Summer is an ideal time to switch things up: New clothes, new makeup, and of course, new hair. The great thing about experimenting with your locks in the hot season is that there’s no need to fret over public reaction. We all know when you get a haircut during the school year, everyone and their mother notices (which isn’t always good, especially if the cut was a dud). So if you’ve been indecisive about whether or not to change your hairstyle, now’s the perfect time to whack off your tresses into a short bob or experiment with a fresh look. Check out four summer cuts that are high on the style and low on the risk (well, three out of four are)!

Photo: Splash News

Bangs

Take a hint from Leighton Meester, and bring back the bang. Just last week, the Gossip Girl showed off her recently trimmed ‘do. Inspired? The key here is to keep them a bit more piecey and not heavy, like bangs tend to get, so that you can easily play around with them for a side-swept look or pull them back in a headband. They’ll also be much more low-maintenance this way. Have the stylist thin them out a little bit to achieve this style.

Photos: Splash News, GSI Media

Layers

Amanda Seyfried, known for her long blond mane, chopped off her hair as well, opting for a shorter style than she usually sports. This is a wonderful choice for the summer because nobody wants bogged down hair (you always end up putting it up in a ponytail anyway!). Take off a few inches, and tell your stylist to create layers for some movement and a chic, choppy look. You’ll love how much lighter your hair feels!

Photo: Retna

Highlights

Jennifer Aniston’s hairstyles have always been in high demand. She, too, drastically changed her hair from a lengthy style to a shorter bob. But what we’re staring at are her dazzling highlights, which really brighten up her face and add dimension to her layers. Look, it’s summer, so blondes: go blonder! Brunettes can even experiment with some blonde highlights, and girls with darker hair play around with chestnut brown, red, copper, and bronze. Your stylist will help you pick out the best tones for your hair to make it shimmer beautifully in the sun.

Photo: Retna

Pixie

If you find yourself feeling uber gutsy, we dare you to take on Evan Rachel Wood’s look. This is a pixie cut to the max, and it takes an extremely brave girl to test it out. However, if this cut does take a turn for the worse, it’ll have grown out to a decent length by the time school rolls around. You should be set with a few up-to-date hair styles for the summer. Any ones you’re dying to try?