11 summer hair trends for 2024 that you should really know about

Finally the weather is warming up, which means the 2024 summer hair trends are already incoming. The light, the temperature and vibes hit different in summer, so we love a mini – or major – hair transformation to mark the occasion. Plus, it's one of the most social times of the year, with weddings, girls' trips, festivals and pub gardens filling up our calendars, so we want our hair to look banging.

As for what to expect? Barbiecore has made way for a sportier aesthetic this summer. Bobs remain a headliner, but there are a couple of tweaks you can make to bring them right up to date. And colour is getting a little more casual, but no less glossy.

Here's the 2024 summer hair trends you should really know about…

Tenniscore

The athleisure and coquette trends have blended into a sporty, cute and rich aesthetic that we've started to see everywhere. Throw in Zendaya's Challengers press tour, where she served up tennis-inspired outfits and glam to reference her latest role as a pro tennis player-turned coach, and tenniscore is headlining both fashion and beauty trends this summer.

For hair, this translates into the hairstyles that come to mind when you think of female players. Imagine anything you'd pair with a visor or headband – like sporty braids, XXL plaits and swishy ponytails. “Its hair that's swept back from the face,” confirms top hair stylist Sam McKnight, MBE. "Essentially, it’s a sporty, clean-girl aesthetic. It’s the perfect fresh-faced style," he adds, noting “an effortless braided ponytail is a tennis girl go-to and has been seen on the courts endlessly.”

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Crop bob

There's something about bare shoulders and the sun on the nape of your neck that makes mega cropped bobs an absolute mood for summer. We've noticed some of our favourite cool-girls taking their inches shorter and shorter to lobe length for a chop that's bold, but offers more length than pixie crop territory. This has a preppy and sporty '90s feel to it, like Lady Di meets Meredith Blake from The Parent Trap.

Just remember, the length does make it harder to tie everything up, although you could probably create a cute lil half-up nub, but since the longest part is so short, it'll feel pretty breezy anyways. As for sweeping back the pieces around your face, that's wear accessories come in (see below).

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Hourglass layers

If you're all about loooong hair, hourglass layers might be more your vibe. Coined by Tom, they take face-framing to the next level. Tactical haircuts can bring out our cheekbones and cup our jaw and clavicle. Hourglass layers do the same, but with strands that reach all the way to the waist. It taps into the trend we've been seeing for XXL, fantasy lengths.

“The length sits at the narrowest part of the waist, enhancing the feminine ‘hourglass’ shape. The ends should taper around the waist which is achieved with clever layering to ensure the correct balance of the bulk of the hair,” says Tom. “Of course, this takes a long time to grow," he concedes, "but we can also utilise extensions for this,” he adds. Or take the concept and scale it back with lengths that finish just above the waist.

Accessories

We love accessories all year round, but come summer they're just as functional as they are aesthetic. Hair accessories have been reclaiming their popularity for the past few seasons – with hair bows in particular growing its fanbase. For summer, we'll be seeing plenty of accessories earning their spot, with bandanas, snap clips and claw clips all helping to lift our hair out the way, while adding extra style points.

Hydro hair

One hair trend set to make a splash this summer is wet-look or “hydro” hair. The wash-and-go look somehow manages to feel casual, sultry and high-fashion in one hit and we've already spotted shower fresh strands on celebs like Tyla, JLo and Kylie Jenner this year.

The idea is that hair should take on a dewy dimension and look "drenched in gloss and moisture,” says hair pro and trend forecaster, Tom Smith. And depending on how you style it, it can add a sporty spontaneity or tap into the mermaidcore movement that's returning this summer. You can wear hair loose and wet all-over (Tom recommends leaving in a hair mask to keep things looking hydrated while – bonus – nourishing hair), or you can mist roots and create sleek-looking wet-look ponytails and buns.

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Bell-bottom bob

The '70s continue to influence hair trends and hairvoyant, Tom Smith, flagged the bell-bottom bob as the easy update we can all channel this summer. Essentially, the style recreates the flared-out shape of bell-bottom jeans (which also happen to be trending in fashion, too). “The flick-out that a bob does is something that people have tried to fight against in the past,” Tom said. "When you cut a long bob, it can be quite frustrating when it flicks out on the shoulders. It follows the curve of the neck and the shoulder, so a lot of [longer length bobs] will do this anyway. The fact that this is something that's been taken on as a style and being intentionally exaggerated is really fun. It's working on various lengths in various levels of drama,” he adds.

It's low-commitment, too, since it's less about the cut and more about the styling. “Gently pre-dry the roots of your hair in a downward motion, then use a small round brush with the help of a styling mousse or heat protector spray to flick out the ends. If your hair drops out easily, try wrapping the ends up in a small Velcro roller while they cool to set the flick in place,” says Tom.

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Clean girl brunette

Whatever your feelings on the term “clean girl” the trend has seen a movement toward minimalism and embracing what you've already got, whether that's letting your complexion show through with lightweight skin tints or taking things back to your roots. Literally(ish). Clean girl brunette basically majors on celebrating the natural mousy brunette shades that are often overlooked, albeit with a bit of a glow-up. Tom describes this pared down brunette as “perfectly neutral and minimal” noting it's “a great option for those who prefer a more understated hair colour.”

“It can be achieved with a total all-over colour or with very subtle sun-kissed dimension,” says Tom. “The key here is the subtlety, with a neutral tone – no excess ashiness or warm tones,” he adds. Overall, it should look natural and uncoloured, like the no makeup makeup of hair colour.

Sunflower blonde

Another ‘70s reference we’ve seen coming through in hair, is the return of warm golden blondes. Zendaya's doing it, RiRi's doing it and we're pretty tempted ourselves. It's a more approachable way to access “glow” now that copper tones are looking set to simmer a little this season.

“Warmer and golden blonde tones have been steadily growing traction as blondes want a bit of the ‘glow’ that copper and red hair offers without losing their ‘blonde identity’,” says Tom. “Sunflower blonde is the perfect summery blonde to bring a bit of ‘golden hour’ all day every day,” he explains. The vibe, according to Tom, is “glowy and joyful.”

“Softly multi-tonal this shade can be achieved with highlights on naturally lighter hair or with a full colour, plus highlights on naturally deeper bases. The tones are entirely golden with a real focus on shine and vibrancy,” he says.

Slick updos

It's no surprise that the summer season will see plenty more updos as we look to get our hair up out the way and off our face. The good news is, they've just. so. stylish. We've been seeing tons of very slick, very sleek ‘90s inspired buns and ponytails, alongside immaculate braids with extra personality and detail thrown in. It’s a very cool look for summer in more ways than one.

Charcoal

Summer tends to see hair trends move in a lighter direction, but deep brunettes look beautiful. For summer, we're seeing charcoal brunettes with a neutral undertone lead the way. “This may seem just like a dark, dark brown, but what's interesting about charcoal is it has that nuance and depth of tone that makes it feel sparkly and natural, without having highlights and lowlights put through,” says Tom. “It's the deepest brunette shade, with a neutral undertone. It's not that reddy-brown or chocolatey brown, but it's also not got those bluish undertones that you see with jet black hair. Jet black can sometimes be quite matt, but the darkest brunette is probably the glossiest, shiniest and most reflective of all the colours you can dye your hair,” he says.

“For those with naturally very dark hair a neutral toner can be enough to achieve this glossy shade. This suits those with warm and deep skin tones really well, but on fair skin, it can work as a bold statement,” Tom says.

Shadow blonde

Crisp, Barbie blonde hair headlined last summer, but we're seeing something a little more lived-in this time round. “The depth and shadows are becoming more popular,” says Tom. “Despite being bright and blonde, this colour is surprisingly lower maintenance thanks to the soft shadowing at the roots which means the new growth comes in gently and softly and can last months before needing to be redone. Ask your stylist to add a ‘shadow root’ to your blonde colour appointment and combine with some gentle balayage at the tips,” he says. Depending on how shadowed you want to go at the roots, the plays well into the grunge girl aesthetic that remains popular.

For more from GLAMOUR's Senior Beauty Editor, Elle Turner, follow her on Instagram @elleturneruk

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