Don’t under-estimate the transformative power of the pixie cut. Throughout the decades, the boyish style has always been about liberation: Audrey Hepburn shedding her curly locks during an impulsive haircut 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.
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 effects 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 fresh, fearless appeal. To inspire your next hairstyle, Vogue 30 of the most memorable pixie cuts of all time.
The Hollywood icon, seen in 1954, will forever be associated with her gamine crop
More often seen with a halo of raven curls, in 1955 Liz flirted with the pixie crop
Actress Jean Seberg’s crop, as seen in this image from 1960, was career-defining
The original style chameleon, of course the Queen of Pop road-tested the crop. She’s seen here in 1986
Winona, seen at the Golden Globes in 1994, suited the style perfectly
Naturally, Moss put short hair on every woman’s most-wanted list when she unveiled her pixie crop at the 2001 British Fashion Awards
The Harry Potter star well and truly left Hermione behind when she swapped her mid-length mane for an elfin crop – seen at the 2011 BAFTAs
Mara’s sweeping fringe emphasised her elfin beauty on the red carpet in 2011
Hathaway chopped off her hair to play the ill-fated Fantine in 2012’s Les Miserables – a role that bagged her an Oscar
The Oscar-winning actress, seen in 2013, has made a softly tousled crop her signature look
