Emma Watson Brought Back Her Iconic Pixie Cut

Along with dabbling in fiery red and copper hair, celebrities are going short with their locks this fall—the proof is in the pudding with Kirsten Dunst’s new French bob and Kristen Stewart’s couture-grunge mullet. The latest celeb to chop it all off is Emma Watson, who showed off a short pixie cut at the Prada Paradoxe Fragrance Launch Party in London on October 13.

Now, Watson is no stranger to a short ‘do—after wrapping the Harry Potter series back in 2010, the actress and activist graduated from her flowing Hermoine tresses to a short pixie cut that made headlines. The cut had a certain Peter Pan-like je ne sais quoi to it, with wispy fringe parted to the side along with pointed sideburns that reach down to her earlobes. It was a look that added a manicured and feminine touch to what many British rock stars sported on stage during the Tumblr era.

This time around, Watson opts for a similar pixie cut with a choppier, grungy twist, proving that grunge is here to stay this fall. The most significant change from years past is Watson’s hair color, as she went with a chocolatey brunette hue for the colder season. Her hair seems to take on the same off-to-Neverland-esque sideburns from her previous hairstyle, but her bangs and part bring this iconic hairstyle into 2022—her short fringe features rougher, more uneven edges that are comparatively more natural-looking than her wispy-yet-shaped fringe in 2010, and they’re haphazardly parted to the front and side for a more tousled finish.

Watson also rocks this style in her most recent campaign for Prada's Paradoxe Eau de Parfum, pairing the hairstyle with a subtle graphic wing.

The Indie Sleaze trend has been kicking up a ton of dust that we thought had settled for good back in the 2010s, but Watson proves that the chop could be coming back—and with a vengeance. If you’re feeling inspired by the star, luckily, one of the hardest things about a pixie cut can be committing to cutting your hair that short in the first place. Pixie cuts are wearable for practically everyone, and the best way to dive head-first into the trend is by chatting with your hairstylist to determine which style of pixie cut works for your hair type and face shape.

Of course, there are caveats with everything in life, and the pixie cut’s main downfall is that it can be difficult to upkeep since you’ll likely need more frequent haircuts as your hair grows. On the other hand, they're super simple to style—Michelle Sultan, hairstylist and creative director for Imbue, previously told Byrdie, "pixie cuts are super versatile and can be styled in many different ways, whether you want an edgy, classic, or vintage look.” Whether you’re after Watson’s hairstyle or want to opt for a Y2K-favorite spiked pixie like Halle Berry’s, you’ll want to grab a hold of products like texture pastes and root lifting sprays to add dimension and shape to your hairstyle and keep it from falling flat on top of your head.

Household names like Watson have enchanted us with bobs, mullets, and pixie cuts all over the red carpet, not just this season, but for the past few decades, proving that a short ‘do never goes out of style. The only thing left to do is ask yourself, am I ready to dive in?