20 Trendy Long Shag Haircuts 2027 with Face Framing Layers

The long shag is a haircut built on stacked layers that graduate from short at the crown to longer through the ends, creating movement without losing length. This season, the update is softer: think curtain bangs and lived-in texture instead of the choppy, over-texturized version from a decade ago.

These 20 Trendy Long Shag ideas cover everything from voluminous curls to air-dried waves, with options for straight or wavy textures, full fringes or face-framing pieces. You will find solutions for fine hair that needs lift, thick hair that needs weight removed, and a grow-out line that needs a root shadow. Every section tells you the cut, length, layers, bangs and texture so you know exactly what to ask for.

Voluminous Curly Long Shag With Golden Caramel

That much curl with that many layers usually ends in a triangle, but the golden caramel shag pulls off a trick: curtain bangs and wispy face-framing pieces keep the volume under the cheekbones instead of at the ears. Thick, naturally curly hair at mid-back length is the ideal starting point, since the cut removes enough weight to let each coil spring without puffing wide. Round and oval faces benefit from the elongation the middle part creates.

Ask your stylist for: mid-back shag, voluminous curls, curtain bangs, golden caramel blonde. A diffuser on low heat sets the shape without frizz. Plan for a trim every six to eight weeks to maintain the layered lift, longer and the shag starts to sit flat.

Air-Dried Wavy Dark Brown Long Shag

Does an air-dried shag actually hold its shape past day one? With dark brown curtain bangs and a mid-back length, this version relies on the wavy texture that thick hair already grows. The middle part and graduated layers keep the wave pattern from collapsing into one heavy mass, so each section dries separately.

Ask your stylist for: mid-back shag, natural wavy texture, curtain bangs, dark brown. A wave-enhancing cream on damp hair is enough; no heat required. Trims every six to eight weeks prevent the layers from blending into a single blunt line, which defeats the shag’s shape.

Textured Layers Medium Brown Shag

The choppy bangs in this medium brown shag do not feather out into nothing, they stop at a defined point that contrasts with the longer mid-back length. Subtle lighter brown highlights catch the cut edges, making each layer visible even when the hair is air dried. Thick, wavy hair holds this shape best because the texture gives the interior layers something to grip.

Ask your stylist for: mid-back shag, choppy bangs, textured layers, medium brown with highlights. The key points to mention are point-cutting through the ends and keeping the bang line blunt rather than wispy.

Face-Framing Layers Medium Brown Shag

How do you get those layers to actually fall forward around your face instead of blending into the rest? The trick is curtain bangs cut to graze the cheekbones, with the shortest face-framing layer starting at chin level. Medium density, wavy hair at mid-back length lets the lighter front pieces separate without looking sparse, and the subtle highlights add definition to the perimeters.

Ask your stylist for: mid-back shag, choppy layers, curtain bangs, medium brown with highlights. Specify that the curtain bangs should be cut dry for precision, and the interior layers should be point-cut for softness.

Black Shag With Full Bangs Blowout

Full bangs on a shag read retro, while curtain bangs read modern, which is the real choice here. This black version opts for the full fringe, cut straight and dense, paired with soft waves from a blowout that keep the mid-back length from looking severe. Thick, wavy hair at mid-back suits the density a full bang needs, and the middle part under the bangs prevents a heavy side sweep.

Ask your stylist for: mid-back shag, soft waves, full bangs, black color. A round brush during the blowout bends the ends under or away for variation. Trims every six weeks keep the bang from creeping into your line of sight, which happens faster than you expect.

Dark Brown Shag With Full Fringe

A full fringe on a long shag is a specific request: it trades the usual face-framing softness for a solid, graphic line across the forehead. This version keeps the cut at mid-back, with wavy, medium-density texture and subtle lighter pieces breaking up the dark brown base. The middle parting underneath the fringe adds structure, so the bangs do not look disconnected. It suits heart-shaped faces well, balancing a wider forehead with the length below. Ask your stylist for: mid-back shag, full fringe, dark brown with subtle highlights.

The trade-off is upkeep. That fringe needs a trim every four to six weeks to stay out of your eyes and keep its weight. The air-dried finish works with a texturizing spray, no round brush required, but the layers underneath can grow shaggy after eight weeks if you skip a shape-up. If you air-dry and go, expect the wavy texture to pull the bangs slightly shorter than they dry straight, so ask your stylist to cut them a touch longer.

Collarbone Shag With Side Part Curtain Bangs

A collarbone shag with a side part shifts the volume to one side, which lengthens round faces and adds width to long ones. The curtain bangs here are soft, face-framing pieces that blend into the layers rather than sitting as a separate section. The dark brown base with subtle lighter pieces gives dimension without a dramatic color change, and the wavy, medium-density texture air-dries into a lived-in shape. Ask your stylist for: collarbone shag, curtain bangs, side part, dark brown with subtle highlights. The side part and collarbone length require medium-density hair that can hold a wave without falling flat.

Dark Blonde Shag With Ash Highlights

Ash blonde highlights on a dark blonde base read cooler and more muted than a warm blonde, which makes this shag a natural fit for fall and winter. The mid-back length keeps the layers from getting lost, and the thick, wavy texture holds the blowout shape without much effort. Curtain bangs and face-framing layers draw the eye forward, so the highlight placement lands where it catches light. Ask your stylist for: mid-back shag, curtain bangs, face-framing layers, dark blonde with ash highlights.

This is a going-out cut as much as an everyday one. The blowout styling lifts the roots and smooths the waves, which gives the ash highlights a glossy finish against the darker base. A volumizing spray at the roots before drying helps the shape last through a second day. The tone itself fades cooler over time, so a purple shampoo every few washes keeps the ash from turning brassy.

Collarbone Dark Blonde Balayage Shag

A collarbone shag with balayage relies on the color placement to do the work the layers start. The dark blonde base gets hand-painted lighter pieces that concentrate at the ends, so the curtain bangs and side part catch the dimension. The wavy blowout finish softens the transition between tones, making the grow-out less defined. Ask your stylist for: collarbone shag, curtain bangs, side part, dark blonde balayage. This is a salon-only technique: balayage takes a skilled hand to place the lighter sections where they lift the layers, and a DIY version tends to land too heavy or too scattered.

Copper Base Shag With Lighter Tones

A copper base with subtle lighter tones sits between a true red and a warm brunette, which means the upkeep is neither as high as a vivid red nor as low as a neutral brown. The mid-back shag here uses curtain bangs and face-framing layers to show off the color shift from root to end. The wavy, medium-density texture air-dries into a lived-in wave that softens the copper into something wearable daily. Ask your stylist for: mid-back shag, curtain bangs, face-framing layers, copper base with subtle tones.

The lighter pieces fade first, usually within six to eight weeks, and they pull warmer as they go. A color-depositing conditioner in a copper shade refreshes the tone between salon visits without a full gloss. The shag layers mean the ends stay light and textured, so the color change looks intentional rather than grown out. A trim every six to eight weeks keeps the face-framing pieces from getting too heavy.

Honey Blonde Shag With Face-Framing Layers

Those face-framing layers cut the visual weight from mid-back length without losing an inch of it. The curtain bangs soften the transition from a middle part into the honey blonde base, and the lighter highlights catch the eye where the shag’s rounded shape peaks. Thick, wavy hair that already has some natural bend to it takes to this blowout finish best. Ask your stylist for: mid-back shag, face-framing layers, curtain bangs, honey blonde with highlights. A round brush and a heat protectant are your two tools for the blowout, and a trim every six to eight weeks keeps the layers from drooping.

Collarbone Dark Brown Shag With Face-Framing Bangs

This one works best on people with angular jawlines who want the shag’s choppiness without committing to a heavier fringe. The face-framing bangs hit just past the cheekbone, and the side parting lets the shorter pieces land where they soften a square jaw rather than sitting flat across the forehead. The collarbone length keeps enough weight in the hemline so the layers don’t float away, and the subtle lighter pieces add dimension without a full balayage commitment. Medium-density, wavy hair suits this cut, and a texturizing paste through the ends after air-drying gives the definition the photo shows.

Side View Collarbone Shag With Balayage

Finer textures usually need more product to hold a shag’s shape, but this collarbone cut with no bangs actually works in their favor. The choppy layers stack shorter at the crown, creating the illusion of density where finer hair often falls flat, and the side view confirms there is enough weight left in the ends to avoid that stringy look. The subtle lighter brown balayage requires a toning appointment every eight weeks or it washes into a single muddy tone. This cut is an alternative to the full-fringe shag for anyone who prefers a cleaner forehead.

Shoulder-Length Copper Red Shag

Copper red makes a shag look intentional, and this shoulder-length version is popular in autumn. The curtain bangs frame the face, the face-framing layers lift the shape at the cheekbone, and the middle parting keeps everything symmetrical. The subtle lighter pieces woven into the vibrant base prevent the copper from looking flat. This cut suits medium-density, wavy hair and works equally well for a workday or a dinner out. A color-safe shampoo and conditioner are essential to keep the red from fading to orange between salon visits.

Black Shag With Red Highlights

The technique here relies on sectioning the black base into fine diagonal slices before applying the vibrant red highlights, which keeps the contrast visible rather than muddying into a single tone. The full fringe is cut straight across at the brow, and the heavily textured layers throughout the mid-back length create that slightly messy, lived-in finish. The middle parting lets the red peek through evenly on both sides. Medium-density, wavy hair holds this shape without much effort because the layers do the volume work. Ask your colorist for: mid-back shag, full fringe, heavily textured layers, black with red highlights. A color-protecting styling cream helps define the wave pattern, and a trim every six to eight weeks maintains the fringe shape.

Collarbone Neutral Brown Shag With Fringe

This is not the kind of shag that needs a round brush and a prayer. A collarbone-length shag with a textured fringe and choppy layers works with wavy, medium texture right out of the shower. The neutral brown base with subtle highlights keeps the dimension low-key enough that grow-out is not a weekly crisis. Ask your stylist for: collarbone shag, textured fringe, choppy layers, neutral brown with highlights. A texturizing spray and a quick tousle are all you need to look like you meant the lived-in finish. Plan on trimming that fringe every four to six weeks, because wispy turns shaggy fast.

Shoulder Length Honey Blonde Shag Wispy Bangs

A shoulder length shag with wispy bangs is a familiar cut that never looks dull. The honey blonde highlights add warmth, and the loose waves give medium density hair a soft, rounded silhouette that suits round faces. Ask your stylist for: shoulder length shag, wispy bangs, loose waves, honey blonde. The key is keeping those bangs light enough to blend into the layers below instead of sitting on your forehead like a separate project.

Mid-Back Dark Brown Shag With Volume

A mid-back shag with a blowout is the closest most people will get to having a personal wind machine. This cut uses a thick, wavy texture and curtain bangs to create volume that starts at the roots and keeps going. The dark brown base with subtle highlights adds depth without requiring a color appointment every month.

This design suits anyone with enough density that their hair usually sits flat under its own weight. The layers remove bulk strategically so the wave can move. Ask your stylist for: mid-back shag, curtain bangs, volume, dark brown with subtle highlights. If your hair is fine or thin, the mid-back length will stretch the layers too far apart to hold shape.

Shoulder Length Grey Shag With Wispy Bangs

Going grey at the salon versus going grey at home is the difference between a soft, dimensional shag and a flat, muddy regret. This shoulder-length cut uses wispy bangs and textured layers to turn grey into a deliberate choice. The medium-density wavy texture keeps the air-dried finish from looking neglected. Ask your colorist for: shoulder-length shag, wispy bangs, textured layers, grey color. A professional toner is what keeps grey from pulling yellow or green, so this is not a box-dye situation. Salon-only, full stop.

Golden Brown Shag With Blonde Highlights Blowout

A voluminous blowout is built, not born. For this mid-back shag, the trick is starting with damp hair, a volumizing mousse, and a large round brush that can handle the length. The golden brown base with blonde highlights gives each layer its own light source, so the curtain bangs frame the face without going flat.

Thick, wavy hair takes a blowout best because it has the weight to hold a bend and enough texture to keep it there. Ask your stylist for: mid-back shag, curtain bangs, voluminous blowout, golden brown with blonde highlights. A middle parting keeps the volume balanced on both sides rather than stacking it all on one.

Final Thoughts

For fine hair, ask for a shag with a blunt baseline and longer layers to keep density while gaining volume. For thick or coarse hair, lean into pronounced choppy layers and consider a length that hits the collarbone or longer to prevent a mushroom shape. Embrace the shag for its blend of retro cool and modern versatility.

• Trim the baseline every 6-8 weeks to maintain shape.
• Refresh curtain or face-framing bangs every 4-6 weeks.
• Use texturizing sprays or sea salt sprays to enhance natural waves.
• Air-dry or use a diffuser on low heat to preserve texture and minimize frizz.
• Toning for highlights or color dimension may be needed every 8-12 weeks depending on upkeep.