Short Hairstyles for Women from Kicky Cool to Very Professional

Pictures of different short hair styles to help you choose your next haircut...

The Hottest Short Cuts

Recommended hairstyles by the beauty editors of hair magazines in 2008

"This season I'm seeing more diagonal-forward bobs with extreme length in front and strands stacked short in the rear."--Les Haverty, Artistic Director, FHI Heat

Sarah Harding (23) with a beveled bob haircut in 2006 was one of the young women who set the foundation for the current bob trend.

Short Styles magazine for Spring 2008 introduced 25 of the top new looks. "The 6 newest trends are hot," it announces.

The main featured section and emphasis for 2008 is layers. The hair mag suggests the new short hairstyles are the best looking layered styles yet. Layers are now a trend for girls with long hair, and the ladies with short hair are on the same style track.

The short hairstyle trend for this year, what's "great for '08," includes bold bobs; retro waves; and sharp angles. Except for the retro styling, that sounds a lot like 2007, doesn't it?

The pictures of short celebrity hairstyles on the cover include two blondes (Sarah Harding and Paris Hilton), and one brunette (Katie Holmes). The magazine expresses its opinion on the 9 Coolest Celebrity Cuts, and offers Exclusive Styling Secrets on how to get them.

Best Short Hairstyles of 2008

Who makes the hot list? The top girl, as you might expect, is new hair icon Katie Holmes with her blunt-cut ends. Her 2007 style was so popular that her 2008 haircut also gets a lot of attention.

"Now that Katie has let her new bob grow out a little, she's finding new ways to style it." It's a very simple change, though, that they show. It's really just her basic bob with her hair pulled back over one ear.

Even though Katie copied Victoria's Beckham's bob last year, the British singer was bumped into second place with her adjusted short hairstyle that has sleek strands. Her haircolor makeover took her from blonde to brunette, and her new style "made her angular Pob super sleek." You have to love her very subtle highlights!

Faux blonde Paris Hilton gets third place with a "faux fringe" that uses a clip-in hair extension. It looks like one way to get an instant Pob hairdo without all the drama. Some women wouldn't mind trying out a Posh hairstyle, but it's a long-term style commitment. It will take a long time to get your hair back after cutting it so short at the back. ("Hair grows at an average rate of about 1/2 an inch per month," says celebrity hairstylist Kimmi Hendrix.) Also, it isn't considered the most professional of short hairstyles at every workplace.

Carla Gugino is fourth with her stylish new lightly curled haircut. It suits her face and her age beautifully.

Nancy Millan is seen next with her dark hair in a rounded bob plus bangs. It looks like a 70s bob, but still very nice today. Cute but mature.

Kylie Bax has a very cool new short hairstyle with lots of layers that is very short at the back. It looks somewhat like Victoria Beckham's bob in that regard, but it's fresh, fun, and very slightly shattered looking. It makes a really good evening hairdo! Short Styles says it has "tapered, precision-cut layers."

Katherine Heigl is in 7th place with a very short but very sexy new hair design. It is layered in a feathered style that looks very similar to the most popular long layered hairstyles Jessica Simpson wears. It is even shorter than chin length and that makes it an extreme makeover; in fact it may be one of the biggest celebrity hair makeovers so far in 2008. It leaves her face completely free of any hair; that qualifies it as a perfect summer hairstyle. It looks cool and will keep you cool.

Kimberly Stewart is a new short-haired girl! The blonde star cut off a lot of her hair and got it layered. Whereas other short bob haircuts nowadays are curling in at the ends towards the neck, hers flips out a little on one side. (She pulls it over her ear on the other side.) Even though Kim's parted asymmetrical cut looks sharp on her, teen girls will love her style, too. Plain bob hairstyles that curl in aren't always flattering for young women who need hairstyles with more personality and style. It's fine for everyday but makes a fun, new, short formal hairdo, too. It elegantly combines some of the trendy hair design elements.

Finally, the very short haircut of Sarah Harding is noted. She likes to change her hairstyle a lot and the latest version is cool like the earlier ones. This new one is side-parted and angled, so it's heavy on one side at the edge of her forehead, and slightly covers one eye.

Alana De La Garza (31) in June 2008. This is a very pretty short hairstyle with a top dimensional look. It has good lift at the crown and great caramel highlights at the front. It's very slightly flippy in places. Excellent summer 2008 haircut!

Arden Myrin (34) with a cute curly hair design in 2008. Beautiful colors that are well blended. She has the blonde streak to frame her face but it's only on one side.

Hair Color Trends in 2008

"Hair collections in 2008 will feature colorful bangs to make extreme statements," says Kimmi Hendrix. "The colors will be bold black, blackberry, auburn, cherry auburn, and chocolates with blonde and caramel highlights."

Short Hairstyles for Summer 2008

The August 2008 issue of Celebrity Hairstyles magazine has a cutting-edge section for short haircuts: "Latest Shapes in Short."

"The basic bob remains this season's hottest look," notes the popular hair magazine, "especially if you want to go short, but not overly so."

The latest short celebrity hairstyles highlighted by the magazine include Jennifer Dell's bob haircut with beveled ends and moderate highlights. You can also see the short cut of Carla Gugino which is higher than average at the crown but normal at the sides.

Sharon Stone, the over 40 or mature celebrity who changes her short hairstyle about once a year, has another new haircut in 2008, described as being upswept with layers. It has a softer look than her previous hairstyles. It only has a few lightly spiky sections instead of being spiky all over. It is still very short, though, like most of her styles, and it's completely off her face and forehead.

Sarah Harding's formal hairstyle she wore for a red carpet appearance looks very stylish and makes her look more elegant than ever. It is described as a "Faux Updo." What exactly is a faux updo? It's what girls with short hair wear when they want a fancy night hairstyle but don't care for hair extensions. Normally updos for short hair are a challenge. But there are ideas to make it appear as if your hair is longer.

Sarah's style looks like a regular short hairdo from the back, but it looks like an updo at the front. She styled the front into a "pompadour-like bang treatment." The other hairstyling trick is brushing the side hair straight back and setting it with gel. That gives it the slick high-fashion evening look and helps it look like an updo. Very clever hair design.

Cheryl Burke has a dark flippy hairstyle that is short but near medium. It is a few inches past her chin and lightly grazes her shoulders. In 2008 she still has the lighter brown highlights that she had in 2007. It's a very good, easy, low-maintenance haircut. Fun and semi professional, it works for day or evening.

Anya Monzikova (22) in a cute blonde bob with strong curvature at the ends to frame her face. It has light, elegant layers, too. Probably one of the best bobs. Perfect for work or a night out.

Kylie Minogue (39) with short party hairstyle in February 2008. A little choppy and flippy with soft layers. Coloring looks between dirty blond and ash blond. It's virtually a perfect match with her facial skin color.

Diablo Cody (29) in a simple round bob hairstyle and short bangs with one side tucked behind her ear. (2008 in London.) Nice jet black color that offers bold contrast with pale or white skin. Short fringes are difficult to do without looking like bowl cuts; one way is to make them a little choppy, fragmented, or uneven. But you still need to do that in a way that won't make it look like a bad bowl cut. Diablo has had shorter bangs than this. In this evening pic, she has a strong retro glam look that could remind you of 1930s chicks.

Interesting short haircut with hair of unequal lengths. This girl has very short hair on the sides, top, and back, which is less than an inch long, but longer hair at the front. Add extreme colors and it could look like a punk hairstyle. Looks like a design that either a boy or girl could wear; it's kind of midway between masculine and feminine.

How to dress up Jenny McCarthy's bob hairdo for a formal evening. Picture of her 'do in '08 with big funky side curls. Her short style covers half her forehead and is tucked behind one ear in cute fashion. That's a fun short hairstyle!

Kirsten Storms (24) with new haircut. She has a new simple bob in this summer 2008 picture. It is a little past her chin in the main length and has a few layers just above ear length. Very easy sweet straight style for the blonde soap star. Maintenance less than 10 minutes per day. Good for college students and busy women.

Arta Dobroshi (29) has a very sweet short hair style with side swept very full bangs. Lovely picture of the actress, but the cut looks a bit top heavy. Slightly shorter fringe could be more flattering.

Laura Bell Bundy (27) with gorgeous new curly short hairstyle. She wore this for a special evening in New York City back in May. Fun and attractive style that is also fully elegant. Great look for day or night. Loose curls are always cute; this style suits the girl with a playful personality.

Robyn (29) with her edgy new short hairstyle earlier this year. The Swedish pop chick's cut clearly looks inspired by fashion icon Vic Beckham, but somehow it looks cooler. The very long "V"-shaped section on one side that hugs her face, and the very short platinum blonde hair on the other is an intriguing combination. You could call it a half Pob.

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