Choosing a bob for your face shape comes down to one decision: where the hem lands relative to your jaw. A bob ends in a horizontal line, and a horizontal line makes the face read wider at the height where it sits. So the hem belongs at a level where your face can take a little width, and away from the level where it already has the most.
The Face Shape Calculator tells you your shape and, through the jaw ratio, how wide your jaw is compared with your cheekbones. That ratio is the number this guide uses. Face shapes are a styling framework, and the chart below is a set of conventions about lines, not a verdict on any cut.
The one rule: above, at or below the jaw
Every bob makes one of three choices.
- Above the jaw: the hem sits around the cheekbones or the earlobes, and the full jaw line shows beneath it.
- At the jaw: the hem and the jaw line coincide. The hem adds to whatever width the jaw has.
- Below the jaw: the hem falls a few centimeters past the jaw, and the hair crosses the jaw line instead of stopping on it.
A face that is narrow at the jaw (heart, diamond, a tapering oval) can take a hem at the jaw, and often benefits from it. A face that is wide at the jaw (square, triangle) does better with the hem above or below. Fullness at the ends follows the same rule, because volume is width too.
To find the level on your own hair, look straight into a mirror and pinch a strand at the corner of your jaw. That point is where “at the jaw” falls, and your stylist can measure from it.
Bob by face shape: the chart
| Face shape | Jaw width (C/B) | Where the hem should land | What to avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round | 0.80–0.92 | Below the chin, angled longer at the front | Blunt at chin or cheek level with full sides |
| Square | 0.90–1.00 | Just below the jaw, or well above it; angled or textured ends | Blunt hem exactly at the jaw |
| Oblong | 0.85–1.00 | At the chin, with fullness at the sides | A long, sleek bob with flat sides |
| Oval | 0.75–0.88 | Anywhere from the earlobes to the collarbones | A heavy line at the cheekbones |
| Heart | 0.65–0.80 | At or just below the chin, with fullness at the ends | Height at the crown with flat sides |
| Diamond | 0.70–0.85 | At the chin, fuller at the ends, ideally with bangs | A hem at cheekbone level |
| Triangle | 0.95–1.08 | Below the jaw, with volume on top | Chin length with fullness at the jaw |
Read the jaw column as the range where each shape is most typical. Two shapes are worth a word of explanation.
Oblong is the face where a classic chin-length bob helps most. The face is long and even in width, so a hem and some fullness at the chin add exactly the horizontal it lacks.
Round looks like it should suit a short, rounded bob, but a hem at chin level adds a horizontal to a face that is already short and wide. An angled bob that is longest at the front pulls the line down and forward, as hairstyles for a round face explains.
Bob or lob?
A lob, or long bob, ends between the jaw and the collarbones. It is the bob’s answer to every “below the jaw” in the chart, which makes it the easier choice for round, square and triangle faces. It also gives a stylist room to angle the hem and add layers.
A classic bob, ending between the ears and the jaw, is the stronger choice for faces that need a horizontal at the lower face: oblong, heart and diamond. For square faces, see hairstyles for a square face; for oblong ones, hairstyles for a long face.
Short bobs and the 2.25-inch check
The shorter the bob, the more of the jaw and neck it shows, and the more the angle of the jaw matters. A quick check before going above the jaw is the 2.25-inch test: a measurement from the earlobe down to a ruler held level under the chin. It is not a law, but it is a useful reading of how much a very short cut will reveal, and will short hair suit me explains how to take it and what the number does and does not mean.
Bangs change the picture too: a bob with full bangs covers the forehead and shortens the face, which helps oblong and diamond shapes. Bangs by face shape covers which type goes with which outline.