by Susan Quilty

Created on: October 30, 2008   Last Updated: May 17, 2009

Popular hairstyles come and go, but today's trendiest styles are often variations on more traditional cuts. When looking for a new style, begin by checking out classic styles. Look in hair magazines, style books at your salon, search online, or talk to a stylist.

Classic haircuts may go by slightly different names and sometimes the line may blur between similar styles, however knowing the names of common cuts and hairstyles make it easier to search for photos or discuss ideas with a stylist.

Timeless Haircuts

Bob Cut - A short hairstyle where the length falls between the ears and chin. Not all bobs look the same. They can be worn with or without bangs (fringe) and the hair can be cut evenly or angled to be longer in the front. An angled cut is sometimes called a "Pob" or "Posh Bob" after Victoria Beckham (Posh Spice) who famously sported the style.

Pageboy - A longer form of the bob cut. Pageboys fall below the chin but above the shoulder. They may be long enough to graze the shoulder tops, but short enough to see the shape as the hair hangs free.

Flip - Similar to a bob cut or pageboy, a flip is worn straight with just the ends of the hair curled or "flipped" up. The flip can be worn short, shoulder-length, or even below the shoulders. Women with a classic bob or pageboy can style to look like a flip, however a flip cut is often cut with the ends angled in a way that makes them flip up more easily.

Crop or Pixie Cut - A very short hairstyle for women where the hair is cut very close to the head. Men wear similar haircuts, but it's usually only called a "crop" for women. More jagged, razor cut styles may be called crop cuts, while softer scissor-cut versions are called pixie cuts. However, the terms are often interchangeable.

Shag - With variations for both women and men, the shag is a choppy haircut with lots of layers giving it extra fullness. In the 1960s, The Beatles popularized men's shag cuts. While in the 1990s, Jennifer Aniston's famous long shag was known as the "Rachael", named for her character on the TV show Friends.

Skater Cut - Worn by boys and men, the skater cut is like a shag with longer layers. Typically the front layers fall just below the eyebrows, the sides hang below the ears, and the back hits the nape of the neck.

Bowl Cut - Typically worn by kids, a bowl cut basically looks like a bowl worn on the head. It was famously worn by Moe from the Three Stooges. Some adults still wear the bowl cut, but it is more often worn by young

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