Why settle for one hairstyle when you could have two? The curiously named jellyfish haircut delivers just that. As Hannah Montana (aka Miley Cyrus, the jellyfish haircut's latest fan) would say, ‘You get the best of both worlds’. Cyrus, Billie Eilish and Lady Gaga all took the polarising look to the 67th Grammys red carpet. While it's unlikely to have been a coordinated effort (is there a jellyfish hair group chat we should be made aware of?) it was nevertheless a show of force for the statement hair do, that hasn't seen such widespread coverage since Cher showed it some love in the seventies.
Its unappetising name notwithstanding, the jellyfish haircut has clearly found favour with the musically gifted elite, but will it make as much of a splash in the mainstream? Let's discuss...
What Exactly Is The Jellyfish Haircut?
Like the silhouette of its namesake, the jellyfish haircut is made up of two layers - a short, choppy top layer, and long trailing lengths on the bottom. Hair wise this translates to a straight-across fringe flanked by short face-framing sections that sit anywhere between your cheekbones and your jaw. The shorter length on top makes for a volume boost at the crown of your head, so you get a bit of body. By contrast the lower layer of hair is long enough to look disconnected from the shorter layers. Forget subtle layering, this look is all about breaking the flow. It's not meant to look pretty, it's meant to look cool.
Image Credit: Imago
It's not the sort of layered look that's likely to go viral on TikTok. It certainly won't tempt eager samplers of the butterfly cut, even choppier styles like the viral wolf cut or Sadie Sink's mulletcome up short in the statement-making department next to the jellyfish haircut. The stark contrast between the short, sharp top and the long, soft bottom makes the style unapologetically avant-garde. For some, it’s a refreshing break from traditional beauty norms. For others, it’s just...weird.
Image Credit: Imago
Billie Eilish, Miley Cyrus, and Lady Gaga are no strangers to bold hair moments though and all with debuted slightly different takes on the divisive style. Billie leaned in with an inky black version, and the shortest version of all. Miley gave us bronde Hannah Montana nostalgia with a fringe-meets-mullet moment - chaotic and choppy, and oh-so-her. As for Lady Gaga, she kept it sleek, chic and gothic, her jet-black layers hugging her cheekbones. All in all, the Grammys jellyfish haircuts marked a seismic shift from the bouncy boardroom bob that took over the Oscars red carpet last year.
Renee Washington, Grazia's digital fashion and beauty assistant, lives online. With a penchant for wispy lashes and streetwear, she writes about the worlds of fashion and beauty from the viewpoint of the modern fashion girlie..