The Sleek, One-Length Bob

“The sleek, one-length bob goes by many names and is a staple of the salon professional,” says Jesse Linares (@jesse.linares), of STRUCTURED hair and the Sam Villa ArTeam. “Although simple in appearance, this cut has subtle but significant challenges when creating it. Methodical sectioning and the right tools can make this trending shape easy to execute.” Watch Linares demonstrate the cut here and learn how to identify points of reference on the head to accurately section for precision, gain absolute control over the perimeter length, and check work to ensure balance and consistency. 

The cut: 

1. Make sure the guest’s head is held level, not tilted in any direction. Section the hair vertically according to the natural points of reference (center line, top of the ear, corner front, corner back). This will result in eight vertical sections, which place the hair in natural falling position. 
    
2. Begin with the two sections at the back of the head (center line to corner) and subdivide horizontally at the occipital. Cut the baseline using the Sam Villa Signature Series Reversible Blending Shear. Use the wide teeth of a short cutting comb to loosely capture the hair at the cutting position. Rest the blade of the shear against the skin and move the teeth into the hair until the cut is complete. This will provide a solid line with subtle texture. Repeat these steps to complete the sections from center line to corner, and corner to top of the ear.   
    
3. For the top of the ear to corner front, continue the occipital-height subdivision from the previous section. Using a small piece of hair from the previous section as a guide, complete the perimeter using the methods from Step 2. 
    
4. Drop down the rest of the hair that was clipped up from the top of the ear to the corner front and blend the perimeter. When reaching the sections from corner front to center line, comb them backwards out of the eye to frame the cheek and jaw (where it will be worn). Use a dry sectioning clip at the temple area to secure the hair and complete these sections in this overdirected state.  
    
5. (Optional step) The model in these photos has a short, choppy fringe that exists in the bevels from corner front to center line. Comb the hair into natural fall and let it hang where it wants to go. Using the Classic Series 5.5” Shear, cut the fringe with sharp angles to suit your taste.