Corset Braids! Brontë Bangs! Gothic Waves! 2026's Most Romantic Hair Trend Is a Thought Daughter's Dream
“Straight out of a Botticelli painting.”
Cascading waves grazing the small of one’s back; delicate braids tucked into softly spilling updos. While these descriptors might sound like something from an Austen novel, they’re actually observations from recent red carpets and runways—a medley of styles torn straight from the pages of our favorite Gothic romances and set in modern day.
Though space-age Y2K hairstyles made their Saturn return over the last few years, the looks dominating the 2026 trend cycle resemble illustrations from our high school history textbooks more than anything from this century. Between Margot Robbie’s dazzling press run for her Valentine’s Day-slated film, Wuthering Heights, and the rolling release of Bridgerton season four, it’s no stretch to confirm that romantic hairstyles from varying periods of Western history are writing new chapters.
“I think style moves like a pendulum,” celebrity hairstylist Xavier Velasquez tells Who What Wear. “We’ve had a few trend cycles dominated by that snatched, ‘clean girl’ aesthetic—super sleek, super polished—and now it feels like we’re swinging back toward softness and femininity. There’s more texture, more movement, more romance,” he muses.
Dimitris Giannetos, another celebrity hairstylist who has noticed this historical riff, agrees that modern styles have traded sleek structure for painterly imperfection. “Hair trends are always a reflection of broader cultural moments, and 2026 is leaning into softness and expression,” he explains. Think: Charli XCX’s impossibly long Victorian waves, Ariana Grande’s swooping Regency-era bangs, and Zoë Kravitz’s tendril-strewn Tudor updos. “It feels natural to look back at classic fashion and beauty to draw inspiration and reinterpret it through a modern lens,” he adds.
Though these styles look straight from a Sofia Coppola period piece, they’re marked by subtle modern touches. Keep scrolling for a closer look at the historically inspired hairstyles beloved by the style set in 2026.
Corset Braids
Perhaps one of the boldest historical hair trends to make a recent splash on the red carpet, this half-up, half-down style includes victory rolls laced up in ribbons and elastic in a corset-like, braided fashion. Vaguely inspired by the simultaneous Tudor and Italian Renaissance eras—when ribbons were often woven into the intricate updos of fashionable society—this style has been spotted on both Lady Gaga at the 2026 Grammys and on Robbie’s character Cathy in the experimental period piece Wuthering Heights. (Note: a fantastical reinterpretation, not historically accurate.)
According to an interview with Allure, the film’s hair and makeup designer, Siân Miller, pulled on different eras of fashionable hairstyles to create this horn-like look, symbolizing the character’s wicked evolution. If we had a nickel for every time we’ve seen this hairstyle in the last month, we’d have two nickels—which doesn’t sound like much, but is considering its popularity died around 420 years ago.
Brontë Bangs
The gifted Brontë sisters, all accomplished authors, grew up in England’s Regency era—aka, the time period before Queen Victoria’s ascension to the throne in 1837 (also the time period that Netflix’s hit show Bridgerton is set in). Middle parts, loose waves, and simple updos were increasingly popular at this time (and penned as such in the sisters’ famous novels), but one dressy style from this period that we’ve noticed returning in 2026 is what we’re calling Brontë bangs: short, swooping fringe, usually paired with a delicate updo.
We first saw the baby bangs trend resurface on Phoebe Dynevor’s character Daphne Bridgerton in the homonymous show’s first season in 2020. Since then, the style has made its way onto the runways of Dries Van Noten’s S/S 26 show, and most recently, Grande at the 31st Annual Critics Choice Awards. Whether or not this style actually feels wearable today, it’s a sure nod to the Regency era’s reign of romantic literature and matchmaking balls.
Gothic Waves
Nick Stenson, another celebrity hairstylist basking in the glow of this romantic movement, notes the increasingly popular trend of “touchable” Gothic waves today. Inspired by the rivers of middle-parted, natural crimps that defined Victorian beauty standards—mussed from jaunts through sprawling farmland and melancholic lazes by the sea—this organic style is at the forefront of this historically charged trend.
Charli XCX, Rosalía, and Robbie’s cascading waves have inspired us all to dust off our crimpers, rebranding this fashionable Victorian hairstyle as something very “brat.” This goes for natural tresses, too—Chase Infiniti’s middle-parted, voluminous style from the London premiere of One Battle After Another serves as perfect inspiration.
However, this trend has been spotted on more than our favorite musicians and actresses. Velasquez spotlights the snaking waves at Valentino’s S/S 26 haute couture show as a “standout” example of this trend, describing them as “straight out of a Botticelli painting.” The antithesis of overstyled, he calls these waves “soft, emotional, and beautifully natural.”
Modern Renaissance
Between Chappell Roan’s fringey, chainmail-adorned half-updo at the 2024 VMAs and FKA Twigs’ intricately braided crown at the 2025 Fashion Awards, there’s no denying the statement medieval-inspired hairstyles make in a sea of trendy loose waves and bouncy blowouts. Most recently, Giannetos crafted a modern-Middle Ages updo on Kim Kardashian for the London premiere of All’s Fair, decorating the star’s signature slicked-back bun with a symphony of loose braids. “The look felt regal yet playful; very reminiscent of classic beauty but with a modern take through texture and asymmetry,” Giannetos reminisces.
While these historically inspired looks are typically a nest of dainty braids and loose ringlets, they also can be deeply sculptural—take Kylie Jenner’s viny updo or Solange Knowles’ half-slicked, half-picked-out tresses, for example. “It’s all about texture and imperfection—adding braids, loose tendrils, or gently pulling pieces out to avoid anything too tight or harsh,” Giannetos explains. While many mainstream hair trends today are the byproduct of easy, low-maintenance routines, these dimensional styles are bejeweled swords cutting through the “clean girl” noise.
"Bridgerton" Buns
We’d be remiss to discuss re-imagined historical hairstyles without mentioning Bridgerton buns. Yes, it’s a generalization, but the romantic updos recently worn by Kravitz, Robbie, and Stranger Things’ Sadie Sink have us thinking about the delicate chignons worn by the fictional Bridgerton, Sharma, and Featherington clans in the hit romance show.
Sink’s soft updo at the 2025 Met Gala, decorated with a cloud of curly tendrils, feels reminiscent of the coiffed styles popular at matchmaking balls and park promenades in early 19th-century London. Kravitz’s micro-braided version is equally romantic, twisted high in a swooping topknot and adorned with a singular silver pin—a few face-framing tendrils left hanging to add quiet movement. “The key is imperfection,” Velasquez muses. “Pull out a few pieces around the hairline to keep it loose, modern, and effortlessly romantic.”
Shop the Trend
The driving force behind these history-inspired looks is texture, and we recommend using Oribe’s Dry Texturizing Spray to achieve the most touchable volume and movement. What did people do before texturizing spray?
Wuthering Heights gothic waves are everywhere right now, and this hair crimper is the perfect tool to use if your hair doesn’t naturally have this texture. Giannetos recommends mixing styling techniques for the most genuine look. “Think subtle crimps combined with alternating curl patterns to create depth,” he elaborates.
Velasquez says that the key to pulling off romantic, textured hairstyles is proper prep. “You want to enhance your hair’s natural pattern, not fight it,” he states. “I love using a cream product like Virtue 6-in-1 styling cream, then diffusing or air-drying to create those soft, romantic waves you imagine in a Brontë novel. That texture becomes your base.”
For an easy, classically romantic look at home, Velasquez recommends picking up a French pin, like this elegant design from Deborah Pagani. “Twist the hair into a low chignon at the nape of the neck and secure it with a large French pin,” he instructs. From there, pull a few pieces out to frame the face for an effortless, modern look.
Though the idea behind many of these looks is to be effortless, we know a lot of product, time, and bobby pins go into the craftsmanship of these styles. You’ll want to stock up on these secure-hold pins from Goody before you start creating Bridgerton buns of your own.
Stenson doesn’t want you to leave the house without first spritzing a light-hold finishing spray. “Keep it simple and don’t over-style,” he cautions. He recommends creating a bit of volume at the crown with a texture-enhancing spray and brushing out your curls for that finishing touch. “The key is knowing when to stop before it looks too done,” he explains. “Romantic hair should feel lived-in and effortless, not overly polished or precious.”
