10 Short Haircuts Stars Over 50 Wear Now, Like Martha Stewart’s New Bixie at 85

Jamie Lee Curtis has worn some version of this cut since the ’80s, and at 67 it still looks like the most modern thing on the red carpet. At the Academy Museum Gala in Los Angeles on October 17, her longtime hairdresser, Sean James, kept it classic: tapered short at the neck and around the ears, a little longer and piecey on top, pushed up and back. The silver does half the work.

It suits straight hair, fine or thick, and anyone who wants a five-minute morning fix. Ask for “a tapered pixie, longer on top, texturized with scissors,” and book a trim every five or six weeks.

“The grace of living in this moment.”

Charlize Theron, 51, picked up the Icon Award at the Academy Museum Gala on October 17 with her short platinum hair combed straight back off her face, glossy and close to the head. It only works because the cut underneath is short and precise.

The slick-back is a styling trick as much as a haircut. Ask for a short cut that sits just above the collar, with enough length on top to comb back. At home, a little gel or styling cream on damp hair and a wide-tooth comb do the rest.

“Heard you think I’m an ICON... Thank you @academymuseum @theacademy for this incredible night.”

Kris Jenner, 70, has stayed loyal to short dark hair for years, and the latest version is sleeker than ever. In a Polaroid from her October trip to Shanghai, Beijing and Tokyo, it’s a jaw-length black bob with long bangs swept to one side, smooth and shiny.

Ask for “a jaw-length bob, slightly shorter at the back, with long side-swept bangs.” It suits straight hair best, and the shine comes from a smooth blow-dry with a round brush.

“A little bit of everything from Shanghai, Beijing and Tokyo!”

Martha Stewart wore the same chin-length blond bob for so long that it felt like part of her brand. In early October, at a New York premiere, she showed up with something shorter: a silvery-blond bixie, the in-between cut that is part bob and part pixie, noticeably shorter than her old bob. Her hairstylist, Olivia Halpin, shared this behind-the-scenes shot from a photo shoot on October 17, with plenty of volume at the crown and the layers swept back.

Ask for “a bixie: bob length at the sides, pixie layers at the back and crown.” It loves fine hair because the short layers add lift.

Lisa Rinna, 63, made her short shag famous and has spent the last few years trying on bobs, some of them wigs. At the InStyle Imagemaker Awards this month, she went full pageboy: a glossy chestnut bob rounded at the jaw, the ends curving under, and heavy bangs right down to the brows. It’s the most dramatic shape here, and the bangs do most of the talking.

To get it from your own hair, ask for “a one-length rounded bob at the jaw with full, blunt bangs.” It needs straight, thick hair and a round brush every morning.

“Mirror Mirror......”

Taraji P. Henson, 56, accepted the Artist of Distinction Award at the Newport Beach Film Festival this month in a sculpted pixie by her hairstylist, Tym Wallace: close at the sides and the nape, with glossy, defined waves on top swept to one side.

Ask for “a tapered pixie with length on top for waves.” The waves are styled, not cut in, so finger waves or a small flat iron and a shine serum keep the shape sharp.

“Still smiling with gratitude for being honored with the Artist of Distinction Award at the @newportbeachfilmfest!”

Not every great short cut on this list happened this month. At the NAACP Image Awards earlier this year, Viola Davis, 61, wore a sleek blunt bob cut straight at the jaw, with heavy bangs and ends that curve slightly in. Her hairstylist, Jamika Wilson, shared the look, and it’s still one of the most polished bobs of 2026.

A blunt bob suits thick hair and strong features, and it’s easier to keep than it looks: one length, one line. Ask for “a one-length bob at the jaw with full bangs,” and get the line squared up every six weeks.

Sharon Stone, 68, has gone back and forth between a pixie and a bob for decades. For the October issue of the Czech magazine Dolce Vita, it’s a tousled blonde bob that just reaches the chin, with a deep side part and pieces falling around the face. It looks like she ran her hands through it on the way to set, which is exactly the point.

Ask for “a chin-length bob with soft layers and a deep side part.” Let it air-dry with a little texture spray, scrunch it once and leave it alone.

Naomi Watts, 58, has kept her platinum bob at chin length all season. In September she wore it sleek at the San Sebastián Film Festival. In Paris on October 6, it was the undone version: a side part, loose bent waves and ends that looked slept on in the best way. Same cut, two moods, which is the best argument for a bob.

Ask for “a chin-length bob with invisible layers, so it bends instead of flipping.” Wear it sleek with a flat iron or messy with a sea-salt spray.

Glenn Close, 79, posted this selfie in late August, outdoors, in a striped shirt, with her hair drying in the breeze. It’s a short white crop, tapered at the sides, with soft, airy layers on top that stand up and fall back on their own. It’s also the most honest photo on this list, and her followers loved it.

Ask for “a short layered crop, tapered at the nape, longer and feathered on top.” White hair is often finer and wirier, and short layers let it stand up instead of lying flat.

“It’s ALL about LIGHT...and clean hair and a good night’s sleep.”