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What can we say? It’s been a long year. What’s that? It’s only spring? Well, in that case, we could all use a little self-care—a spring break, if you will—and this season’s hair trends are reflecting our cultural desire for ease and softness amid a whole lot of stress in 2026.
Our haircuts are floaty and gentle: a shag with airy layers, a softly sculpted bob, or a long cascade of waves to transport you to a tropical island (if only when you flip your hair). Or maybe you’re wearing a shoulder-grazing midi cut, which happens to be an easy, natural evolution from the blunt bobs of last season. These cuts enable us to spend more time daydreaming and less time in the salon.
Spring colors are cozy, familiar classics that feel rich and special but couldn’t be easier to achieve. Dimensional blondes and brunettes offer shine and polish with a low-maintenance grow-out. Sandy-desert caramel and strawberry beige are soft and sweet like fresh linen, with a little sparkle that says “I’m not done causing trouble.”
These trends are like the hair equivalent of taking a deep, cleansing spring breath. Below, the experts detail the soft, gentle styles we can expect to see in a season of beauty rest and reset.
Spring haircut trends
Modern shag
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The modern shag—easily the most forecasted cut by our stylists this season—does away with electric edges and texture in favor of a softer, more lyrical look. Think less Joan Jett, more Stevie Nicks, with a Sabrina Carpenter chaser. This cut has the coolness of a long, rock-and-roll shag, but floatier layers and romantic, face-framing pieces, or curtain bangs, to bring it into 2026.
In true rocker fashion, this look is come-as-you-are. “People are moving away from overly polished styles and leaning into their natural texture,” says Brooklyn-based hairstylist Alexis Correa. “There is a big cultural shift toward low-maintenance beauty, where the hair looks good without too much styling.” And this cut works just as well with a texture spray and a laissez-faire tousle as it does big and blown-out.
Adds Denver-based hairstylist Katie Brenner, “Ask for soft layering, movement around the face, and a fringe that blends rather than feels heavy.”
Shoulder length
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A certain young blonde interloper once tested her multiple options by trying them all. Let us cut out the hard work for you. In this case, one option may be too short, the next could be too long, but the third? Juuuust right. This polished, shoulder-grazing look is exactly right. “This is a collarbone to chest-length haircut that sits between a bob and long hair,” says Brenner. “[It’s] incredibly versatile.”
A mid-length cut works on any texture, but you’ll want to give it a little movement and ooh-la-la to make it look intentional, not like you’re just waiting for last year’s bob to grow out. “Imagine hair that swings when you walk,” says Brenner. To achieve that, she recommends, ask for some internal shaping (cutting layers underneath the top layer to add volume) and a “blunt but soft” perimeter.
Waterfall hair
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If you crash-landed on a lush, tropical island, and decided you’d rather stay and become queen than try to go home, you’d need the right hair for the job. The clear answer here is long, waist-length hair that cascades down your back in silky ripples—just like the waterfall you now live behind. Obviously.
Of course, it’s not very practical (or ethical) to rule your own island, but the fantasy is really all about the hair anyway. “The cut is blunt with a clean center part and long lengths reaching mid-back,” says Chicago-based hairstylist Amy Abramite, who likes to think of these satin-finish waves as a cooler alternative to bouncy Hollywood hair. “Ask for a long, one-length cut with no layers, styled with a crimping waver.”
Soft sculpted bob
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If a bob could be hung in the Musée d’Orsay—somewhere between the Degas ballerinas and Rodin’s Thinker—it would look a lot like this: soft, impressionistic, but meticulously sculpted.
Best for straight, fine, or wavy textures, this cut is a masterpiece of proportions.
“[Ask for] a bob that feels clean and modern, but still soft and movable,” says Milwaukee-based hairstylist Loren Kramer. “Not too blunt at the ends.”
Those with denser, curlier hair can get the look by asking for “a rounded curl bob with layers that release weight and build shape,” says Los Angeles-based hairstylist Dusty Schlabach. “The curls build a soft, dome-like silhouette. Shorter where they need lift, longer where they need weight.”
Spring hair colors
Hamptons blonde
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There are the beach blondes in it for salty, sandy waves; there are the polished Hollywood blondes, perhaps the truest, blondest blondes; and then there are the Hamptons blondes, who evoke visions of convertibles and seasonal homes.
A Hamptons blonde shade is as beautiful and dimensional as a Martha Stewart tablescape. The look reads creamy, buttery blonde, but gets a deep richness from honey undertones. “It feels sunlit and soft, but never icy or overly bright,” says New York City-based hairstylist Rogerio Cavalcante. Ask for a warm blonde with golden undertones.
And if you’re still sporting a rooty winter blonde, ask your stylist for “a quick lift that will give your natural color a golden boost,” says New York City-based colorist Tiffanie Richards.
Dimensional cocoa
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You can keep your well-manicured hedges and your Dutch colonial. Dimensional cocoa is a sleek, stylish brunette for those who prefer to conjure spring in Milan or Copenhagen. “At first glance, it reads as one color, but when the hair moves, you see slight shifts of light reflection,” says New York City-based colorist Lena Ott. “It feels soft and expensive, not flat or opaque.”
Adds Cavalcante, you’re aiming for a deep, glossy brunette with cocoa or espresso undertones. “This color feels elevated and timeless, without the upkeep of heavy highlighting,” he says. Just be sure to ask for a gloss to give it that extra-polished finish—a key element of looking posh and mysterious while shoe-shopping along Corso Vittorio.
Strawberry beige
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Like a glass of Veuve Clicquot garnished with berries, this strawberry-beige color straddles the line between upscale polish and whimsy. Yes, this look has been seen at Chateau Marmont recently, but the wearer is certainly not too formal for a midnight skinny-dip.
“This is a muted, earthy copper. Soft gold mixed with peach and a hint of rose,” says Kramer. The color should feel natural and worn-in even if it’s not, in fact, your natural color. Ask for a warm base with copper and gold toning, she adds: “The balance is everything…. Too red and it’s loud, too gold and it loses depth.”
Desert caramel
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Whoever told you that you can’t have everything was not a desert-caramel bronde. You can indeed have the brightness of blonde with the ease of a natural rooty beige! (That’s what they were talking about when they said “everything,” right?)
“Clients want a low-maintenance color that still feels polished,” says New York City-based colorist Elisabeth Leary. This low-key sandy shade checks the boxes: effortless, cool, and minimal salon time.
“It’s about enhancement, not transformation,” says Leary, who recommends keeping it close to your natural shade, lifting only one or two levels if you’re starting darker. Finish with a few subtle caramel tones and a gloss.
Meet the experts
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- Amy Abramite is a hairstylist and creative director of Maxine Salon in Chicago.
- Katie Brenner is a Denver-based hairstylist and artistic director of Oli G.
- Rogerio Cavalcante is a New York City-based hairstylist and founder of Brazil Edition.
- Alexis Correa is a hairstylist at Whiteroom in Brooklyn.
- Loren Kramer is a hairstylist, owner of White Brick Salon in Milwaukee, and Goldie Locks ambassador.
- Elisabeth Leary is a colorist and founder of Whiteroom in Brooklyn.
- Dusty Schlabach is a Los Angeles-based hairstylist.
