Short cuts were historically reserved exclusively for men, while long hair was decidedly “feminine.” But, beauty’s rigid rules don’t apply to the rebellious. From the 1800s “Titus haircuts” (a look often associated with the guillotine in France) to Josephine Baker’s “Eton crop,” borrowed from the schoolboys at England’s Eton College, crop cuts soon became a rejection of tradition. By the 1920s, Flappers were using gum arabic to gel down kiss curls. Then, in the 1950s, actresses like Audrey Hepburn and Jean Seberg, trashed Hollywood’s bombshell curls (a popular look among other actresses) for the gamine cut.
These days, the gorgeous style has become more and more popular, and heavily amplified on this year’s Met Gala red carpet. But, we are not totally surprised to see this trend, especially because Topicals founder Olamide Olowe told us exclusively earlier this year that, “it’s the year of the pixie.”
Tyla channeled the 1930s through ‘50s, referencing Josephine Baker, Lena Horne, and especially Joyce Bryant. “Joyce was the blueprint: bold, glamorous, and unapologetically provocative,” says her hairstylist Yusef Williams, who used the Dyson Supersonic R’s diffuser attachment to set her blonde waves into motion before locking them in with hairspray. “Every sculpted wave and glossy finish in Tyla’s look was a tribute to that fearless spirit.”
FKA Twigs’s hairstylist Louis Souvestre coined her look a “micro Chelsea cut,” modeled after a look defined by a nearly bald head, but with bob-like length exclusively at the nape and bangs with sideburns at the front. Since Twig’s went mini, her look resembled closer to an almost bald pixie, but with slightly more hair at the front and kitchen. On a similar note, Quinta Brunson had her curls turned to micro bangs. And Ayra Starr, who’s not new to pixie cuts, proved how modern it can look, pulling off separated wet strands with a black, high sheen finish.
Meanwhile, Jeremy Pope transformed into a traditional flapper, turning finger waves masculine with a side part, fade, and kiss curl. Then, model Anok Yai graced the carpet with her perfectly curled bang and face-framing sideburns.
Then came the blonde bombshells. Ciara’s brushed back look was anchored with brown roots and a slick back. “The vision was ultra-glossy, fluid, and color-rich hair that photographs like glass under the lights,” says her hairstylist Cesar Deleon Ramirez, using Keraste’s Gloss Absolu line for mirror-like shine.
Similarly, Law Roach ditched his usual jet black buss down for a blonde combover. “Think: upper echelon, elegance, elite, and pristine—all the things that we, as Black people, meet and succeed at on a daily despite outside sources doing everything to convince us otherwise,” his hairstylist Tai Simon tells ESSENCE. For her, pixie cuts are “regal, striking, super polished, [and] deliciously exuberant.” Also opting for blonde was Queen Serena Williams, whose look was a mixture of all the above in terms color, wispy flipped ends, and elegant finger waves. In other words, this year’s hottest look— spanning textures, styles, and length— has something for everyone and every mood.
