Winter’s Biggest Hair Trends Are Soft and Romantic

A collage of celebrities with winter hair trends Getty ImagesSave StorySave this storySave StorySave this story

Maybe it’s the colder weather (a.k.a. cuffing season) or the nonstop stream of Hallmark holiday movies, but winter inspires us to settle in with our favorite romantic movies. And this winter’s biggest hair trends are straight out of a Nancy Meyers film: soft and romantic with an emphasis on easy, natural colors and textures.

There’s a look for every type of cinephile: Cheeky copper and shaggy ’80s bobs are for fans of Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pink. The warm cinnamon and cozy mid-length layers of Something’s Gotta Give are an annual winter rewatch. Or refined and delicately styled pixies and crispy clean blondes, if you prefer a ’60s spy romance, or maybe French New Wave is more your speed.

From every era of the silver screen, these winter hair trends are as sweeping and romantic as our favorite movie night love stories. Below, the experts share the styles that will be everywhere this season and how to get the looks.

Glossy espresso

Closeup shot of Dua Lipa with glossy espresso hair Getty Images Closeup shot of Emily Ratajkowski with glossy espresso hair Getty Images

Picture this: You’ve entered a coffee shop in a New England town (Boston or Providence). The street outside is cobblestone (duh) and dusted with snow, and the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen is sitting at a table sipping a latte and reading Descartes. Or Virginia Woolf? You totally forget because suddenly she flips her glossy espresso-colored hair over her shoulder (which smells great, by the way) and you’re in love.

This romantic lead goes low-maintenance but high-impact. You’d cast Marion Cotillard, Minnie Driver, or Anne Hathaway. Espresso is a deep but cozy color for winter weather and is universally flattering. But the healthy shine is what makes heads turn. “Glossy hair reads as luxury,” says Dallas-based hairstylist Deisy Alfaro.

A single-process color should do the trick. “Ask for a rich brunette with a cool espresso base,” Alfaro says, along with a demi-permanent gloss to seal in shine and give it that reflective quality.

Copper rose

Closeup shot of a model with copper rose hair Getty Images Closeup shot of Sharon Horgan with copper rose hair Getty Images Closeup shot of Camille Jansen with copper rose hair Getty Images

Copper rose is the embodiment of rose-colored glasses in a hair color—an ’80s movie heroine with optimism and softness. “There’s a cultural appetite for vintage references that don’t feel costume-y,” says Lena Ott, a New York City-based colorist. This color scratches that itch: It’s Robyn Lively in Teen Witch, reimagined for 2025.

This color is “something between a classic redhead and a rose-blonde with shine that feels fresh, not brassy,” says Ott. Ask for copper with a soft pink overlay. “The base is lifted to a bright copper, then toned with a diluted pink or peach glaze. Glossing is key to keeping it luminous, not flat.”

Cinnamon toast

Closeup shot of Sydney Cole Alexander with cinnamon toast hair Getty Images Closeup shot of Margot Robbie with cinnamon toast hair Getty Images Closeup shot of Latto with cinnamon toast hair Getty Images

Our cravings have turned sweeter of late—an eggnog at night and cinnamon toast for breakfast helps keep the chill at bay. And so a warm hair color craving follows suit: A toasted blonde with swirls of cinnamon is sweet and spicy all at once.

“It’s a softer take on summer’s bright blondes,” says Alfaro. “Perfect for clients who don’t want to fully transition into brunette.” Alfaro notes that it’s especially stunning on medium skin tones or those with naturally light hair who want some depth. Ask for a neutral blonde balayage or teasy lights blended with cinnamon lowlights.

Crisp blonde

Closeup shot of Phaedra Parks with crisp blonde hair Getty Images Closeup shot of Gwyneth Paltrow with crisp blonde hair Getty Images

A crisp, bright blonde conjures up images of Hollywood past: Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe, Veronica Lake. Now, she’s a Gwyneth Paltrow, a Michelle Williams, or a Sabrina Carpenter.

The difference? Today’s towheaded starlets don’t have time to maintain a true platinum (they have Marvel movies and album tours to worry about), so they opt for a slightly softer and more wearable hue, like Redken 10GI Tahitian Sand, with some slight root shadow for depth (and an easier grow-out). “The clean blonde flatters fair to medium skin tones,” says Ott. “Especially when the soft root shadow prevents the color from washing someone out.”

“The color reads as platinum under red carpet lights, but it’s just a clean, double-process blonde,” she adds. Ask for it followed by a sand-beige toner and some root shadow, so the look is “grounded, not icy.”

Natural highlights

Closeup shot of Lori Harvey with natural highlights Getty Images Closeup shot of Mia Goth with natural highlights Getty Images Closeup shot of Lisa with natural highlights Getty Images

This protagonist seems not to even have to try. Bluebirds flit around her when she leaves her home in the morning, she’s volunteering at animal shelters and retirement homes, and her hair just happens to have a gorgeous, natural, soft dimension à la Jennifer Lawrence or Daisy Edgar-Jones.

We can’t help you with the bluebirds (try birdseed?), but natural highlights are within reach for just about anyone. “Blondes, redheads, and brunettes can all achieve this look,” says New York City-based colorist Kirsten Stuke. “Soft pops of brighter pieces give a lived-in look without the harsh growth line of demarcation.” Which means you can focus on planning the town square holiday party (where you will bump into the love of your life!) and not need to find time for a salon visit. “Ask for a more toned-down, natural, rooty highlight that will grow out effortlessly,” says Stuke.

Refined pixie

Closeup shot of a model with a refined pixie Getty Images Closeup shot of Ayra Starr with a refined pixie cut Getty Images Closeup shot of Jourdan Dunn with a refined pixie cut Getty Images Closeup shot of Brie Larson with a refined pixie cut Getty Images

A romance with a dangerous French stranger or a ride on the back of a Vespa calls for something pretty and refined (we’re in Europe for this movie, after all), but something that also says, “I’m not afraid to get on the back of this man’s motorbike without a helmet.”

Celebrities like Carrie Coon and Brie Larson have resurrected this delicate crop lately, and it's an easy, elegant look this season (and it doesn’t lose its charm after wearing a winter hat or, ahem, a helmet). “The cut is close and sculpted with precision scissor work around the ears and nape, left slightly longer at the crown for softness,” says Travis Speck, a New York City-based hairstylist.

“Short cuts like these can work on many people; it’s more about attitude and tweaking the details,” adds Los Angeles-based hairstylist Michael Duenas, but straight and slightly wavy hair types will have an easier time achieving that iconic, young Mia Farrow look.

Curly wolf cut

Closeup shot of a model with a curly wolf cut Getty Images Closeup shot of Natasha Lyonne with a curly wolf cut Getty Images Closeup shot of Indya Moore with a curly wolf cut Getty Images

There’s something soft and Shakespearean about long, gentle curls. Tracee Ellis Ross and Grace Bowers capture that vibe and balance it with a shaggy, wolf cut length to keep the style cool and modern: Rosalind in 2025. Juliet with an iPhone and Ray-Ban aviators.

Those with naturally curly or wavy hair can get the look by asking for “a layered cut that focuses on face-framing curls and crown volume,” says Alfaro, who sculpts this look with both wet and dry cutting to customize for curl patterns and maintain bouncy volume.

Full, blunt bangs

Closeup shot of Ayo Edebiri with blunt bags Getty Images Closeup shot of model with blunt bags Getty Images Closeup shot of Taylor Swift with blunt bags Getty Images Closeup shot of Venus Williams with blunt bags Getty Images

Full bangs are a cool, down-to-earth leading lady. The one who runs the ranch back at home, looks great in every pair of jeans, and teases you for becoming too “big city” and forgetting your small town roots (even though she definitely looks like she has a Fifth Avenue blowout and her nails have never seen a day of manual labor). Cast Taylor Swift or Dakota Johnson in the role.

Chicago-based hairstylist Raven Hurtado expects to be cutting a lot of these full, blunt bangs this winter, thanks largely to how dramatically they can change a look without having to lose major length or do a 180 from blonde to raven. Plus, the fullness of this season's fringe makes it a little more wind-proof (fluttery curtain bangs tend to blow back in winter weather, and they aren’t terribly suited for hats).

’80s shag bob

Closeup shot of Pamela Anderson with an '80s shaggy bob Getty Images Closeup shot of an '80s shaggy bob in pink Getty Images Closeup shot of a runway model with an '80s shaggy bob Getty ImagesGetty Images

For the lovers of quirky, coming-of-age romcoms, a bouncy haircut is as necessary as a good tape deck. Somewhere between a shag and a bob lies Molly Ringwald’s iconic feathery style—“a chin-to-cheekbone length cut with layered, rounded edges,” says Ott. “It’s a direct nod to Molly Ringwald’s 1980s silhouette, but the modern versions are more fluid.” Today, you’ll spot it on the likes of Pamela Anderson, Tina Leung, and the runways in Milan and Paris.

“It brings your hair’s natural texture to the forefront,” says New York City-based hairstylist Devin Toth, which is why it’s a particularly great cut for thick, curly, or wavy hair. “Make sure the shorter curls on top of the crown are styled forward into your bangs area,” he says. The face-framing pieces give it a cool, tousled, I’m-not-afraid-of-after-school-detention look.

Mid-length butterfly layers

Closeup shot of Leyna Bloom with butterfly layered hair. Getty Images Closeup shot of Alexis Bledel with butterflylayered hair Getty Images

Early aughts movies were defined by a few things. A high-stress job at a fictional magazine, an “opposites attract” love story, and mid-length hair with fluttery layers. Kate Hudson in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days or Jennifer Garner in 13 Going on 30. It’s a look that practically begs you to root for it. It’s universally flattering and an ideal in-between or transitional style while growing your hair out, offering movement without looking too “styled,” says Alfaro.

It’s important that the layers stay delicate and not too heavy, adds Chicago-based hairstylist Sanda Petrut. “[Your stylist] can use slide cutting or point cutting for softer ends,” she says.

Meet the experts

AccordionItemContainerButtonLargeChevron

Deisy Alfaro is a hairstylist specializing in curly hair and the owner of Pixie Glam Studio in Fort Worth, Texas.
Lena Ott is a New York City-based colorist and the founder and creative director of Suite Caroline salon.
Kirsten Stuke is a New York City-based colorist at Suite Caroline.
Travis Speck is a New York City-based hairstylist at Suite Caroline.
Michael Dueñas is a Los Angeles-based hairstylist and co-founder of Arove haircare.
Raven Hurtado is a Chicago-based hairstylist at Maxine Salon.
Sanda Petrut is a Chicago-based hairstylist at Maxine Salon.