Fall 2025 Hair Trends: Caramelized Amber, CEO Blowouts and the Bob

Five hairstylists point to caramelized amber highlights, the "CEO blowout" and the shoulder-length bob as the head-turning hair trends of the fall season, and nearly every one of them starts with the same warning: repair summer damage before you book the transformation.

"Hair can be a little more compromised or porous based on the environment, from swimming pools and sun in the summer," says Eric Marshall Wright, stylist and owner of Eric Marshall Salon in Nashville, Tennessee. "Going from fall to winter, hair treatments to encourage hydration and strength are the easiest way to get your hair back on track." A proper at-home routine, he argues, is what makes strands strong enough to withstand the next big change.

What colors lead the season?

Poetic Romantic Balayage. Leslie Shores, color specialist at Eric Marshall Salon, describes a subtle, tone-on-tone technique: "These highlights are soft, tone-on-tone highlights with dimension—think of them as a soft whisper in an overstimulated world." The finish, she says, "look[s] underdone instead of overdone," is achieved with no bleach, no lightener and ammonia-free demi-permanent color, and suits "anyone who prefers a timeless, sustainable color."

Cocoa Brondette. For clients intimidated by the jump from dark brown or black to blonde, Shores offers a middle path she calls "cocoa brondette" — "a rich brunette with soft ribbons of deep indulgent brown shades." It flatters olive skin tones and is achieved with an all-over ammonia-free color around a level seven, six or five, with optional painted balayage ribbons.

Caramelized Amber Highlights. For a louder look, Shores prescribes "rich shades of buttery gold and copper throughout the hair that look warm, rich, cozy, and earthy." The technique "adds exotic warmth, depth, and dimension to the hair that feels like golden hour." Colorists should paint big balayage pieces mainly in front of the hair, foiled or painted on; the shade suits brunettes with thicker, layered hair.

Cloud Balayage. Already-blonde clients can stretch their platinum without constant touch-ups. Shores recommends "bright, airy white-blonde balayage highlights that are airy and dreamy," achieved with bleach balayage or foilyage to get as light as possible. She notes the look is also ideal for grey blending.

What about cuts and styling?

The CEO Blowout. Long hair is not going anywhere, says Dimitris Giannetos, celebrity hairstylist and Great Lengths ambassador. "Hair can take a long minute to grow, so I have the help of Great Lengths, especially the Linea Wefts, to achieve the perfect, lived-in long hair," he says. His signature trend this season is polished "but secure enough to get a bit messy," and pairs best with "a quiet, lived-in color, with more wispy, secret highlights versus an obvious balayage." Giannetos uses three different shades of the Great Lengths Linea Wefts, praises their fine spine and flat scalp fit, and recommends razoring the wefts at the ends for a seamless blend.

Wright adds that long styles need layers that "look effortless and move." Placement depends on how the hair is worn — "Think hippie boho or 60s and long like Pocahontas" — and the cut relies on point cutting and dry cutting for soft, effortless layers rather than an aggressive result.

Sleek or Textured Bobs. "Thanks to Off Campus and [actress] Ella Bright, we're gravitating towards this shoulder-length bob that is worn flipped, sleek, curled, or blown out," Wright says. The cut features an asymmetrical blunt line with soft waves, but he cautions that facial shape, neck width, natural density and hair diameter all change the outcome.

Bangs. Fall's cooler air finally makes fringe wearable. "A fringe or bang can make you look styled and undone at the same time," says Wright, who recommends a fuller rather than wispy style, styled first because bangs "can be difficult to dry on their own." He advises keeping the hairline, cowlicks and recession in mind, and asking the stylist to point-cut the ends for softness.

With bobs, bangs and extensions all trending simultaneously, the season's practical limit is not the salon menu — it is how recovered the hair is after summer.