Feel confident all autumn long.

The right hairstyle can help you feel more confident and comfortable — so if your life could use some pizzazz right now, don’t hesitate to go out and get chopped. Just in time for fall, you can find a fresh look and embrace some styles and hair textures perfect for the chilly months ahead. 

Lucky for you, there are many medium and shoulder-length haircuts to pick from, depending on the volume and texture of your hair and what kind of looks you like best.

Start the fall season in style with one of our easy medium-length hairstyles. 

Medium-length hairstyles can be both versatile and effortless to maintain for many different hair types, from thin hair to fine hair to curly hair. 

When deciding on the right style or design for your next medium-length hairstyle, you’ll want to consider your face shape, the volume of your hair, where you typically part your hair, and whether you have bouncy wavy hair, curly hair, or straight hair. (Being a woman can be complicated!)

Here are just a few of our top hair looks for the fall season. 

A lob is just another name (and a cute one, at that!) for a long bob. This layered cut gives you all the beautiful elegance of a bob haircut, but with a little extra length for styling and comfort.

If you’re trying out a longer bob hairstyle for the first time, a wavy lob can be a great choice. This longer layered bob is flattering on everyone, whether you have a round face, an oval face, or a straight jawline — and there are many ways to style and upgrade it for variety in your everyday looks. 

If you want to remove some extra weight from your hair, a layered lob can be just the ticket. You can also try framing the face with short or long bangs — Reese Witherspoon is an expert at making this particular hairdo look regal on the red carpet. 

Consider blunt ends on your lob for a bold and standout look that broadcasts your poise. No matter how you style it, this flattering and classic hair design will make you look like a casual queen.

Embrace your inner rockstar this season with a ‘70s-inspired shag. A shag is created by layering the hair to various different lengths to give a tousled, swoopy look showcasing fun and movement with every flip. 

Typically, shags have a sort of light, feathering style around the top of the head where there is the most volume, and thin out at the bottoms to create a wispy, fringy look. 

The shag can be as bold as you like, so it pairs well with new hair colors for the upcoming season. This choppy, volume-rich style works for many hair types at mid-length or shoulder-length — plus, it’ll look amazing when you’ve just rolled out of bed in the morning. Who doesn’t love that?

Try something totally new with balayage blonde highlights. A balayage is the perfect style for women who haven’t dyed their hair before or who might be interested in trying a low-impact style of hair dye. It’s a simple highlighting technique in which the hairstylist applies paint directly to the hair’s surface rather than letting it process through foil.

Balayage styles are ideal for fall because they create a more natural and organic style than traditional highlighting techniques. You’ll get a gorgeous, sun-kissed color that matches the earth tones of the harvest season. 

A balayage pairs beautifully with many different hairstyles, so whether you prefer choppy hairdos, framing layers, or bouncy tresses, these highlights are sure to add a little something special. Take your balayage to the next level with a blowout from your favorite hairstylist or try it with a sleek updo. 

Another dyed style you can try is the ombre. Ombres are a little bolder than balayage in how the color moves through the hair, since they follow a more traditional foil-dye method. Of course, this doesn’t mean they can’t be soft and pretty, too — Drew Barrymore is a master of this look.

Unlike balayage, which has organic coloring at the end to add a little extra dimension, ombre hair becomes lighter at the end, eliminating that dimension. Ombres typically start with the natural hair color at the root and get lighter as they move down the hair. 

Ombres are versatile, which means you can decide how light or dark you want your hair to be. Customize it to fit your preferred style, whether you have long layers or a medium cut. If you want to try something really different, consider mixing up your fall ombre colors with spooky indigos and violets to celebrate the holiday season while still looking tasteful. 

Side bangs are face-framing pieces that can add a little something special to short and bouncy styles. Side bangs can start from a center part or swoop to the side for a less structured shape, and you can style them short and breezy or long enough to sweep up into your favorite braid or updo. 

Side bangs look fashionable with shorter and more medium-length to long hairstyles, and they can be dyed in ombre, balayage, or any other favorite highlighting technique. If you love a cozy sweater vibe for the fall, side bangs will help you achieve all those dark academia and autumn looks with ease. 

Another chic layered hairstyle is the curtain bangs look. They tend to be slightly longer than other mid-length hairstyles of bangs with volume and feathering accents. 

Like the shag style, curtain bangs have a type of feathering and wisping that gives them loose and fluffy energy. Bold and confident women will achieve an effortless cool with curtain bangs, and they can be styled using a circular brush, curling iron, or your favorite barrettes.

Beachy waves aren’t just for summer. We love a tousled and wavy hairstyle all year long, and they look especially flattering with fall colors. 

These waves are a relaxed type of curl that styles well with thicker and textured hair types. Because they don’t require a lot of styling products or tools, you’ll be able to protect your hair while still looking stylish. You can even make a beachy wave by braiding your medium-length hair while it’s still damp. 

Beachy waves look wonderful if you require an updo style for your next event; just pull out a few wispy bang pieces around your forehead to show off those waves. They also work particularly well with thick hair and wavy hair and have a nostalgic aesthetic, perhaps because they’ve become a true hairstyle mainstay over the last few decades.

With beachy waves, you’ll be able to seamlessly create low-maintenance styles like braids, crowns, and buns. 

Center parts on a layered haircut are very trendy right now — and it’s not hard to see why. Center parts look particularly pretty and elegant on oval, square, diamond, and heart-shaped faces because they add symmetry and length. When paired with shorter hairstyles, they give a classic European look that matches many different medium-length hairstyles and cuts. 

A center part can also be styled in an updo or half-down look, braided crown, and many other hair configurations. Of course, it’s also the perfect way to show off your favorite ombre or balayage highlights. Experiment with center and off-center parts and styles — and if all else fails, use Jennifer Anniston’s lob on Friends (a haircut famously dubbed “The Rachel”) for some center part inspiration. 

When you want to start over just in time for a fresh season, consider a haircut and unique new styling options. Cutting your hair to shoulder-length hairstyles or short hairstyles can mean loads of opportunities to try out new hair accessories, updos, and braids. These looks can help you feel more self-assured and put-together when hanging out with the grandkids, spending time with friends, or planning a family adventure of leaf-peeping and apple cider drinking. 

We hope this has helped you get excited for whatever the upcoming season will bring. No matter what look you pick from our list of hairstyle ideas, remember to hold your head high with a medium-length haircut and strut into the spooky season with courage. 

Part of the A360 Media Women's Service Group. Copyright © A360 Media LLC 2022. All Rights Reserved