Since the beginning of her iconic career, Taylor Swift has rocked numerous hairstyles, from short bobs and beach waves to lustrous curls that bring out the beauty of her natural hair. As one of the most fashionable celebrities in the industry, her style choices are impeccable, perfectly corresponding to the various eras of her life. Want to emulate her incredible style and polish? Read on for 13 of Taylor Swift’s best hairstyles, as well as tips, tricks, and tutorials for how you can get the look at home.
From the rustic braids of her Folklore and Evermore years to the sleek bobs and choppy short waves preceding her Reputation era, Taylor Swift’s hairstyles have undergone what can best be described as a metamorphosis for the ages. When Swift first exploded into the world of music as a fresh-faced teenage country star, she rocked a full head of immaculate ringlets, a testament to her hair’s naturally curly (and sometimes frizzy) texture. Her appearances at music award shows and interviews featured romantic updos, elegantly-pinned chignons, and hairstyles evoking old Hollywood luxe.
Come 2014, in the throes of her original 1989 era, Swift would take the plunge, shearing off her golden locks to usher in the era of her iconic bob and blunt-cut bangs. Swift continued to experiment with this bob, going shorter over time and famously (but briefly) rocking a peroxide-blonde short bob at the 2016 Met Gala.
Over the years, Swift’s hair has transitioned from length to length, and texture to texture. In a March 2019 interview with Elle, Swift revealed that her hair texture went from curly to straight, sharing, “I learned that your hair can completely change texture. From birth, I had the curliest hair and now it is straight. It’s the straight hair I wished for every day in junior high. But just as I was coming to terms with loving my curls, they’ve left me. Please pray for their safe return.”
While there’s no way to ascertain for sure if Swift’s curls have since returned, this much is certain: Her hair appears to have settled into a naturally healthy curtain of wavy tresses that is often worn in the chicest of ways. Swifties credit the rehabilitation of the Eras tour superstar’s hair to the ‘lost’ pandemic years, and that may well be true. But if there’s one thing we know, it’s that Taylor Swift is a maestro of style, leveraging iconic hairstyles that have best represented her personality, art, and the era in which she is currently living.
In honour of that, we look at 13 of Taylor Swift’s best hairstyles, from her short and shaggy cuts to her luscious and natural Hollywood waves.
13 of Taylor Swift’s best hairstyles: Long, short, natural, and everything in between
Braided and beautiful
Over the course of several recent public appearances, Swift has opted to weave braids into her luscious locks, giving us some of her best and most iconic hairstyles. Case in point: her look at the recent 66th annual Grammy Awards, in which the singer rocked messy air-dried waves worn over one shoulder with what appears to be a teased out braid braid in the details. While the braid itself became a widely divisive hot topic among fashion commentators, who consider it a confusing marriage of Swift’s Reputation and Folklore eras, Swifties are mostly on-board with the look. In another nod to asymmetry, Swift also rocked a severe transitional side part which began at the left side of her forehead and ended at her crown.
Swift’s Grammys look is not the first time in recent days she’s played on the teenage charm of braids. At the August 2023 wedding of her longtime collaborator and friend Jack Antonoff, Swift wore her hair sleek and straight, allowing it to cascade over her shoulders with a natural ease. The one point of interest? A singular baby braid, tightly woven and left to fall alongside her tresses.
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Most recently at the Super Bowl, Swift styled her hair in a sweet and girlishly bohemian style, marrying a variety of braided methods to achieve what sartorial stylists are calling ‘hair goals’. For this look, Swift incorporated twisted hair details at the side of her head before gathering it all up into a mid-height ponytail. A tight Viking-esque braid was then incorporated to up the ante on the otherwise casual hairstyle, with Swift making it all too clear that she, too, had brought her game face in support of Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Sleek and sophisticated
At the 2019 Billboard Women In Music award event, Swift, who received the Women of the Decade award, took to the stage in a sleek asymmetrical Oscar de la Renta jumpsuit. Dressing up her navy garb with gold detailing and jewellery, the songstress also opted to keep her hairstyle a la mode — pristine bangs with nary a curl out of place, and the rest of her hair pulled into a neatly-rendered high fishtail braid. The complete look presented an aura befitting a strong and successful woman in charge, reflecting Swift’s status as a global music powerhouse.
Simplicity at its best
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Proving that simplicity will never go out of style, Taylor Swift rocked gleaming, lustrous waves with neat bangs at the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards, exuding polish and charm while serving up one of the best hairstyles of the year.
Worn tucked behind her ears, the rich, thick waves were left to tumble down her back, radiating with a healthy glow and highlighting the importance of an impeccable hair care routine. Swift completed her Golden Globes look with a glittering green Gucci gown, Louboutin heels, and jewels from De Beers.
Barbiecore blonde
Before the 2022 resurgence of the Barbiecore aesthetic, there was Taylor Swift in the throes of her Lover era, rocking hairstyles made vibrant with eye-catching pops of colour. An iconic chapter in the book of Swift’s career, the Lover era featured stylistic choices in bubblegum-pink and candy floss pastels, imbued into the songstress’ fashion palette, her music videos, and the album’s concept art.
In an iconic nod to her style of the time, Swift attended the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards as an absolute vision in purple sequins, courtesey of a glittery Rose Bloom orchid romper and butterfly heels by Sophia Webster. Further upping the ante on her disarmingly playful, girlish, and hyper-feminine look, Swift wore her hair in a messy sheared ponytail, framing her face with delicate tendrils. In a stunning show of ‘business in the front and party in the back’, the singer’s ponytail also featured dip-dyed Barbie pink streaks, harkening to the colourful hairstyles best loved in the nostalgic ’80s and ’90s.
A Grecian-inspired updo
At the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, Swift appeared on the red carpet in a draped J. Mendel gown in creme-coloured silk chiffon, the very vision of a Greek goddess. In keeping up with her theme of the evening, Taylor Swift wore her hair in an elegant braided updo, with her relaxed blunt-cut bangs framing her face alongside teased wisps of hair. Closer inspection reveals a pair of braids that run parallel down the sides of her head, twisted together at the nape of her neck; they are then pulled forward, pinned against her crown to form a stunning headband that is both rustic and graceful.
Gatsby-era glamour
With her 1989 era hair best defined by a neat, above-the-shoulder short bob, Taylor Swift nonetheless spent the years experimenting with a variety of hairstyles and accessories. In the summer of 2015, Swift stepped out onto the streets of Tribeca, her hair adorned with a Gatsby-inspired headband imbued with glittering rhinestones. The starlet paired her casual hairstyle with a dreamy lavender lace dress and simple gold accessories.
A cat eye sharp enough to kill a man
Two years before the release of Reputation and seven before the iconic lyrics, ‘Draw the cat eye sharp enough to kill a man’ were formed, Taylor Swift cut a fine figure on the red carpet of the 2015 MTV Music Awards, her short bob styled in a low twisted ponytail. With slicked-back tresses and a severe side part, the simplistic style served to highlight the evolution of Swift’s red carpet looks, a sharp departure from the pop culture princess who once attended wreathed in an alluring tumble of perfect ringlets.
Suffused with femme fatale energy and just the barest hint of risque noir sensuality, Swift’s 2015 red-carpet look was anchored on a two-piece outfit by Ashish featuring gradating sequins arranged in a houndstooth pattern. Louboutin shoes, Ofira rings, Lorraine Schwartz earrings, and sleek black eyeliner completed the look and further lent credence to the sleekness afforded of her simplistic, and yet compelling hairstyle.
Sleek and straight
Rocking a polished hairstyle and a hooded Alexandre Vauthier Couture jumpsuit, Taylor Swift stole the show at the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards, rightly landing in multiple best dressed lists following the event. The singer, who took home the Song Of The Year award for her Midnights hit Anti-Hero wore her mid-back length hair straightened, strands peeking out beneath the glittering fabric of her crystal-encrusted hood — a shimmering vision evoking big baddie energy. Despite its simplicity, the look became a huge hit among Swifties and fashion critics alike, both camps lauding the Vigilante Sh—t singer for her glamorous ensemble.
Old Hollywood glam
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At the 2022 American Music Awards, Taylor made a swift return to vintage Hollywood glamour, sporting her favourite bold red lip, sideswept curls, and a golden beaded jumpsuit from The Blonds.
An iconic throwback to Swift’s signature noughties hairstyle, the curls were nonetheless brushed for a softer, more relaxed look, lending an air of easy elegance to the starlet’s overall aesthetic for the evening. Further adding to the retro charm of the style, Swift wore her voluminous bangs pinned up to the side, allowing her hair to frame and highlight her smoky eye makeup.
Right down the middle
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Swift rocked yet another iconic glittering look at the 2022 MTV VMAs, stealing the show in a daringly nude halter-necked Oscar de la Renta minidress entirely composed of crystal strands. Alongside matching earrings and silvery strappy heels, Swift took the look one step further with an extreme, jewel-decorated winged cat’s eye and her signature red lip. To balance out the stunning red-carpet look, the songstress wore her hair in a simple, slicked-back bun, and in an unconventional stroke of genius, parted her bangs right down the middle.
A wispy updo we remember all too well
At the 2021 premiere of All Too Well: The Short Film in New York, Taylor Swift blessed us with one of the best simple hairstyles we’ve come to know and love on her: a casual, but chic updo with her sleek blunt bangs and wispy tendrils on display. Complementing the soft and yet perfunctory nature of her hairstyle, Swift opted for a contemporary purple velvet suit in the fashion department, playing it off against muted makeup and a creamy coral lipstick that served to highlight her natural, dewy skin.
The flower queen
Held in the midst of the pandemic, the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards nonetheless welcomed the biggest stars of the music industry in full, fashionable swing. Arriving in a fairytale floral dress by Oscar de la Renta, Taylor Swift wore her hair in a style that best recalls her Folklore days — and it is for this album that she took home the Album of the Year award.
As part of her dreamy spring-inspired ensemble, Swift twisted her hair into two intricate pigtails, pinned low behind the ears in a style that resembles her look in the music video for Cardigan. In the front, her blunt bangs were cut slightly higher just above her eyebrows, perfectly framing her face with its warm and softly natural, pink-hued makeup.
And that’s not all. In keeping up with her spring queen theme, Swift wore a custom-made three-dimensional mask, crafted in the same romantic style of her dress — the prettiest nod to social distancing and safety to ever exist.
Chop chop in style
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Taylor Swift’s red-carpet appearance at the 2019 American Music Awards was marked by her effortlessly chic hairstyle and a shimmering asymmetrical green Julien Macdonald gown featuring draped details. With her hair casually styled and pinned to form side swept beachy waves, Swift further upped the ante on her look with thigh-high black boots, black earrings, and muted makeup colours that brought out the creamy lustre of her complexion.
The simplicity of her hairstyle was not in vain; for her performance during the show, Swift unpinned her messy, choppy waves in full, emerging onstage in a sparkling golden bodysuit for an appropriately spirited rendition of her greatest hits including The Man, Love Story, and Shake It Off.
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Hero images: Courtesy swiftieabhi/Instagram, Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images; Featured image: Courtesy Taylor Swift/Instagram
This story first appeared here.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– What type of hair does Taylor Swift have?
Taylor Swift was born with natural 2B or 2C curls, which she has styled in various ways over the years from a short bob to ringlets, with some of her best hairstyles incorporating braids.
– Did Taylor Swift cut her hair recently?
While Taylor Swift rocked a short bob in 2014, she has since allowed it to grow out. As of February 2024, her hair is at a middle-upper back length.
– Who is Taylor Swift’s hair stylist?
Taylor Swift’s hair stylist is Jemma Muradian, who is linked to New York City’s Arté Salon.
– How do you get Taylor Swift fearless curls?
While Taylor Swift was born with naturally curly hair, thus making it easier to achieve the tightly-wound ringlets of her Fearless era, those with pin-straight hair will need to use curling tongs and a lot of hairspray. If you have curly hair, however, you can enlist the help of hair wax. Apply the product while your hair is still set, then use a diffuser to dry your curls, scrunching them up as you do. Afterwards, tease them gently into the shape you desire.
– How to cut Taylor Swift’s bangs?
Taylor Swift wears her bangs in a blunt cut directly across her forehead. While we would strongly suggest you speak to a professional about the cut, those who want to try their hand at the style at home should be careful to do their research and take their time. Be sure to watch a few tutorials ahead of time, and don’t rush the process. Work in small sections, remembering that it is better to trim a tiny bit at a time to avoid cutting off too much.
First, section off the area of hair above your forehead that will become your bangs. Check where it starts, so you do not section hair too deep into your crown. Cut a small lock of your hair at both the outer edges of your eyes, and then one above the bridge of your nose to your desired length; these three locks will then serve as your guides. From there, simply trim the rest of the hair you have sectioned off, taking care to go at a slow, comfortable speed.
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Emmelyn curates and creates content in Kuala Lumpur, where she's spent the past decade building a portfolio comprising copy and video spanning both print and digital platforms. Endlessly fascinated with cookbooks, interior design, aesthetics, and video games, she is also an ardent foodie - a lemon tart, lychee martini, and coffee enthusiast. Her favourite animal is the common wombat. She's written one award winning cookbook.
