The Latest Animal-Inspired Look For Your Hair Is Calico Cat Coloring

In a world with so much color, it's easy to find hair color inspiration anywhere. If you keep your eyes and mind open, you can discover pink hair after staring at a cotton candy machine for too long, find blue hair while gazing off into the sky, and sometimes all it takes is quickly glancing at your pet to realize they're the one who will inspire your next look.

Enter: calico cat-colored hair. Just as the name suggests, this is hair color that has been highly, if not completely influenced by calico cats. Calico hair is a combination of red, brown, and blonde shades that are tossed together to create the randomness in color patterns of a calico cat. What this means is that each person puts a personal spin on their own version of calico, with some doing big chunky strips of the three main colors, or blending them together to create a more highlighted appearance. Calico hair is so hot right now, that according to Pinterest's Summer 2024 Trend Report, it saw a 5400% increase in searches so far this summer. Like, what? Like, yes, this is your next foray into hair coloring, but you just haven't realized it yet. All you need are some ideas to catapult you into a vat of platinum, brown, and orange tones.

When it comes to multiple shades at once, curly hair rules the school. Even if you do block-like strips of calico on curls, the way they allow for the weaving of color in and out of each curl is going to look not just fantastic, but remarkable. Also, because of how curls look when they're dry and set, it gives lots of room for taking each of the essential three shades to the extreme.

Although it's easy to classify a mullet as retro, the truth is that this business up front and party in the back 'do has been in style for a while now. Whether it's Miley Cyrus, Scarlett Johansson, or Kristen Stewart, a whole new generation has fallen in love with the mullet and breathed new life into this unforgettable short hair trend. Because of this, a mullet in calico cat coloring is certainly a sight to be seen. It's multiple generations coming together in a gorgeous explosion of ultimate coolness.

Everyone loves a bob. Also, they look great on everyone, no matter their hair texture. All you have to do is check out the celebrity bobs of 2024 (so far) to know that bobbing your hair, no matter what type of bob you go for, is the easiest way to look extra chic in a matter of minutes. While a bob in a natural color can stunningly stand alone, if you go calico, then you're setting yourself up glory. Talk to your stylist about what calico coloring will work best for you and your hair type. Or, if you already have a vision of going heavier on one color than the others, lean into that. Calico cat coloring is a hair trend that's meant to be playful and fun, so embrace that cat-like chaos.

If you're looking at calico-colored hair and love the idea but it's a little too much for you, then there's a solution: underlights. Also called peekaboo hair or underlayering, this is a great way to bring a hair color trend into your life without having to go all out and commit 100%.

"The underlayer trend is taking the classic, peekaboo color look to a new, more dramatic level with statement shades hidden throughout the nape and ear area of the head," celebrity hairstylist Jason Backe told Popsugar. "Underlayer colors can range from a simple blond or caramel to an exciting pink or purple. There is no shade off the table." So, if no shade is off the table, then that means that calico is absolutely on the table.

Let's be honest: not everyone has (or can rock) curly hair, trendy cuts, or whatever else might currently be going viral on TikTok. It's for those people who want exciting color but in the most uncomplicated way possible, that we suggest a pin-straight, to the point, no frills, no dilly-dally hairstyle — but in calico. Even if you don't consider yourself an adventurous person when it comes to your hair, you're likely to love this blend of colors and the show-stopping aspect of it.