30 Short Wavy Hairstyles

Cut with two distinct layers, this short shag hairstyle is perfect for thick wavy hair, allowing it to be playful without looking too heavy around the neck. Not only is this a fairly low maintenance style, but it’s a good goal for women who are trying to grow out a shorter pixie cut.

Shorter bobs like this can be difficult to wear for women with thicker wavy hair, and often benefit from some undercutting to help keep things looking light and bouncy. If your hair has a looser wave pattern, we’d recommend going a bit longer to give the texture some room to shine.

Take the classic pixie style worn by gamine icons like Audrey Hepburn and Anne Hathaway, and style it with some soft waves for a modern beachy take on the timeless crop. Use a curl defining product to encourage natural texture on the shortest pieces, and a skinny no-clamp curling wand on the longer face-framing strands.

While the typical stacked bob is styled with sleek, straight hair, we love this tousled wavy version of the style. This cut brings some softness to a look that’s often seen as professional and serious, and also presents an option for wavy haired women who find longer styles difficult to manage.

This is a great style for anyone trying to elongate the appearance of their face, and is surprisingly easy to style thanks to how short it is on the sides. With significantly longer hair on top, this pixie is cut into a faux-hawk shape that gets accentuated by waves and curls that help add volume on top.

Put a sultry edge in your bob by adding some soft waves with a curling wand or flat iron. Don’t stress too much about a uniform wave pattern all around, and concentrate your most defined curls around the face.

Fine hair is often cut into blunt bobs to maximize fullness, but that doesn’t mean straight styling is the only option. Kelly Ripa’s soft waves and side part are a great way to mix things up if your typical style is straight haired and centre parted.

A modern take on the Italian cut worn by ’50s icons like Elizabeth Taylor and Sophia Loren, this wavy style is perfect for women who are looking to trade a younger looking cut for something more sophisticated and mature that still has sex appeal.

Who says you need stick straight hair to make bangs work? Thanks to the piecey cut of these bangs, they work well with textured hair, and are especially flattering when framing oval shaped faces.

If you’ve got thick waves that are hard to control when worn long, cutting them into a chic bob can make styling simpler, and you’ll won’t feel like you’re fighting with your hair. Depending on how coarse your hair is, a good stylist will be able to use textured ends or subtle layering to make hair look light and bouncy.

The short-haired version of those lazy, barely-there waves we’re used to seeing on longer locks, this messy blonde bob perfectly balances the harder edges of a dark lip and metallic dress.

With just enough wave so that the hair curls inward at the end of each layer, this shaggy bob is playful, sweet, and incredibly stylish. We especially love this cut with long, grown out bangs, but almost any fringe will work.

With a deep side part and bangs that sweep across the brow, these bangs are especially flattering on women with heart shaped faces. Not only do they create a forehead minimizing angle, but fuller hair near the bottom half of the face helps widen the appearance of the jawline.

Being cropped very close at the back and sides allows the layered waves on top of this style to lightly sweep across the forehead. If you feel like going sleek for a day, this style is still long enough on top to style with a flat iron.

Want to grow out your shorted pixie but not sure what your in between style will look like? With a touch of tousled texture, thick bangs, and long hair in front of the ears, this shaggy pixie is laid back and fun.

One of the longest styles on our list, these shoulder grazing waves are perfect for anyone with longer hair who’s looking to slowly transition to a shorter style. This style can still go into a ponytail or braid, making it the best of both worlds.

For bouncy blonde hair with a serious amount of texture, try this deep wave styling on your perky bob. Not only does it dress up your standard straight style, but adds tons of depth and to anyone who’s got layered or dimensional color.

With just a few lazy waves added at the front of this centre parted lob, the style takes on a relaxed charm that makes a great everyday look. When it’s time to dress it up for evening, refresh the curls and pump up the volume to get ready for a night on the town.

Hair with a wavy texture keeps pixies from looking flat while providing volume that can help alter the appearance of your face shape. If your hair is naturally straight, try adding waves with a skinny curling wand (don’t use the clamp to avoid spiral curls or lines that are harder to hide in short hair), or tying hair in loose rag curls overnight.

In a fairly blunt cut with textured ends, these waves add major depth and dimension to Kate Mara’s chic blonde bob. The touch of balayage color here is subtle, and looks incredibly natural when paired with these waves.

With bangs this short, your styling options are fairly limited to being flat ironed straight or looking like a complete mess. With that part of your styling decided for you, it’s fun to try a soft, tousled texture everywhere else, making for a nice contrast to your short edgy bangs.

Adding a deep side part is a quick way to refresh your hair between day and evening, and creates fullness at the sides of the face for women trying to widen the appearance of a long or narrow face shape.

Whether you’ve asked your stylist for these bangs or you’re growing out shorter ones, the centre parted fringe continues to be a red-hot hair trend. Unlike short bangs, they’re long enough to mimic the wavy texture in the rest of hair, creating a stylish, uniform look.

The dramatic asymmetry in this short hairstyle makes the cascading waves the highlight of the look without overwhelming or hiding your face.

Take your short short wavy hairstyle back in time with these vintage finger waves, perfect for a flapper costume, or a ’20s inspired party or wedding.

Adding some texture to an inverted bob that’s longer in the front helps to perk up the style, especially at the back where fine hair tends to fall flat.

Julianne Hough’s hair has been setting trends for years, and this layered bob is no exception. Slightly shaggy while still looking put together and sophisticated, the wavy texture adds a playful element that’s red carpet ready.

Longer in the front and shorter in the back, this inverted bob is perfect for women who already have some natural texture in their hair. Focus on defining a few waves near the face, and apply product to help smooth and define your natural waves in the back.

With a gentle wave that lightly frames the face, this bob presents a quick option for straight haired women looking to add a bit of depth to their style without spending hours perfecting their waves before a night out.

Proving that waves work at almost any length, Carey Mulligan’s style is soft and sweet, but still glows on the red carpet.