It’s a pretty universal experience to be watching Friends and suddenly think having Jennifer Aniston’s haircut would fix everything in your life. The haircut is often simply referred to as the Rachel cut—I know I’ve asked for that in the salon clutching a photo of Rachel Green’s long layers—but it’s also known as the curve cut or C cut. Hailey Bieber is a good example of a modern, shorter take on the curve cut.
If you’ve ever admired the bouncy, layered blowouts the main characters of early 2000s rom-coms chicly sport, they likely had a curve cut. The trend is back, although we’re not sure it ever really left. Here’s how to get the look in the salon and style it at home.
Featured experts
- Clariss Rubenstein is a celebrity hairstylist
- Justine Marjan is a celebrity hairstylist
- Bradley Leake is a celebrity hairstylist
- Marc Ballance is a celebrity hairstylist
What is the curve cut?
The curve cut is all about layers and face framing, with special attention paid to the C shape the layers create around the face. “What comes to mind first is Jennifer Aniston’s ‘Rachel’ cut in the 90’s. Lots of flicky pieces that curve inward, creating that C shape around the face,” says celebrity hairstylist Clariss Rubinstein.
For this look, hair should be cut in a way that creates a C shape when pulled forward around the face, explains celebrity hairstylist Justine Marjan. This “results in a heavily layered cut that cascades towards the back.” Celebrity hairstylist Bradley Leake notes that the C shapes tend to begin at the jawline, but this can vary.
Curve cut with a bob
While it’s often seen on longer hair, the curve cut can be adapted to various lengths, including the trending bob. For this, Rubinstein recommends a “bob beveled inward to create that C shape, or a longer version where the layers start above the chin and extend all the way down the cut.”
If you want a curve cut, do this at your next appointment
Marjan recommends asking for “heavy face framing and lots of cascading layers that get longer towards the back.” Celebrity hairstylist Marc Ballance notes that you should ask “for the shortest layering to sit somewhere around the chin length and to gradually cut the layers longer in the front until you get to the length of the hair.”
It’s essential to bring reference photos. “Not only does it clarify the look, but it also reveals a bit of your style, which helps in tailoring the cut to YOU,” says Leake. “The key is really to emphasize those face framing layers!”
How to blowout a curve cut
“Ideally, this is styled with a bouncy blowdry that shows off the layers,” says Marjan. She suggests using the ghd Helios Professional Hair Dryer ($279) and a ceramic round brush and really focusing on rounding out the ends. Rubinstein agrees a round brush is essential—she recommends the Ibiza Round Boar Bristle Brush ($54) paired with a prep spray like Nexxus Prep and Protect ($15).
