It's a brave thing - to go for a proper chop when at your routine appointment at the hair salon. While the majority of us applaud the shorter hairstyles around, few of us can actually go through with it. So what makes the pixie haircut so special? A trending 'do, it is popular styled long, messy - the list goes on.
If you've lived a life with hair below chin length, going that short takes guts - and petite, symmetrical features, if we're being honest. But sometimes you just need to see it to believe it. Which is why when Emma Watson made her debut as the face of Prada Beauty this week, with a fresh new pixie crop, it garnered so much attention.
It's not the first time she's done this - Watson reinvented her image post-Hermione with a pixie cut back in 2010, a fresh start after years of keeping her look consistent for the Harry Potter films. For Gwyneth Paltrow's character in the 1998 film Sliding Doors, a radical pixie cut served the same purpose.
A more accessible take on the look comes courtesy of Nicole Kidman, who wears a longish pixie haircut in the Apple TV+ series Roar, a reminder that if you play with the contrast of short (back) and long (front), the pixie can suit everyone at every age.
There are others who demonstrate the haircut's merits impeccably. Take Tilda Swinton, 61, who showed off a clementine-hued long pixie at the Cannes Film Festival last year. Meanwhile the Handsmaid's Tale's Yvonne Strahovski, 39, posted a side-swept style on social media, also last year.
There's no ignoring Maye Musk, 74, who proves that the versatile short/long style is utterly ageless. Musk styles hers in a quiff, to the side, and sometimes with curls. As does actress Sharon Stone, 64, who had her bob cut into an elegant long pixie at the end of lockdown.
In our conversations with top hair stylists, they often refer to Kate Moss's early 2000s pixie that she then grew out into a peroxide blonde short, floppy New Romantics style. Both equally chic.
Thinking of going from long to short? Then, look no further than these shining examples, below.
5 reasons why the 'long pixie' is the most wearable hairstyle of the moment... perhaps ever
1. Any texture goes
Sharon Stone wears her pixie spiky, curly and straight, showing the haircut's versatility and how it can be styled a little messily.
2. Softness around the neck is super feminine
By leaving a few wispy bits around the neckline and around the ears, it helps to create a flattering feminine vibe.
3. Bold colours elevate the style
From Tilda Swinton to Helen Mirren's previous pink style, the bolder the hair colour, the classier the look.
4. The length at the front softens facial features
Kate Moss's noughties pixie is soft and fluid.
5. It can be styled a number of ways
Maye Musk wears her long pixie over her forehead or blow-dried back to create added volume.
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