to effortless, natural texture,” says Jaiden Ogden at The Hair Bros salon, who created and christened the cut before putting it on Instagram. "It works beautifully on a wide range of curly hair types, from 2B through to 3C.”

Why is the baby bob trending now?

The baby bob also fits neatly into the current cultural shift we're seeing this summer where fluffy, springy curls are embraced rather than furiously straightened to beat the heat.

We've already seen the ‘cloud curls’ hair trend – characterised by a halo of soft, airy, full-of-volume curls – blow up. Hairstylist Tom Smith, who coined the cloud curls trend, told GLAMOUR at the time that it is "part of a bigger move toward individuality and freedom in how we wear our hair. We’re slowly stepping away from hyper-glossy, over-controlled hair and leaning into something gentler, and more free.”

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This soft, free-wheeling vibe is evident in the baby bob, too, and Jaiden believes that the haircut's biggest draw is that it “celebrates the unique movement and volume of curls” rather than conforming to traditional beauty standards.

“I believe the current shift in trends is due to people not wanting to spend the time styling their hair anymore and embracing what they have rather than what a 10-step hair routine can give them,” Jaiden notes. “People are more comfortable with fluffiness and don’t see it as something that needs to be corrected," he continues. "It’s a new age of curly hair that the 2000s hair trauma can’t touch anymore.”

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The baby bob: What to ask your hairstylist for

But how do you avoid the dreaded triangle shape when coaxing curly hair into a bob? First of all, you can't underestimate the importance of a good cut. According to Jaiden there are a few specific things to ask your hairstylist for: “There should be minimal layering throughout the head," he notes.

“Opt for a strong, full baseline to keeps the ends looking thick and healthy and only remove a bit of weight from the front corners to create a soft face frame. And ideally cut when the hair is styled with a middle part —it adds versatility, allowing the style to be worn on either side."

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How to style the baby bob

The beauty of the baby bob, says Jaiden, is its versatility. “You’ll get out what you put in, whether you’re going for polished or playful,” he says. “Just keep the styling light and tailored to your curl type.”

Jaiden's personal preference is to add a little texture, first detangling the hair with a wide-tooth comb before applying a light hair balm or mousse with minimal hold.

“Scrunch gently with a microfibre towel or a cotton T-shirt to create the curl shape and then air-dry or diffuse on low heat,” he says. Follow with a few drops of nourishing hair oil. “For a fluffy, carefree finish, blast your hair dry on a low speed with cold air only,” he adds.