Beyoncé Confirms: The Crimped Hair Trend Is Making a Major Comeback

Britney did it. So did Jennifer Love Hewitt. Even Tyra Banks gave it a shot.

Yes, we’re talking about crimped hair, which, to either your dismay or delight, seems to be making a major comeback from its ’80s and ‘90s heyday.

For those who somehow missed out on the decade of excess, crimping is styling straight hair so it gets a zigzag-wavy look to it using a crimping iron. Think the opposite of flowing, natural beach waves or loose curls. If you’re crimping, you’re making a statement. Variations of the trend were all over the Fall 2016 runways, at Gucci, Veronique Branquinho, and, most notably, Vanessa Seward, where the rippled texture added height at the crown and gave a spirited wave to the ponytails. More recently, Gabrielle Union rocked crimped hair at the God’s Love We Deliver Golden Heart Awards in New York on October 16, and Girls star Zosia Mamet did the same at the Marc Jacobs fashion show last September.

Oh, and did we mention Beyoncé? Yes, Queen Bey gave the style major play on Instagram in November.

And she didn’t stop there. On December 5, she presented Colin Kapernick with the Muhammad Ali Legacy Award at the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year Awards.

For the occasion, she wore her blonde hair in a half-up, half-down style, full of textured, crimped goodness with a silver and black striped LaQuan Smith dress.

Araxi Lindsay, Tracee Ellis Ross’ hairstylist on Black-ish, says the crimp is back but with “a twist.” “In the ‘80s and early ‘90s the crimps were shaped with sharp indentations at every turn and it was held together with a heavy aerosol or spritz,” she continues. “It allowed hair to have a bit more character. Fashion repeats itself over and over again simply because it works.”

Today, says Lindsay, “bouncy waves are the new crimps. The indentations aren’t as sharp and heavy aerosols aren’t needed. Classic crimps have made a comeback to finish off today’s retro looks. Crimps work best on layered cuts. I personally love the look of a high crimped ponytail, side or center.”

As a child of the ’80s, the crimp craze brings back all sorts of feels. Most of them cringe-worthy, to be honest. I had a very ill-advised perm, coupled with fried hair that was also crimped for added pizzazz because let’s remember: too much was never enough. Today, the results seem to be much more understated, with perhaps a few crimped strands pulled back into a sleek ponytail.

Today, however, you can achieve a much more subtle look, with more body and less harsh frizz. To get the look, try the Gold N’ Hot Ceramic Crimping Iron{: rel=nofollow} or the GHD Contour Professional Performance Crimper{: rel=nofollow}.