BEAUTY FIX: Short, Sexy Hair Styles That Aren't For Soccer Moms

I'm donating my hair to Locks of Love. Once cut, my hair will fall a little below my chin. My hair is very fine and mostly straight, although I can sometimes coax a little wave out of it. I don't want to go pixie-short. Can you recommend some fresh, modern hairstyles for short hair? Everything I've seen on hairstyle sites looks like they belong on a suburban soccer mom circa 2002.

For added difficulty: Styles without bangs, which are super-cute and seem to update every look, but really just don't look very good on me (because my hair is so fine, they just look really thin and wimpy).

Good for you, making the chop for charity! I've got so much short hair envy, but it just doesn't work on me. Trust me, I tried last fall and ended up with an asymmetrical disaster. I wanted to look like Leigh Lezark. Luckily now I can live vicariously through you and your gorgeous soon-to-be-below-the-chin look. I expect a picture by the way.

Whether you're donating or not, losing some length is a fresh way to update your look for fall, a time when longer hair is interrupted by scarves, coats and other cold-weather-wear.

Avoid the dreaded soccer mom helmet by having your stylist cut graduated layers which boost volume and create movement. And when it comes to styling, think matte, piecey and effortless -- no perfect blowouts! To get the look, add dry shampoo at the roots and a pinch of texturizing wax on the ends for sexy, undone, I-just-woke-up-this-way hair.

Check out some of my favorite short haired looks for inspiration:

From the center part to the slight wave, I'm obsessed with Chloe Sevigny's low-maintenance blunt-cut bob. Copy her style by sleeping in a braid, then undo in the morning and run a straightener over the ends.

Brooklyn Decker proves short hair can be bombshell. Long side-swept bangs (that even work on fine hair) and plenty of volume make this look insanely sexy.

Liv Tyler's deep side part and unfussy styling look fresh not frumpy. I wouldn't be surprised if Liv's hair actually air-dryed this way.

Alexa Chung's chin-length bob is an ideal fit for straight, fine hair. To get the look, simply rough dry with a blow dryer then add texture by wrapping 1-2 inch sections around a medium barrel curling iron like my favorite one from John Frieda.

Are you feeling these shorts cuts? If not, what are you doing with your hair this fall instead? I'm not touching my length, but a weird color experiment might be in order. Let's talk about it!