It’s nearly Christmas and New Year’s, so you’ve probably already had your fair share of seasonal festivities. However, most likely, your biggest celebration is still on the horizon—and if you’re anything like us, your look is still up in the air. While we’ve been putting on our sparkly best for every party during this season, the most over-the-top, festive looks are saved for the most splendid of occasions—and we finally found the perfect hairdo to try out for the big one.
On December 18, Elle Fanning walked the red carpet for her new Broadway play, Appropriate, which she stars in alongside Sarah Paulson. Fanning—who plays Paulson’s edgy-bohemian, tattoo-covered daughter—paraded the carpet with all the tattoos her character wears in the play. However, the rest of her outfit, most specifically her hair, was her own style to a T.
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A fusion of balletcore and a timeless holiday hairdo, all of Fanning’s hair was pulled back into a bun without a hair out of place. The strands that were pulled back were braided in an loose, fluffy braid and then twisted into a tight bun. But that wasn’t all. She decorated the updo with a huge, flowing black bow. In size, it was longer horizontally than her bun, and the tails grazed the middle of her neck.
Styles like Elle’s are one of the biggest holiday hair trends of the year. Though the braided bun is always in style, it’s the addition of the bow that screams Christmas 2023.
“Bows have come in again as a bit of joy, and I think we all need a bit of joy in the world,” Bea Carmichael, Aveda’s global artistic director of hairstyling, previously told us. “If you look at what a bow represents on a gift or bouquet of flowers, on a pair of shoes, or as a belt, it adds a bit of joy; you may even tie ribbons in bows on a tree.”
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If Elle Fanning’s look inspired you to ornament your hair with a bow for your next holiday festivity, there are some surefire tips to ensure you “sleigh” the look.
“When styling with a big bow, I would keep the hair simple so the whole look isn’t overwhelming or costumey,” Vanessa Whitmarsh, hairstyling educator and member of the Aveda North American Artistic Team, previously told us. This is why Fanning’s look felt so chic—the bow was the most extravagant part of the outfit.
You can also make a bow work with whatever hairstyle you choose. “A ponytail with some texture or wave or a half-up, half-down style with a little wave in the bottom half is perfect,” Whitmarsh says.