Okay so I have to say something. Long hair and edgy haircuts go together way better than people think. I see clients come in all the time convinced they have to go short to get something cool and I am always like, no, absolutely not. Twelve years of doing hair and some of my wildest, most fun cuts have been on people with really long hair.
There are so many ways to make long hair feel edgy, shags, wolf cuts, undercuts, bold color, curtain bangs, all of it. You really do not have to sacrifice length to have a look that turns heads. I pulled together some of my favorite long hair cuts and colors that prove that point, and I hope at least one of them makes you want to call your stylist.
Cherry Burgundy Long Shag with Curtain Bangs
This color is so deep and red, almost like a dark cherry with a little purple in it. The cut is a shag and I love how the layers start right at the face. Curtain bangs sweep to both sides and they look really soft. If your hair is straight or a little wavy this would look so good on you. The color and the cut together just do everything for you.
Pumpkin Orange Rock Shag Mullet
Okay wow. This is a bright pumpkin orange all over and it is a lot in the best way. The cut is a long shag mullet with big fluffy volume on top and wispy layers going all the way down. It is wild and undone and I am fully obsessed with it. You would need to style this one but the payoff is huge. Rock star hair, honestly.
Dark Ash Brown with Silver Money Piece and Micro Bangs
The silver pieces in the front are what got me with this one. They are chunky and bright and frame the face in such a cool way. The base color is a cool dark brown and it all feels really editorial. Short blunt micro bangs make the whole thing feel intentional and a little bold. It is edgy but you could wear it anywhere.
Espresso Butterfly Cut with Curtain Bangs
Butterfly cuts are so pretty and this one is done really well. The color is a rich cool espresso brown with a tiny bit of silver shimmer to it. Curtain bangs frame the face and the long layers have so much movement when the hair swings. This is great if you have thick hair and want shape without losing any length. I recommend this cut a lot in the salon.
Dark Root Sandy Blonde Balayage with Tousled Long Layers
This blonde looks expensive and I love how natural it feels. Dark roots melt into a warm sandy golden blonde at the ends. No bangs on this one, just really pretty long tousled waves that look easy even if they took a while. It is the kind of hair that looks good on day two or three honestly. So effortless.
Dark Root Beachy Blonde Wavy Lob-Length Shag
Cool girl hair, that is what this is. The color goes from a dark root to a soft beachy blonde and the cut is choppy and layered. Waves run through all the layers and there are no bangs, just really natural movement. Fine to medium hair types would love this because the layers add so much body. It looks like you just got back from a trip somewhere warm.
Jet Black Half-Shaved Undercut with Long Sleek Top
This one is fully committed and I respect it so much. The sides are shaved clean and the top is kept long, straight, and jet black, falling way past the waist. It is dramatic and graphic and unlike anything else on this list. Once it is done it is actually pretty low maintenance too. If you have been thinking about an undercut but do not want to lose length, this is it.
Jet Black to Smoky Steel Gray Balayage Long Waves
The color here goes from true jet black at the roots to a cool smoky steel gray at the ends and it is so moody. Long waves move through all the layers and show off both colors really well. This feels glamorous in a dark and sophisticated way. Not sweet, not soft, just really cool. I love it so much.
Sandy Ash Blonde Shag with Curtain Bangs
This is my kind of laid back look. The color is a dark root into sandy ash blonde and the shag layers are long and loose. Curtain bangs are grown out just a little which makes them feel relaxed rather than fussy. The whole finish is undone and piece-y in a way that gets better as the day goes on. Really love this one.
Ash Mushroom Blonde Long Shag with Wispy Fringe
Mushroom blonde is a color I recommend all the time because it works for so many people. The layers in this shag have so much movement and the wispy fringe bangs are not too heavy, they just sit there and look cute. It is a little retro and a little modern at the same time. Good hair is like that sometimes. This cut is just really fun.
Warm Copper Auburn Long Shag with Fringe Bangs
Copper hair is so warm and pretty and this color is exactly right, rich and natural looking. The layers start at the cheekbones and build all the way through the ends. Fringe bangs are wispy and slightly swept to one side which keeps it soft. If your hair has natural wave this whole look comes together so easily. I love a good copper shag.
Jet Black Voluminous Shag with Heavy Curtain Bangs
So much drama in this cut and I mean that in the best way. The hair is deep glossy black and the shag has serious volume, like it has its own presence. Heavy curtain bangs sweep deep to both sides and frame the face in a really striking way. Pair this with a bold eye and you are done. Gothic glam done perfectly.
Cool Brown Long Layers with Deep Side-Swept Bangs
Sometimes a really great cut in a natural color is the edgiest thing you can do. This is a cool medium brown with long flowing layers and a deep side-swept bang that falls across the forehead with purpose. It is not a wolf cut or a shag, just a really well done layered cut with a bang that changes everything. A good option if you want something different but not too wild.
Black to Dark Teal Ombre Wolf Cut
This color is absolutely unreal. Near-black roots bleed into a deep teal and emerald green through the lengths and it is stunning. The wolf cut layers are choppy and disconnected and the whole thing is tousled on purpose. It takes commitment at the salon and with upkeep but the result looks editorial not costumey. Fantasy color done exactly right.
Dark Brown to Warm Caramel Ombre with Curtain Bangs
This ombre is really pretty and easy to wear. Rich dark brown at the roots warms up to a soft caramel that catches the light so nicely. The cut is long with face-framing layers and wispy curtain bangs that blend naturally into the rest of the hair. It is not loud but it is really well put together. The kind of hair that photographs beautifully every time.
Near-Black Wavy Shag with Curtain Bangs
This is a really pure version of the shag and I love it. Deep espresso brown hair with tons of natural-looking waves and curtain bangs that are tousled rather than styled. The texture is the whole point here. If your hair is naturally wavy this cut will just enhance what you already have. Rock and roll without even trying.
Jet Black with Tangerine Peekaboo Highlights
What a fun color idea this is. The base is a sleek jet black cut long and straight with no bangs, and then bright tangerine orange highlights peek out from underneath every time the hair moves. It is bold but because most of it is black it does not feel overwhelming. A great way to try a fun color without going all in. I love this approach so much.
Near-Black Long Wavy Shag with Blunt Fringe
Short blunt bangs on a long wavy shag is a combination that always works. The color is a deep dark brown and the waves through the shag layers look really natural and lived in. Blunt bangs add just enough structure to keep the whole thing from feeling too undone. The contrast between the neat fringe and the messy waves is honestly gorgeous. Works really well on oval and heart shaped faces.
Icy Platinum Long Shag with Choppy Fringe
This haircut walks into a room before you do. It is a true icy platinum, white blonde with almost no warmth to it at all. The shag is extremely long with heavily disconnected choppy layers and a bold fringe that is voluminous at the crown. Very 80s rock and roll but still completely fresh. Upkeep is real with a color this light but the impact is worth every visit.
Icy Platinum Sleek Long Cut with Center Part
No layers, no texture, just a perfect color and a clean cut, and somehow it is one of the most striking looks here. The hair is bright icy platinum all over with a razor sharp center part and long straight layers past the chest. The finish is smooth and almost severe looking. When your color is this good the cut does not have to do much else. High fashion hair for sure.
Near-Black Wavy Shag with Straight Blunt Bangs
Full straight across blunt bangs on a long dark wavy shag, yes please. The color is a deep near-black with warm brown tones that keep it from feeling harsh. Waves move through all the layers and soften the whole look. Blunt bangs are more flattering than people think and this is a good example of why. A great starter bang if you have been on the fence about them.
Warm Honey Blonde Butterfly Cut with Curtain Bangs
This butterfly cut is so good I think about it a lot. The color is a warm honey blonde with lighter pieces that catch the light really beautifully. Lots of body through the crown cascades into long flowing layers and the curtain bangs are wispy and perfectly blended. It looks like a lot of work but a round brush and a little time is really all it takes. One of my favorites on this whole list.
Jet Black Long Wolf Cut with Blunt Fringe Bangs
Wolf cuts are everywhere right now and this black version with blunt fringe bangs is so good. The layers are choppy and disconnected and the blunt fringe cuts straight across the forehead for a look that is half grunge half editorial. Naturally wavy or textured hair would love this because the layers just work with what you have. Low effort, high impact, which is the dream.
Jet Black Long Shag Mullet with Heavy Fringe
This one does not apologize for anything and that is exactly why I like it. Deep black hair with a long shag mullet, short spiky layers at the crown and sides, longer at the back. The fringe is heavy and straight and sits low on the forehead. Full alt-rock early 2000s energy and it is done perfectly. If that is the vibe you want, this cut nails it.
Dark Espresso Brown Long Layered Mullet
This is a clean and polished take on the mullet that surprises people. Deep cool espresso brown with no color work, just really healthy shiny hair. The mullet shape is there, shorter through the crown and sides and longer at the back, but it is done neatly without a lot of extra texture. Sleek and intentional. The mullet for someone who wants the shape but not the chaos.
Dark Brown to Caramel Balayage Textured Shag with Curtain Bangs
This shag has so much going on and all of it is good. Dark brown base with warm caramel balayage woven through the layers and curtain bangs that are slightly overgrown and lived in. The whole thing is textured and a little wild feeling. If you have thick or wavy hair this cut celebrates your texture rather than trying to fight it. Really fun look.
Black with Crimson Red Peekaboo Highlights Wolf Cut
The red in this is so bold against the black and it moves so well through the wolf cut layers. Deep black base with saturated crimson highlights that flash through with every step. The cut is choppy and side-swept and the contrast between the black and red gives it a really dramatic editorial quality. A great way to try fantasy color without committing to it all over. I love this so much.
Auburn Copper Root to Strawberry Blonde Balayage Long Waves
This color is so warm and it makes me happy every time I look at it. Rich auburn copper at the roots fades naturally into a lighter soft strawberry blonde through the lengths. Long wavy layers move really beautifully and wispy side-swept bangs frame the face in a soft way. Really lovely on fair skin tones with freckles. One of the warmest most flattering colors on this list.
Sandy Blonde Balayage Voluminous Wavy Shag Cut
Big bouncy blonde hair and a great shag cut, what a combination. Dark roots into sandy golden blonde with lighter pieces throughout and the long shag layers really turn up the volume in the waves. Wispy curtain bangs sit soft on the forehead and the whole thing has this full glamorous feel. Medium to thick hair with some natural wave would love this. Really beautiful look.
