Combine Wedge and Bob

Wedge and bob haircut combination — Photo: Andriy Solovyov/Shutterstock

Q: Is it possible to combine two haircuts? The wedge in the front half (Dorothy Hamill's 1976 photo) using a 90-degrees angle with a bob in the back using a 45-degrees angle? If possible explain the blending of angles. I'm a former hairstylist of the 1980s.

A: Sure. You can combine two different hairstyles in a number of ways. In fact, this is often the way new trends come in to being. Not to mention some long-lasting styles such as the mullet. The key is carefully thinking through the way the styles are created and which parts of the hairstyles you want to utilize. This can be a half-and-half proposition, or a simple inclusion of a single style element, such as using a beveled edge on a bob cut.

But your specific question concerned combining the forward half of the classic wedge cut (as made famous by Dorothy Hamill, circa 1976) with the back half of a classic bob cut. These styles, with distinct cutting angles and lengths, actually work well together. In this instance, you must first decide where your “transition point” will be with the merged styles. A common choice of merge points will incorporate some anatomical feature in order to make it easier to balance the style.

For example, in this merge of styles, a good option would be to make the “transition point” be just behind the ears. It’s a natural position for a transition of this type. Create your separate cuts in the front of the head and in the back of the head as you would according to the styles you want to use and leave about an inch to an inch and a half in front of and behind the “transition point” to allow you to meld the styles.

The transition “zone” is now the focus of our efforts. Use your scissors and carve a curve from the bottom of the layers in front of the transition zone to the cutting line of the bob in the back of the zone. Use zero elevation and keep the scissors steady. The result is a blunt curved line that now connects the two hairstyles.

To blend the angles, start in the center of the transition zone and use an elevation and cutting angle that is halfway between that of the two points before and after the zone. Carefully work forward, slowly increasing the elevation and angle of cut to blend the front half of the transition zone to the forward cut, and then perform the same steps in reverse.

This blending can actually be accomplished more easily using a razor tool and if you have a practiced hand with the razor, the process goes pretty fast. Simply put, it’s all about blending the join between the two styles. The more “different” the angles and lines are, the more effort is required. Of course, that assumes that you WANT to “blend” the looks together. Some styles look best as two disparate cuts merged. It really depends on the situation.

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See also:

Haircutting angles and elevation

How to cut a bob

How to cut a Dorothy Hamill wedge

How to cut a razored wedge