I'm in Love with Ariel Winter's New 'Little Mermaid'-Inspired Red Hair

Modern Family's Ariel Winter just debuted a huge hair change (totally inspired by The Little Mermaid) by dying her normally dark brunette hair a bright, funky orange-red color. Considering that the character in the film is named Ariel, just like her, the reference is seriously meta—and actually totally gorgeous on her, in my opinion.

Hair, Beauty, Hairstyle, Long hair, Brown hair, Red hair, Vehicle, Photo shoot, Car, Street fashion,

(Image credit: Hollywood To You/Star Max)

By Katherine J. Igoe

published 5 May 2019

in News

OMG, I totally get this reference! Modern Family's Ariel Winter just debuted a huge hair change (totally inspired by The Little Mermaid) by dying her normally dark brunette hair a bright, funky orange-red color. Considering that the character in the film is named Ariel, just like her, the reference is seriously meta—and actually totally gorgeous on her, in my opinion.

The actress debuted the new 'do on Instagram yesterday, complete with a bunch of mermaid emojis so we know that the reference is 100% deliberate. Even better, Ariel was spotted out and about in L.A. with the beautiful, flowing locks. It looks like that is her actual hair, not a wig or extensions—which, in my opinion, is even more daring, because it's more permanent. Ariel's got a youthful, trendy, fashion-forward style, and she's absolutely unapologetic about her look. She just recently shared unretouched photos from a Pulse Spikes magazine shoot, looking utterly gorgeous, of course.

Back to this new 'do: I could clearly never pull this off (my curls would make the red hue look like a clown wig, and my husband would laugh himself silly). But I actually think Ariel is pulling it off.

This is what Ariel's hair looked like just a couple days ago (the texture and length looks about the same, to me):

A post shared by ARIEL WINTER (@arielwinter)
A photo posted by on

And here's Ariel's new lewk:

A post shared by ARIEL WINTER (@arielwinter)
A photo posted by on

Now she and I both are singing "Part of Your World" at the top of our lungs, so thanks Ariel!

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Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award.

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.

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