Italian bob vs French bob vs blunt bob vs lob: the bob guide by hair type

Length, edge and fringe. The Italian bob is the longer of the two and the fuller-looking one: Sam Villa describes a one-length bob with heavy ends at the chin or slightly below, with the weight and volume sitting at the ends^[1]. Reverie Salon places it lower still, from the jaw toward the collarbone, with a clean, weighty perimeter^[2]. The French bob is shorter and softer. Sam Villa puts it near the jawline, usually with a fringe around the brows^[1], and Reverie says it sits at the cheekbone, jaw or chin and almost always comes with a fringe^[2].

Fitcut's catalog describes the outside of both cuts in much the same terms and differs on the inside of the Italian bob, which the thick or fine hair section explains. Its Italian bob is jaw length with a solid perimeter and invisible internal layers, with no fringe in its spec and a deep side or centre part for lift at the root. Its French bob is lip-to-chin length with a soft blunt edge, texture cut inside, brow-grazing bangs and a cut designed to air-dry. Neither salon rules out a fringe on an Italian bob: Sam Villa calls it optional, depending on the shape you want^[1], and Reverie allows a long, soft, side-swept fringe but not blunt micro-bangs^[2].

The Italian bob is also the one with momentum: Google said searches for it reached a record high this year, as did searches for the bixie^[3]. Glam's 2026 roundup of requested cuts includes a blunt bob and a collarbone-grazing lob as well^[4]. Trend coverage measures interest, not fit, so the rest of this guide sticks to hair.

The table pulls each cut's numbers from the Fitcut catalog. One note on the length column: for every bob here and for the lob, it is the overall length measured from the crown down to the ends, not the length at the jaw. For the bixie, it is the length of the top section.

Laid out like this, the pattern is clear. The Italian bob, the lob and the bixie take any density; the French, blunt and stacked bobs are listed for low to medium density. The French bob needs the most frequent recuts, every 5–6 weeks, plus bang trims in between, and the lob goes longest, 8–10 weeks.

Each one has its own page with who it fits and what to skip: the Italian bob, the French bob, the blunt bob, the stacked bob, the lob and the bixie.

This is where salons and the Fitcut catalog disagree, and both have a reason. Sam Villa recommends the Italian bob for thicker, fuller hair and points finer hair toward the French bob^[1]. Reverie Salon says the Italian bob suits medium to thick hair because the cut needs weight to hold its line, and lists the French bob for fine to medium textures^[2].

Fitcut's catalog takes a wider view. Its density entry for the Italian bob reads “Any density”, because its spec takes weight out inside with point or slide cutting while keeping the edge solid. On fine hair, that solid edge keeps the ends looking full. On thick hair, the internal weight removal stops the shape from spreading out.

The gap is mostly in the spec. The salon versions describe a cut with little or no internal layering, where the hair's own weight holds the line, and that does need a fair amount of hair: Sam Villa defines the Italian bob by its chunky perimeter and lack of layers^[1], and Reverie calls it solid through the body, with minimal internal layering^[2]. The catalog's version moves some of that work inside the cut. In practice, if your hair is thick, ask for weight to be taken out inside; if it is fine, ask how much they plan to remove and keep it light, so the ends stay full.

Blunt lines help fine hair. The catalog gives the blunt chin bob and the Italian bob a plus for fine and lower-density hair, because a blunt perimeter keeps the ends looking full. The stacked bob gets a plus too, because a short, stacked nape gives fine hair lift at the crown. The French bob is also listed for low to medium density, with a soft blunt edge.

For a widening part, five of the six get a plus in the catalog: the Italian bob, the blunt bob, the stacked bob, the lob and the bixie, because a side part or a blunt, shorter shape keeps a widening part less visible. The Italian bob's deep side part is part of why it does well here. The thinning hair guide goes further.

If your part is widening quickly or your hair suddenly feels thinner, see a dermatologist.

The Italian bob, the lob and the bixie are the three listed for any density. The Italian bob handles thick hair through internal weight removal, the bixie asks for very thick hair to be debulked, and the lob, which the catalog calls a dependable middle ground, takes any density with few cautions.

The blunt chin bob is the one to approach carefully: coarse hair cut to one length tends to spread into a triangle, and the catalog lists it for low to medium density only. The stacked bob has the same density limit, and coarse, curly hair tends to puff out of it.

Yes, with the right version. The Italian bob's main range is 1A–2B, and it stretches to looser curls if it is cut a little longer, dry, with the weight removal kept inside. The lob has the widest main range of the six, 1A–3A. A blunt bob on wavy hair gives a softer line, and the catalog suggests internal weight removal there; on curlier hair a one-length bob turns into a triangle.

The French bob is the most limited, at 1B–2B, with curly hair listed in its cautions. The bixie works on loose curls if it's cut dry with extra length left for shrinkage. For tighter curls, none of the six is in range; the curly rounded cut and the coily hair page cover shapes built for them.

Where a bob ends changes which features it frames, and the catalog's rules here are about lines, not about rating faces. A straight line at the jaw adds definition to a rounded jaw, which is why the blunt bob and the Italian bob get a plus there. The same line ending right at a square jaw or a larger chin puts the emphasis there, so the catalog suggests ending the cut above or below that point. The lob's length below the chin and its curved ends soften a square jaw.

Face length matters most for the French bob and the stacked bob. The French bob's bangs and short length take height off the face, so the catalog lists a round or short face as a caution and a long face as a good match. The stacked bob does the reverse, since its angled front adds length, and on a long face the catalog suggests keeping the front at chin length. If you're not sure where you land, the face shape detector gives a rough read, though for bobs your hair's texture and density decide more.

• Italian bob: a square jaw or a larger chin if the cut ends right at the jaw; a very round, short face; tight curls, which spread it into a triangle; anyone who wants to keep length past the shoulders.
• French bob: a round or short face; a low forehead, since the bangs cover more of it; a front cowlick, which splits a short fringe; curly hair; heavy glasses frames, which brow-grazing bangs crowd; a face that is widest at the jaw.
• Blunt chin bob: a square jaw or a larger chin at that length; curlier waves and curls, which turn it triangular; dense, coarse hair.
• Stacked bob: a long face, unless the front stays at chin length; coarse, curly hair, which puffs out.
• Bixie: very thick, coarse hair, unless the stylist debulks it.

The lob is the one with almost no cautions in the catalog, which makes it the safe middle ground if you can't decide.

Name a landmark on your face, not a length in your head. “Jaw”, “lip”, “chin” and “collarbone” mean the same thing to you and the stylist; “short” and “a few inches off” don't.

• Italian bob: “A jaw-length bob with a solid perimeter. Take weight out inside with point or slide cutting, keep the edge solid, and give me a deep side part for lift at the root. Leave the ends to bend softly.”
• French bob: “Lip-to-chin length with a soft blunt edge and texture cut inside. Brow-grazing bangs. Cut it so it air-dries.”
• Blunt chin bob: “One length at the chin, minimal layering, slightly weighted at the edge.”
• Lob: “Collarbone length, blunt or with light long layers, with the ends bevelled under.”

If your hair is wavy or curly, add: “Please cut it dry and leave it a little longer, because it will shrink.” And if your hair is thick, ask the stylist to show you where they're taking weight out before they start.

Start with density, then texture, then where you want the line to sit; the table above covers the first two. A free analysis compares your texture, density and part with all six bobs and the rest of the catalog. If you'd rather keep more length, the layered cuts comparison covers the longer options.