Hear me out—prom hair is having a summer 2024 resurgence and it’s actually *very* chic

When Marie Claire’s Executive Beauty Editor, Shannon, noted that prom hair was proving a prominent hair trend on the red carpet, I will admit my knee-jerk reaction skewed slightly negative. It’s a special feeling when the looks of your youth come back around again; while I love a throwback trend and am not too fussed about getting older, there are some things that I personally will not be re-living. (Catch me running for the hills if jeggings ever make a comeback.) But stay with me here, because there is a chic end to this story.

To me, prom hair means one of two key kinds of hairstyle. The first is very defined ghd-ed ringlets that have been sprayed with perhaps too much hairspray and are never, ever brushed out. These bouncy curls were frequently worn in a half-up hairstyle and/or with a '00s pouf thrown in for good measure. Very on trend at the time, of course, but I am in no rush to see the return of extra crispy ringlets. 

However, the second—the one that's seeing a resurgence on the red carpet—is the slicked updo, which may take the form of a bun, a chignon, or any otherwise sculpted style. Having transcended decades long before we reached the '90s and '00s, updos are a bit more classic and less closely-tied to anybody’s school years. More to the point, the likes of Simone Ashley and Bella Hadid have all been wearing chic takes on this kind of prom hair lately. Here are some of my fave examples...

The best prom hair inspiration from the red carpet

This look, worn by Bridgerton star Simone Ashley at Cannes, is like prom hair meets ‘90s star-studded black-tie fundraiser. Her sculpted updo is ultra slick and ultra shiny. A work of art. 

Bella Hadid's slicked-down ponytail feels right out of the supermodel era. Though they're very defined, these curls have none of the crispiness of late '00s/early '10s prom hair. 

This was hands down one of my favourite beauty looks from the Met Gala red carpet—that blusher! The Bear's Ayo Edebiri's sleek bun was accessorised with flowers that matched her Loewe gown. 

One of the most memorable hair looks from this year's Cannes red carpet, Anya Taylor-Joy's incredible chignon-style updo is quite a thing to behold. 

With a very '90s vibe to it, model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's incredibly sleek, spiked low bun was another winning look at Cannes. 

Appearing to sit ever so slightly to one side, JLo's intricately sculpted bun has a very classic feel. 

Recreate the prom hair look