27 Of The Most Iconic – And Effortless – Cropped Hairstyles Of All Time

Still championed by some of today’s most fashion-forward stars, as well as British Vogue’s June cover star Judi Dench, the pixie cropped hair style holds the same fresh, fearless appeal as it did in the 1950s, when a certain Audrey Hepburn made the look her signature.

Don’t underestimate the transformative power of the pixie cut. Over the decades, this boyish style has always been about liberation: Audrey Hepburn shedding her curly locks along with the suffocating confines of her privileged life in Roman Holiday; Jean Seberg’s career-defining gamine crop for her titular role in Saint Joan; Mia Farrow swapping a blow-dried bob for an elfin pixie cut halfway through Rosemary’s Baby; and, of course, Dench’s impossibly cool MI6 chief M in the James Bond films. 

Elizabeth Taylor used the style to mark her transition from child star to leading lady in 1953, just as the dramatic haircuts of 1960s icons Edie Sedgwick and Twiggy helped propel them to superstardom. Since then, the pixie has proven to be surprisingly versatile. There was Liza Minnelli’s brow-sweeping cut at the 1973 Oscars when she won Best Actress; messy, feathered iterations from Goldie Hawn and Madonna in the 1980s; and neat boy cuts as seen on Chloë Sevigny and Winona Ryder in the 1990s. Supermodels couldn’t resist its cheekbone-enhancing properties either. Kate Moss, Linda Evangelista and Naomi Campbell have all experimented with the style, while Agyness Deyn made it her signature in 2007.

On the red carpet, the pixie cut has no shortage of celebrity fans. Recent advocates have included beauty chameleons like Halle Berry, Emma Watson, Zoë Kravitz and Janelle Monáe, but some of the best crops also come courtesy of those who have committed to the pixie long term. Michelle Williams’s platinum cut has remained virtually unchanged over the past decade, and Ruth Negga’s trademark curls sum up the cut’s timeless appeal. To inspire your next hairstyle, browse 27 of the most memorable pixie cuts of all time.

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