8 Gamine Haircut Ideas, Styles, and Colors [With Images!]
Key takeaways:
- Gamine is the term for short hairstyles associated with people having a gamine body type. It’s flattering for those with a rounded head, nose, cheeks, cheekbones, and sharp jawline.
- This short hairstyle was popularized in the late 50s and early 60s. The first celebrities spotted with such haircuts are Shirley Maclaine, Mitzie Gaynor, and Leslie Caron.
- This boyish, chic look is characterized by short tousled hair with layers around the face and top of the ears.
- To do the gamine haircut, you only need to cut your hair short and create multiple layers and angled fringes. You can make tousles, too, for additional accent.
Short hair could be the way to go if you wish to change your usual long hair. In this case, a gamine haircut will fit you perfectly.
Technically, gamine refers to the body type specified by David Kibbe in his book David Kibbe’s Metamorphosis: Discover Your Image Identity and Dazzle As Only You Can.
A person with a gamine body type is described as someone with:
- Height not over 5’5″ feet
- Large bone structure
- Prominent features
- Large hands and feet
- Hourglass figure, waspish waist, and big bust and hips
For this body type, it’s recommended to cut the hair shorter, ideally styled with tousles and layers around the face to soften geometrical angles.
This is why short haircuts associated with a gamine body are also called a “boyish” chic look.
Such a hairstyle was popularized in the late 50s and early 60s. It’s a radical deviation from previous hairstyles among ladies in the 40s, which features overworked rolled bangs, pins, and perms.
A few celebrities who first wore the gamine cut are Shirley Maclaine, Mitzie Gaynor, and Leslie Caron. Although their styles are distinct from each other, they’re still characterized by short cuts.
This haircut remained a trend for many women until today. Fashion icons and celebrities (Emma Watson, Tyra Banks, and Katy Perry) were also seen to sport a gamine cut, and they looked ABSOLUTELY gorgeous.
If you want to wear the same styles as these celebrities, keep reading! We’d love to give examples and hair ideas to help you choose which style fits your hair.
What Is a Gamine Haircut?
Since ancient times women have already sported long hair. They are regarded as more beautiful and youthful if they have longer hair.
Hence, it’s unusual for women to get haircuts, especially super short hair ones. Yet, since time has changed, women and society have learned to embrace short hairstyles.
In the late 50s and early 60s, the gamine cut became a popular style. Technically, this short hairstyle is associated with a gamine body type because it’s believed to fit their features.
A gamine cut is characterized by tousled short hair, with layers around the face and top of the ears to soften the face shape. This is often called a “boyish look” yet feminine at the same time.
Such a hairstyle can be flattering for girls with a round or oval face. It accentuates the rounded forehead and nose, sharp jawline, rounded cheeks, and cheekbones.
With a gamine cut, your facial features will be highlighted, and it will balance out the short hairstyle.
8 Gamine Haircut Ideas
Do you think a gamine haircut suits you best? We’ll give you over-the-edge hair ideas to ace this look, plus teach you how to do it at home (like a pro).
Check out these examples of a gamine cut, and choose which one you’d like to get:
Flamboyant Gamine Haircut
A flamboyant gamine is one of the body types under the gamine category. Features of this individual lean more towards masculine qualities — wide bone and muscle structure, medium-sized eyes, and less-full lips.
It’s also believed that a flamboyant gamine woman has curly or straight and thin hair.
Asymmetric angles and tousles (like the one in the photo) suit this type best. Layering the hair will look absolutely stunning and greatly complement these features.
For the hair color, you can choose from vivid and unnatural hues to make your look stand out.
Gamine Pixie Haircut
A pixie cut is generally a style with short hair at the back and slightly longer tops mimicking very short bangs.
This gamine pixie cut sported by Audrey Hepburn still features short bangs. However, the back and sides are not overly chopped and layered. It’s sleek and minimalistic yet elegant.
The cut suited her features perfectly, revealing her razor-sharp jawline.
Gamine Haircut for Round Face
Most people say that short hair doesn’t suit rounded faces. Wrong! A short hairstyle can complement a round face’s features as long as it’s done properly.
This photo of Jennifer Hudson is a great example of a round face sporting a short haircut. The voluminous hair on top of the head gave the impression that she had an oval face rather than a round one.
Soft Gamine Haircut
Soft gamine is another body type identified by David Kibbe. This category usually has wide, sharp jaws, a medium nose, soft cheekbones, rounded cheeks, and somewhat full lips.
A soft gamine woman can be versatile in terms of hair, and they can choose from more options than other types. They’re free to sport long hair, as long as it doesn’t extend far past the shoulder blade lines.
Most stylists recommend bobs, lobs, and page cuts for this type. But, if you wish for a boyish look, the style in the photo might suit your preference.
Similarly, it features bangs that complement the soft gamine features, especially the forehead. And, even if it’s short, it still looks glamorous and girly, which is perfect for a soft gamine.
French Gamine Haircut
A french haircut cuts at the edge of the face and follows the shape of the head. It’s also styled with sleek and soft layers that build up from top to bottom.
This look can balance the facial features, especially if you have a rounded face, and it can hide the length of your forehead. It’s also a good style for those with natural, fine hair.
Gamine Haircut For Gray Hair
In the fashion industry today, ladies are clothing their hair shorter. Some models and fashion icons even create an ultra-short style for their hair.
However, this classic cut is not only for the young ones. Older ladies also like to sport a short style for their hair.
Ultra Short Gamine Haircut (Gray-Haired Woman)
Similar to the photo above, this gamine cut features layers and textures. In our opinion, such a cut went pretty well with her hair color and thin strands.
Extending the length of the bangs also hid her high forehead. With short hair, the focus is brought towards her natural facial features.
Curly Gamine Style Haircut
Textured and curly hair is also a good canvas for gamine hair. In fact, short hairstyles are naturally tailored for curly girls.
The natural curls gave enough volume, which compliments the round face. This style also looked wonderful with the soft features of gamines.
Short Gamine Haircut
This is another gamine cut that brings harmony to a gamine’s face and hair. This sleek style doesn’t feature the usual layers and texture as the other cuts.
Honestly, we think classic gamines can pull off this style. It shows that boyish yet chic and elegant look, and it’s a great compliment for such facial features.
How to do a gamine haircut?
At this point, you may already have an idea of what gamine haircut suits you best. You can create a gamine look at home if you’re confident with your hair-cutting skills.
You can watch videos online on how to go about your specific style. But, in this article, we’ll teach you how to create a classic gamine look:
- Snip. Cut your hair using hair-cutting shears. Ideally, the length of your hair should fall below the jaws to avoid face-framing. This also helps you access the sharp edges of the face, specifically the cheeks.
- Layer. Create layers using a razor starting from the jaw while making angles towards the top. A key to making a voluminous look is to create multiple layers and an angled fringe in some areas.
- Style. When you’re done layering the hair, style it with pomade to develop more texture and volume. Apply it to the top layer until you achieve a sleek look.
How much does a gamine haircut cost at a hairdresser?
If you don’t have enough time or skills to do it at home. You can visit a stylist to do your hair. It will cost you around $60 to $100, depending on your location.
It might be expensive, but you’ll certainly have access to the best services and achieve the specific look you want.
FAQs
Let’s answer some questions before wrapping things up!
Final Thoughts
The search is over for the next gamine haircut. If you’ve reached this far, maybe it’s a sign that you should choose from these hair ideas too!
We hope to see you slay that pretty hairstyle with your favorite piece of clothing. So, style away and pick the BEST CUT for you!
Aida
Founder & Hair Beauty Specialist
I’m Aida and this is my blog where I write mostly about beauty and make up related stuff, but I like to spice it up a bit with lifestyle and photography posts. Or with whatever that comes to my mind. Hope you will enjoy the reading enough that we will ‘see’ each other more often!