You've heard of the shag – the effortlessly cool 70s staple – and of course, the timeless pixie cut. Now meet their love child: the shaggy pixie (or alternatively, the pixie shag), a hybrid haircut that is all about embracing texture, movement, and personality.
With choppy layers, feathered ends, and plenty of volume, it gives short hair a lived-in, tousled feel that's easy to style and impossible to ignore. And unlike the sleek precision of a traditional pixie, the shaggy version embraces imperfection.
Take this and this...
And you get... this!
The shaggy pixie style flatters a wide range of face shapes, but it's especially striking on oval, heart, and square faces. The layered volume at the crown helps elongate rounder features, while the wispy edges and textured bangs can soften strong jawlines or high cheekbones.
As for hair texture, the shaggy pixie thrives on anyone who has a bit of natural movement in their tresses. Wavy and slightly curly hair types bring the cut to life with bounce and dimension, while fine hair gains instant body from the strategic layering. Even those with straight hair can pull it off with a little help from texturising products or a quick tousle with a straightener or curler.
Everyone's clicking on...
The key is embracing the imperfect! The shaggy pixie is less about polish and more about personality.
Oh, and if you're in need of any more proof as to why you should try out the shaggy pixie, just see the autumn 2025 runways. Messy, undone tresses were spotted on the catwalks of Miu Miu, Prada, Kenzo and Stella McCartney, to name a few. I'm talking everything from tousled texture, shaggy bangs and volume at roots. Overall, there's less focus on rigid, perfectly polished styles.
Not to mention that celebrities have followed suit with everyone from Kim Kardashian to Katherine Langford rocking shorter styles.
Perfectly undone yet effortlessly chic, the shaggy pixie proves that sometimes, the best styles are born from combining aspects of existing styles!
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Lia Mappoura (she/her) is the Beauty Writer at Cosmopolitan UK, with over four years of experience reporting across the brand's print, social, video and digital platforms. Lia covers everything from emerging trend analysis to viral celebrity hair and makeup moments, making her an expert at spotting the season’s next big beauty look (before it takes over social media feeds).
In 2025, she was named The Rising Media Star at the Love Perfume Awards with The Perfume Shop, recognised for her outstanding digital fragrance content and for building genuine authority within the space. She is passionate about challenging outdated beauty stereotypes, championing inclusive representation in beauty, and educating readers on the trends, products and conversations shaping the industry today. Follow her on Instagram or find her on LinkedIn.
