Updos Got Upgraded at the 2024 Met Gala

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 7 May 2024

Beauty looks have run the gamut tonight: Zoe Saldana, Madelyn Cline, and Jessica Beil arrived with mermaid waves. Hair accessories appeared on Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Zendaya, and Sarah Jessica Parker. But the updos that graced the 2024 Met Gala red carpet were, quite literally, the most statuesque standouts. It’s not just because they were shiny and sleek and somehow managed to sideswipe every unwanted flyaway (but that’s really impressive, too).

keke palmer at the met gala — Keke Palmer's updo was nearly six inches tall.

The likes of Gabrielle Union and Keke Palmer appeared to be housing oblong objects inside their updos. With hair standing at a perfect angle (45 degrees for Union and 90 degrees for Palmer), both actresses made a case for a larger-than-life, structural updo. Union’s updo was secured with a silver pin, while Palmer’s hair seemingly defied gravity.

Architectural buns and ponytails weren’t the only updos to make a statement. A handful of stars—including Emily Ratajkowski and Jennifer Lopez—leaned into texture. For Ratajkowski, that looked like a nod to the early aughts as she took the Y2K spiky bun for an elevated spin. Lopez, for her part, leaned into the power of teasing (the Tangle Teezer Backcombing Hairbrush was hairstylist Lorenzo Martin’s MVP). Her hair was twisted into a full and voluminous topknot and secured with TRESemme Extra Hold Hairspray.

While these elegant—and somewhat avant-garde—updos were a welcome surprise on the red carpet, Marie Claire predicted period-inspired updos would be a popular style. “There is going to be a nod to historical glamour, with influences from the lavish times of Marie Antoinette and other eras,” hairstylist and founder of Second Floor Salon Rogerio Cavalcante told us last week.

We’ll hold off saying we-told-you-so, so instead, scroll ahead to peruse the best updo hairstyles from the 2024 Met Gala.

Aya Nakamuri

updos at the 2024 met gala — Aya Nakamuri took a similar tune to Lopez, pairing her chunky (deliberately) messy bun with a heavy set of side bangs.

Teyana Taylor

Emma Chamberlain

Zendaya

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Samantha Holender is the Senior Beauty Editor at Marie Claire, where she reports on the best new launches, dives into the science behind skincare, and shares the breakdown on the latest and greatest trends in the beauty space. She's studied up on every ingredient you'll find on INCI list and is constantly in search of the world's glowiest makeup products. She's constantly tracking the biggest nail and hair trends to pop up in the beauty space, going backstage during fashion weeks, tracking celebrity looks, and constantly talking to celebrity hair stylists, nail artists, and makeup artists. Prior to joining the team, she worked as Us Weekly’s Beauty and Style Editor, where she stayed on the pulse of pop culture and broke down celebrity beauty routines, hair transformations, and red carpet looks. Her words have also appeared on Popsugar, Makeup.com, Skincare.com, Delish.com, and Philadelphia Wedding. Samantha also serves as a board member for the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME). She first joined the organization in 2018, when she worked as an editorial intern at Food Network Magazine and Pioneer Woman Magazine. Samantha has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from The George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs. While at GWU, she was a founding member of the school’s HerCampus chapter and served as its President for four years. When she’s not deep in the beauty closet or swatching eyeshadows, you can find her obsessing over Real Housewives and all things Bravo. Keep up with her on Instagram @samholender.