Taylor Swift's Best Short Hairstyles

Sure, there's plenty of talk about Taylor Swift's relationship with Travis Kelce, her outfits — from outrageous to downright inspired — and her BFFs. But no topic (except, perhaps, her music) has held fans' attention over the years like her hair.

When she first hit the scene in 2006, there was plenty of chatter about her long, blonde curls. They quickly became her trademark beauty element, along with red lips. And then — record scratch — she chopped those signature strands and entered her short hair era for a couple of years. But, in true Swift evolution, she grew it out again, wearing it particularly long for the Eras Tour.

The big question is, what's next for Taylor Swift's hair? We've never seen her with the super-short pixie haircut that stars like Michelle Williams, Rihanna, and Jennifer Lawrence have rocked so well. Would it suit the songstress? Would it land her on a worst hairstyles list, or would it join the five below as one of her best short hairstyles?

In February 2014, Taylor Swift's hairstylist, Jemma Muradian, chopped the singer's famous long locks backstage after a concert in London, creating one of the biggest moments in Swift's well-documented hair transformation. Thankfully for Swifties, who may have doubted the truth of the chop, Cara Delevingne captured and posted the moment on Instagram for fans to witness with their own eyes. Swift told UK radio station Kiss FMUK (via People) that she was planning the cut "for six months. I was like, I'm doing it. I'm cutting my hair. I'm changing my hair for the first time ever."

A few weeks later, the then-24-year-old Swift took the look out for a night on the town, specifically to a pre-Oscars party in L.A. Wearing lace Oscar de la Renta,  she wore her wavy fringe swooped to the side to create a look that read both glamorous and unfussy. 

And where were her once-famous natural curls? Swift explained to Elle in 2019 that her natural curls had gone away over time. Hair pro Sharon Dorram explained to the Daily Mail that hormones were likely the culprit behind Swift's straighter locks. "Hormones change every seven years and a lot of times the hair texture alters as a result," she said.

One of the most monumental shifts (literally) in Taylor Swift's world happened in 2014: She moved from Nashville, Tennessee, to New York City's Tribeca neighborhood and put her street-style on display almost daily. The paparazzi waited outside her apartment building to capture the revolving looks that Swift offered. We were able to see Swift's haircut in a variety of styled incarnations. And this one stands out among the others for its French je ne sais quoi quality. It's much less contrived than some of the over-styled looks in this era, when she wore her hair stick straight with a defined side part or curled into ringlets with a concise swoop to her bangs.

It's also impressive how the hair here looks light and not weighed down with product, yet still defies NYC's summertime heat and humidity. As she told her concertgoers in Singapore in March 2024, per People, those conditions would normally make her hair get big, as it did at the concert. "As you can see, my hair has returned to its factory settings, thanks to the humidity here," she told the crowd. "I'm not complaining, I like it."

No one had a bigger night at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards than Taylor Swift. Not only did her star-studded "Bad Blood" video debut as the show opener but she also walked the red carpet flanked by her squad — including Zendaya, Hailee Steinfeld, and models Martha Hunt and Lily Aldridge — and took away eight trophies, including for Top Artist.

But there's one more standout of the night that needs to be acknowledged: Her flawless look. In a white Balmain jumpsuit, she gave off "Charlie's Angels" vibes (circa both the original 1970s cast and the reboot from 2000). And her hair was the cherry on top. The face-framing layers sat perfectly around her eyes, making her sultry, smokey peepers pop even more. Though not too choppy, the cut was shaggy enough to make it look edgy, but tame enough to keep with Swift's classic ethos. Not surprisingly, many outlets, including Glamour, praised Swift's look as one of the best of the night.

Taylor Swift loves to use her style as a way to convey her feelings and we can't help but feel Cleopatra flavor with this one. After all, the Queen of the Nile, and her trademark haircut, symbolizes feminine power. Why would the "Love Story" singer need this at the end of February 2016, when she attended the Vanity Fair Oscars party? Because earlier that month, her infamous drama with Kanye West reignited when he debuted his song "Famous," which included demeaning remarks about Swift.

With the help of hairstylist Jemma Muradian, who had cut Swift's hair before the Grammys at the beginning of the month, Swift looked strong and composed thanks to the fresh style — her shortest yet. The center part gave the look an extra element of authority, with Swift channeling some definite Anna Wintour vibes. Muradian's Instagram followers overwhelmingly praised the look, with one deeming it Swift's "best.look.ever."

No one loves hiding Easter eggs in plain sight quite like Taylor Swift and using her hairstyle as one is no exception. At the October 11, 2023, "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Concert Movie" world premiere in L.A., Jemma Muradian created a faux bob by pinning Swift's hair up and under to give the effect of a cut. Some fans thought it was a genuine chop, with one commenting on Muradian's Instagram, "You really had people thinking she cut her hair!"

Fast forward two weeks to October 27, when "1989 (Taylor's Version)" bowed. Let's connect the dots: When the original "1989" dropped in October 2014, nine years prior, what was Swift's hair like? That's right, it was the year she cut it short for the first time. Her cropped tresses were synonymous with "1989." The cover of the "Taylor's Version" featured Swift with a short, wavy style — again, pinned up into the fake bob — undoubtedly as an ode to the era. And as a tribute and precursor to the album release, Muradian recreated the wavy bob with a few free-flying strands for the movie premiere, proving once again, that with Taylor Swift, it isn't just hair. It can speak volumes.