Taylor Swift Just Brought Back Her Country Curls

Taylor Swift has been on a dazzling kick this fall, with her dripping-in-diamonds outfit at the VMAs, along with several sparkling makeup looks in her “Bejeweled” music video. On November 20, Swift wore another sequin-encrusted look to make American Music Awards history: along with winning the Artist of the Year award for the seventh time in her career, she also became the first artist to win 40 AMA awards.

She made the huge feat seem effortless with a plunging gold jumpsuit, while nodding to her signature look from when she made her debut—that’s right, Taylor Swift brought back her classic country curls.

While Swift has recently made soft waves and bangs her signature, in the past, Taylor inspired girls across the country to wear tight curls and big hair, complete with an era-appropriate side part (or, if you were a major fan, side-swept bangs). This time around, Swift emulated her classic hairstyle, but with a 2022 twist—rather than the tight curls on display on the Fearless album cover, her hair at the 2022 AMAs featured larger, S-shaped curls that were brushed out for added volume. And instead of simply brushing her hair to the side for an effortless side part, her hairstylist created faux side bangs by guiding the front of her hair over her forehead and pinning the strands by the singer’s temple.

In a world where trends now change quicker than the seasons, it’s refreshing to see a star like Swift recycle her looks from years past. Not only is Taylor wearing curls reminiscent of when she was coming up, but her signature pop of red lipstick is also proof that in this trend-driven world, you *can* stick to your personal style and express yourself in the way that makes you feel the most like you.

And if you’re not as sentimental as me, you can gain inspiration from Taylor’s curls to wear during the upcoming holiday season. To create this hairstyle, start by parting your hair to one side. Then, curl all of your hair in the same direction while guiding your curls away from your face. After you’re done, brush your hair out with a boar-bristle brush to separate the curls. (If you think you can use just a bit more zhuzhing on the volume, you can use a texturizing spray.) Finally, gather the front part of your hair over your forehead, creating a swooped “curtain” shape, and pin the ends towards your temple.