Stylish Women Over 50 All Have This Elegant Haircut in Common

Your fifties and the decades beyond it are exciting style chapters. For one, you will have truly finessed your personal identity and aesthetic; you'll know what works and the trends that suit you, as well as the ones to pass on. And with any luck, age also brings confidence when it comes to your hair, because you'll know it inside out, including exactly what looks and feels best for you. However, at this life stage, hair can also experience change—greys can become more prominent and menopause can bring about further, sometimes difficult shifts, including hair loss or hair thinning, whilst sometimes our hair texture will simply change as we get older. All of these factors can make us want to switch things up with our hairstyle.

Thankfully, there have also been some shifts in society's attitudes towards women getting older, meaning that many now embrace their grey hair, and gone is the notion that you have to cut your long hair short as you age. But if you are looking to cut your hair for whatever reason—crops and bobs are majorly "in" right now, after all—a short hairstyle is a chic and timeless cut that many women over 50 have made iconic. Take Anna Wintour and her blunt bob, which has become synonymous with her image, or Halle Berry's perfect pixie cut. So many celebrities over 50 have gone for the chop, which means there's plenty of short-hair inspiration out there to inspire us all. 

So, I'm turning to the women over 50 who have perfected their personal style with chic and elegant short haircuts. Scroll ahead to find all the short haircut and hairstyle ideas to take to the salon.

26 Short Hairstyles for Women Over 50 (and Anyone Who Just Wants to Look Chic)

Anna Wintour's chin-length, blunt bob with a fringe has become her signature haircut.

Angela Basset shows us how that an Italian bob is both glamorous and timeless.

A bob haircut is a chic choice to show off your hair texture, as Viola Davis has with her curly, middle-parted bob haircut.

French first lady Brigitte Macron's rounded bob has so much volume.

The former editor-in-chief of Vogue France wears her hair in a shoulder-skimming bob with face-framing layers.

A chic micro bob with a blunt cut can make fine hair look and feel fuller. Jennifer Lopez shows us how it's done.

If you're blessed with thick, curly hair, embrace your natural volume with a long bob like Diane von Furstenberg.

If you're wondering which over-50s short haircuts are best for type 3 or 4 hair, actor Gina Torres knows. Her face-framing layers allow her curls to sit perfectly around her face in this bob-length cut.

Grece Ghanem's stunning silver hair looks totally chic in this cropped bob.

Halle Berry never fails to deliver excellent haircut inspiration—case in point with her curly, swept-over pixie cut.

Helen Mirren's tousled long bob feels chic yet modern.

If you're looking for a statement-making short haircut, make like Iman and go for a blunt bob with a deep side parting.

French actor Isabelle Huppert showcases how choppy layers can bring volume and shape to a short haircut.

A cropped pixie cut is a timeless short haircut that can also add volume to fine hair. Jada Pinkett Smith wears it so well swept over in a side parting.

Another great example of the pixie cut on Jaime Lee Curtis, this time with a chic wispy fringe.

Jennifer Aniston's long bob cut is a great haircut choice if you still want to keep some length. The soft waves and middle parting keep this look feeling modern.

Kate Blanchett wears he shoulder-length bob with beachy waves.

We're used to seeing Naomi Campbell with long hair, but this short, blunt bob cut is particularly chic on the supermodel.

Kris Jenner has made this pixie bob haircut her own with choppy layers that add texture and volume.

Linda Fargo's stacked bob haircut is ultra chic.

Lisa Rinna's choppy cut gives her hair incredible volume and body.

A jaw-length bob is an elegant hair length, as Lucy Liu demonstrates with a side-parted straight and sleek bob.

Maye Musk's pixie cut has lots of length at the front which allows for this swept-up style—so chic.

You can update any bob haircut by curling the ends inwards à la Penelope Cruz.

Thandiwe Newton's shag haircut with a fringe is a great alternative to the standard short haircuts out there.

If you're blessed with natural curls, a short haircut with plenty of length at the front allows them to stand out, as seen here on influencer Renia Jaz. 

How to Style Your Short Hair:

Wondering how to style your hair in your 50s and beyond? Celebrity hairstylist and Bellisima ambassador Alicia Dotson has some pointers.

"I would add in layers and movement to create vibrancy and life to the hair. The Bellissima 8-in-1 Air Wonder (£100) is perfect for creating loose waves," she says. "The volumising brush has been designed to create volume and give shape from roots to ends in one step, helping to lift the face. I’d then opt for the round brushes to add in some waves throughout the hair, helping add movement and texture."

Next Up: Bob Hairstyles Suit Everyone—17 Women Who Make Me Want to Cut My Hair