This Vintage '70s Hairstyle Got A Modern Upgrade & It's Perfect For Women Over 40

From the Dorothy Hamill wedge cut to blunt Birkin bangs, some hairstyles belong firmly in the 1970s. But there's one hairdo from this era that we're welcoming back with open arms, thanks to its modern upgrade. If you haven't been introduced, the wolf cut was one of the decade's most definitive styles. "Over the years, it's been called the coupe sauvage, the Klute, and the shag, but they're all rooted in the same concept," celebrity hairstylist Benjamin Mohapi explained to Who What Wear. This bold style is known for its choppy short layers that create volume around the face, while the bottom layers are typically longer. Wolf cuts in the '70s were harsh and edgy, with dramatic contrasts between the layers, but the contemporary version is considerably softer. 

As part of her ongoing style transformation, Pamela Anderson demonstrated this beautifully in October 2025, when she appeared during Paris Fashion Week donning a dark strawberry-blond softened wolf cut, with long wispy bangs and feathery layering that created a weightless feel. "The benefit of a 'soft wolf' cut is that it allows a fashion-led hair shape to be kept feminine and ageless by softening the edges," salon co-founder Anita Rice told Harper's Bazaar. "If you keep [the layers at the temples] longer and softer, it can create a more versatile, flattering silhouette."

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Low-maintenance and chic, this throwback style is perfect for women of all ages, but particularly those over 40. "All the angles of face-framing haircuts like the wolf cut disguise fine lines and wrinkles by drawing attention away from them," hairstylist Ghanima Abdullah told Women's World, adding that this 'do can create the illusion of thickness. And when it comes to styling choices, your options are endless.

Pamela Anderson's softened wolf cut was somewhere between a bob and a lob length-wise, but you don't have to go for the chop to embrace this look. As long as the layering is subtle rather than dramatically choppy, longer wolf cuts are just as stylish. "Longer wolf cuts that graze the collarbone or beyond are stunning when styled with soft waves," hairstylist and salon founder Larry King told British Vogue. It's a good idea to find a photo of your ideal version and take it to your hairstylist, who can then adapt it to your specific face shape and hair texture. They'll also take your hair density into account, since thinner hair might benefit from fewer layers to preserve some of that weight. From there, styling is all you need to achieve the trendy wolf cut, and it couldn't be easier. 

Unlike more polished-looking 'dos, the wolf cut is meant to look a little lived-in, so you won't have to spend hours creating perfectly uniform curls or vacation-ready mermaid waves. Whatever texture you have, roll with it. The layers will add body and movement to straight hair, while the gradient cut looks phenomenal with curls, as one Instagram user demonstrated. "With curls, it's about cutting in a way that respects the curl pattern, so the layers enhance the natural shape rather than creating unwanted bulk," celebrity hairstylist Charlotte Mensah told the British Vogue.

Apply some lightweight mousse to help with layer definition before blow-drying your soft wolf cut as you normally would. This might be with a diffuser to maintain your natural curl, or in the style of a traditional bouncy blowout. Add texturizing spray to get a tousled effect, while you can tame frizz with a nourishing balm.