20 Breezy Short Layered Hair Ideas for Your Next Chop

Loving short layered hair lately? You’re not alone! Layers in short haircuts instantly add a little spunk and give the look a breezy, casual vibe. 

If you’re thinking about going short and getting layered up for your next cut, you’ll find tons of cute short layered hair ideas in this guide and all the tips you need to bring your dream hair to life! 

About the Trend: Short Layered Hair

• Short layered hairstyles have lots of swing and movement
• Lighten up thick or bulky hair with strategic layers that release weight
• Layers help shape + make cuts more flattering for your face shape

Short layered hair is really trendy right now and has all of us considering going in for the big chop. No wonder short hair with layers is so appealing – it’s super lightweight, airy, and flattering without any long, heavy length to weigh it down. 

Layering short hair is a simple way to give a short haircut more movement, volume, and shape. Instead of stiff, heavy short styles that feel like a hair helmet, short layered hair takes on an airy and flirty look with tons of texture.

It’s one of the rare trends that is universally flattering and looks great on everyone! With the right layers, you can instantly release unwanted bulk and weight at the ends of your hair for a style that swings with movement.

You can add texture, shape, and volume to your hair with layers that slice into strands at an angle in strategic spots. You can even use layers to slim your face and make your best features pop! 

You can rock your short layered hair with a fresh, voluminous blowout, tousled waves, bouncy curls, or shaggy, messy texture – whatever matches your vibe of the day. 

Keep scrolling to see some of the best short layered hair ideas for the season. Get ready to hop on this trend and enjoy the most flattering, lightweight haircut of your LIFE. 

20 Trendy Short Layered Hair Ideas to Try

If you’re thinking about trying out the trendy short layered hair look, you need a little photo inspiration to see the many possibilities. 

From long pixies and short bobs to midi-length styles and short, choppy layers with attitude to soft, blended layers that create a chic, polished shape, you’re going to love how you can tweak short layered styles to perfectly suit you. 

1. 90s Layered Bixie

A cross between a pixie cut and bob, the bixie haircut gives major 90s vibes and big volume on top. Long side bangs are lifted at the roots to make this short layered style feel equal parts polished and breezy casual. 

2. Wavy Shattered Bob

Shattering a bob creates tons of messy texture in the ends to remove any blunt or precise lines. Adding waves to this layered cut gives it a little volume and accentuates the different lengths of this textured cut. Use a flat iron to copy these pretty, relaxed beach waves! 

3. Tapered Bob With Flipped Layers

A quick way to make any short layered haircut look spunky is flipping the ends up. You’ll bring each layer out to highlight the tapered length and create a textured, full shape for the style. Use a flat iron and curve upward at the ends to copy this look or clamp the ends with a curling iron and tug gently while you release. 

4. Midi Length Tousled Layers and Waves

A deep side part boosts volume on top and really shows off the staggered layers throughout this midi length bob. The ends are shattered to remove bulk and keep the layers lightweight and airy. Create loose waves throughout the style and muss it up with your fingers for a perfectly chic-yet-messy look. 

5. Shoulder-Length Layered Bob With Shattered Ends

Big, voluminous ringlets are such a stunning texture for a heavily layered cut like this. The top gets extra volume from the deep side part and tumbling curls highlight the layered texture throughout. The ends are shattered and razored for that modern, lightweight look. 

6. Curly Cascading Layers With Soft Bangs

Amp up any short layered style with curls, long layers, and soft bangs. This highly-textured cut curves and bends to add dimension and fullness while keeping the ends lightweight with layers. Sliced layers enhance the curl pattern and shape the cut beautifully.

7. Tousled Asymmetrical Layered Bixie

Longer on one side, this bixie cut blends a pixie and bob with a little interesting asymmetry and jagged layers. A tousled, messy style accentuates the shape and choppy angles. A pretty deep teal hue is just a bonus here – this textured, lightweight style would look great with any color. 

8. Chic Curly Bob With Short Layers

This look reads as glam vintage Hollywood with lots of volume and big, brushed curls that curve toward the face. Parting on the side stacks the layers in a way that makes them appear to cascade down, and opting for short layers that are close together gives the look a polished touch, even with tousled, curly texture. 

9. Smooth Upswept Layered Bob

Long, sliced layers lay nicely and sweep softly into curves for this chic and polished look. A side part directs the layers to sweep up and back smoothly for a casual look that’s slightly tousled and tucked under at the ends. 

10. Midi Bob With Shaggy Layered Volume

If you like your layers jagged, shaggy, and choppy, a voluminous midi-length bob like this is perfect for you. The layers are cut short near the top to stack that volume and make the ends a little more piece-y and lightweight. Curtain bangs open up the face and blend with those choppy layers nicely. 

11. Side-Swept Feathered Tapered Bob

Short layers stacked close together are ideal for creating soft, feathered texture in short hair. This style is airy and breezy for a casual look when it’s softly brushed back with a little mousse. Use your fingers to pull out layered sections for extra texture and volume around the top sides. 

12. Chin-Length Bob With Heavy Layers and Bangs

Heavy layers make styling short hair so much fun because you can do a lot with them. The easiest style is creating a tousled, messy look like this by directing the layers in different ways and using your fingers to muss up the texture a bit. 

13. Voluminous Softly Layered Bob

Soft layers blend different lengths well and give a cut an overall polished look with any texture. The layers here direct the line for big curls and flattering bangs to follow, giving this style gorgeously vintage vibes. 

14. Choppy Layered Bob With Side Bangs

Choppy layers give a cut an instantly disheveled, casual look that can be amped up with a little sea salt spray and a quick scrunch with your fingers. These layers remove the bulk from the ends for a style with lots of energy and movement. 

15. Cropped Bob With Sliced Layers

The short cropped length of this layered bob makes it super easy to care for and really shows off the long, sliced layers in the look. Sweeping these soft layers to the side with bangs keeping the flow and direction uniform creates a really chic look that’s airy and feminine. 

16. Textured Bob With Face-Framing Layers

Thick hair fills out a short bob haircut really well, keeping it full and lush with tons of texture and dimension. Tousled waves pump up the volume while short face-framing layers in the front shape and soften up the cut. 

17. Midi Bob Curls With Chunky Layers

Chunky layers take bigger pieces of hair to create more texture and really make those layered lengths pop out. With curls, this effect is even more prominent and gives the curvy texture a tousled, casual feel. 

18. Shaggy Bob With Jagged Layers

Adopt a messy, shaggy look with a short chin-length bob that’s heavily layered. Cheekbone-skimming bangs flatter the face while chunky layers are taken out throughout the style for an edgy, deconstructed look that’s bold and modern. 

19. Violet Shattered Bob With Messy Layers

Want to make a bold statement? A vivid color like violet is only the tip of the iceberg here! A short bob with wavy, disheveled texture comes to life with movement and volume courtesy of messy, jagged layers throughout. The ends are razored to shatter them and keep them bulk-free.

20. Feathered and Flipped Layers

Short chin-length bobs look great with a little extra texture and movement from layers, especially around the face. Short layers stack closely together to help create that feathery texture that pairs well with flipped-up ends for a spunky, high-spirited look. 

Which Short Layered Style Will Look Best On You?

With a few cute ideas for short layered haircuts and styles in mind, the next step is narrowing it down to your top contenders. Choosing layered cuts that are shaped and textured in a way that fits the types of styles you wear often is key. Let’s talk about how the different types of layers are used in a range of short styles. 

Long Sliced Layers

Long sliced layers are really trendy right now and are the basis for lots of our favorite short looks. They’re cut at an angle and do a great job blending into the rest of the cut.

If you love the way softly curved graduated layers look, long sliced layers are the look for you. This layer type works best if you typically style your hair with blowouts or voluminous straight or wavy texture.

Sliced layers can “get lost” in very curly or coily hair, so keep that in mind if you have a lot of natural texture. They do a great job encouraging a little bend and curve in your ends and are the perfect layer type for thin or fine hair when you don’t want to remove too much hair. 

Short Choppy Layers

Short choppy layers take on a shaggy, jagged look that pairs well with messy, tousled styles. When we say short layers, it doesn’t just mean that the layers are part of a short hairstyle. It means that the layers are stacked close together with short spaces in between them. 

Short, choppy layers look great with flipped-up texture, waves, feathered styles, and can help make thin ends look a bit fuller. Beware of going overboard with this type of layer, as it removes a lot of hair and can quickly go from cute and shaggy to fought-with-a-lawnmower-and-lost. 

Thick Chunky Layers

Thick chunky layers involve cutting larger pieces of hair in each layer, forming a piece-y, highly textured look. Chunky layers look great with textured hair (waves, curls, or coils), but work for straight hair if you take the time to add volume and style with a little bend in the ends. 

Chunky layers are perfect for bulky, thick hair and usually take on a tousled, messy look. They’re not ideal if you usually wear sleek, polished styles since they’re meant to stand out with texture. 

Face-Framing Layers

Face-framing layers can be short and choppy, thick and chunky, or long and sliced. The key is that they’re cut in around your face to highlight specific features and break up the shape of your cut.

Face-framing layers are universally flattering and can be worked into any cut for a little more shape. Soft, sliced layers around the face usually hit near the cheekbones or jawline to make those areas pop.

Short, choppy layers around the face are great for shags and other messy-on-purpose styles since they can be directed and styled at angles to pull the look together. Chunky face-framing layers can work with a heavy blunt bang and to remove weight from curly or wavy hair so your best features can shine. 

Tips and Things to Consider

Before you commit to the trendy short layered look, read through these tips and things to consider. It’s important to look at this style from all angles so you know exactly what you can expect with a short, layered cut. 

• Start small with layers. If it’s been a while since you’ve rocked a layered look (or have never had layers), now is not the time to get crazy with the layers. You can always add layers in, but you can undo layers that have already been cut! Start with a few face-framing layers or long, sliced layers in your short style. Take it especially easy if you’re going for short, choppy layers that can remove a lot of hair and make your style too jagged. 
• Get layers that flatter your face shape. We all have favorite facial features that we want to highlight and accentuate with a short haircut, so make sure your layers are doing that mug justice! In general, you want face-framing layers to hit at the feature you want to spotlight to flatter your face shape. That might be your brows, cheekbones, or jawline with short hairstyles.
• Make sure you’re willing to style those layers. Layers come with a little additional responsibility since they break up the shape of your hair and work a few different lengths in. You can get away with air-drying certain types of layers, especially if you’re going for a tousled look. Some types of layers and styles will require daily styling with a curling iron, flat iron, or blow dryer to look their best, though. Learn more here: Should I Get Layers? | An Overly-Detailed Guide 
• Layers can make the grow-out phase difficult. If you decide you’re ready to move on from your short layered hair, the grow-out period won’t be easy. Growing out layers means you can’t get the layers themselves trimmed – you can only trim the ends. This can give your strands a bulky or stringy look at the ends for a while, but know it’s only temporary! You can always go shorter to knock off any layers at the ends, too. 
• Do not DIY short layered hair. Unless you’re a scissor whiz and have successfully cut and layered your hair many times before, do not attempt to cut your own hair into a short layered style. This is a cut that calls for a skilled professional, and you’ll always end up with a more flattering, even cut when you leave it to an experienced stylist. Resist the urge to snip it yourself and make an appointment instead! 

We’re seeing so many cute short layered hairstyles lately that we’re tempted to copy. This trend is one that will look amazing on everyone – as long as you choose the right type of layers and a flattering length for your face shape – and has the power to instantly transform your look. 

If you’ve been rocking unlayered short hair, medium length, or long locks and are ready for a big change, this is the look to try. Use the photos in our guide for inspiration, but work a few custom details into your cut to make it perfect for you!

Virtually try on your favorite short, layered look in real time with our new tool. You can look forward to tons of movement, volume, and a lightweight, airy feel that makes your new cut and style feel amazing. It might even become your new signature look! 

If you’re not sure about going short but love the layered look, you can check out some of the prettiest layered styles next: 30 Gorgeous Layered Haircuts We Love in 2022. You’ll find layered styles in lengths from super-short to long and luscious there.