By Rebecca Stone

The collarbone lob leads the winter 2026 haircut trends, and stylists on two continents agree on why: it looks intentional again. "I think we'll see a lot more hair settling around the collarbone this winter, but with a much more intentional shape," says London-based hairstylist Richard Mannah, global artistic director of Joico. He prescribes "a length that grazes the collarbone with a strong, clean perimeter, while the interior has just enough soft movement and layers to keep it from feeling heavy."

Los Angeles hairstylist Sunnie Brook frames the appeal in wardrobe terms. "I love the relationship between this length and clothing. It can skim the collar of a beautiful coat, sit against a turtleneck, or expose the shoulder of an evening dress," she says. "It's incredibly adaptable." Her advice: base the length on your collarbone and neckline, not a generic measurement, and ask the stylist to frame the neck and décolletage rather than simply requesting a lob.

What replaces the 2025 shag?

A one-length reset. "Ask for a strong one-length perimeter with very minimal or invisible layering. The ends should feel substantial rather than wispy," says Adam Federico, a Sacramento hairstylist and VP of technical education for R+Co. The style flatters medium or thicker hair with natural volume; finer hair may find it falls flat.

The pixie returns as polish, not rebellion. "[It] brings the entire face forward—the eyes, cheekbones, jaw, neck, and ears," says hairstylist Sarah Hindsgaul, who cites '60s-era Jean Seberg and Mia Farrow as references. "The shape is clean and daring, but never rigid or over-groomed."

Miami's Franck Izquierdo, cofounder of IGK Hair, reports demand for structure. "We're ready for hair that feels done again," he says of the power bob, a strong blunt line cropped between jaw and shoulder. Nashville colorist Veronica Zinck adds: "A bob can do wonders to highlight your jawline."

For texture, the curly disco shag. "Think vintage shag with shorter layers around the face and a crown that gradually opens into longer lengths," says Kansas City hairstylist Tippi Shorter, global artistic director of Mizani. New York's Garren, cofounder of R+Co, credits the fringe: "The fringe is what makes it cool and gives it that rocker feeling." Shorter insists on a curl specialist, because layer placement must follow the curl pattern.

Which colors define winter 2026?

• Black cherry. "(It's) a super-deep brunette with a red-violet undertone," says LA hairstylist Chase Kusero, IGK cofounder. "Indoors, it almost reads as a glossy brunette, but when the light hits it, you see wine or cherry tones come through."
• Chestnut red. "We've seen red and copper dominate for several seasons, and (this) feels like their moodier evolution for winter," says New York colorist Renée Valerie Radoiu. Kusero's formula: "a true saturated copper, not auburn and not strawberry blonde."
• Winter vanilla. "Not icy platinum and not golden blonde, it sits right in the middle," says Kusero. "Soft ivory, a little beige, very clean and expensive-looking."
• Buttered almond. "It still gives you the brightness people want from being blonde, but it has enough warmth and dimension to feel expensive rather than overly processed," says Austin hairstylist Ricky Hodge.
• Inky mocha. "It requires no lifting, so it does virtually no structural damage, and the grow-out is soft rather than a hard line," says Julien Farel, who salons in New York and Palm Beach. "It also photographs beautifully in low winter light."

The through-line of the season is low-cost upkeep with high-signal finish — cuts and colors engineered to grow out gracefully between longer appointment gaps.