Bye-bye bob, Helen Mirren's soft crop is ideal for hot days

Helen Mirren pictured in front of the sea and blue skies wearing a white blouse with glowing skin and a soft crop haircut — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Helen Mirren is a constant source of hair inspiration, thanks to her willingness to experiment and express herself via her cut, colour and style.

This is an absolute gift for anyone on the lookout for a new style, or who fancies trying a 2026 hair trend but isn't sure how it'll translate to the real world. Who better to demonstrate than Mirren, whose follicular fearlessness has presented itself via tumbling mermaid blue curls, a sharp 1920s-inspired silver bob and everything in between.

So when the actor - and recently named Companion of Honour in the King's birthday honours list - stepped out at the 2026 Taormina Film Festival with a brand new cut, we weren't at all surprised. But we were definitely inspired to give the soft and breezy summer style a try.

L'oréal Professionnel

Serie Expert Silver Shampoo

Enhance and brighten silver tones with L'Oreal Professionnel's shampoo designed specifically for grey hair. It's strongly pigmented stuff, so we'd advise using it once a week in between your regular shampoo.

KENT

Handmade 190mm Tail Comb

A tail comb is such a handy bit of kit to create a neat side parting like Helen's. The long 'tail' also allows for easy sectioning while blow drying, and the comb makes backcombing and teasing roots a breeze.

ghd

Helios Professional Hair Dryer

Named our best hair dryer overall in our tried and tested guide, the ghd Helios is the perfect 'blast and go' option for summer styling. The narrow nozzle is so useful for smoothing short cuts like this, and giving a lovely shine to the hair.

Perfectly embodying her sun-soaked location in Taormina, Sicily, woman&home's July cover star appeared on the red carpet showing off what we've dubbed the 'soft crop'. This style is considerably shorter than her previous haircut, a sharp jaw-length bob with a fringe, and is perfectly suited to the season ahead.

This effortless bixie haircut - between a bob and a pixie - has a few clever elements that make it feel fresh and effortless. It is cropped closely at the back, keeping her hair off her neck during the hotter summer months, but then graduates towards the front, falling to her cheekbones.

This longer, softer front section gives the style a relaxed and flattering overall impression, and enhances Mirren's killer bone structure.

Helen Mirren pictured on the red carpet with short, silver hair, a white T shirt and pearl necklace on

Not only does this soft crop help you feel easy-breezy in the heat, but it looks great with a bit of natural tousle and texture, so it is lower-maintenance than blunt-edged cuts. This makes it perfect for summer days when you'd rather be out enjoying yourself than sweating over a pair of straighteners.

To keep a graduated crop looking great, use a tail comb to create a sharp side parting - line it up with the arch of your eyebrow for a flattering effect - rough dry using a hairdryer with a slim nozzle attached, then tease with your fingers and finish with a mist of shine spray if you fancy (we love Color Wow Extra Mist-Ical.)

woman&home magazine

Read Helen's interview in the July 2026 issue of woman&home magazine - on sale now. Subscribe to the magazine for £6 for 6 issues.

As woman&home's Beauty Channel Editor, Fiona Mckim loves to share her 15+ years of industry intel on womanandhome.com and Instagram (@fionamckim if you like hair experiments and cute shih-tzus). After interning at ELLE, Fiona joined woman&home as Assistant Beauty Editor in 2013 under industry legend Jo GB, who taught her to understand ingredients and take a cynical approach to marketing claims. She has since covered every corner of the industry, interviewing dermatologists and celebrities from Davina McCall to Dame Joan Collins, reporting backstage at London Fashion Week and judging the w&h Beauty Awards.