Chase Infiniti's Half-Twisted Updo Is So Early 2000s-Coded

a young woman with dark, curly hair — (Image credit: Getty Images)

I'm starting to think that, whenever I'm in need of more protective style inspiration, I should just look at Chase Infiniti. She's a made a habit out of showing up to red carpets wearing different types of braids, and during a SAG-AFTRA event she recently attended, she managed to put a 2026 spin on a nostalgic braided updo.

The 26-year-old is currently starring in Hulu's new drama series, The Testaments, which is a spin-off of The Handmaid's Tale. This week, she joined her co-stars at a panel discussion hosted by the SAG-AFTRA Foundation in Los Angeles, where she wore a gray pantsuit with baggy trousers. She kept her glam fairly simple for the event, wearing black winged eyeliner, lip balm, and a hint of shimmer in the inner corners of her eye. Her hair was pulled into an updo that featured flat twists at the front that were half-twisted to reveal her naturally curly texture at the ends.

a young woman poses in front of a sag-aftra backdrop wearing a gray button down dress — Chase Infiniti wears a ponytail with flat twist to a SAG-AFTRA event in Los Angeles.

I remember wearing half-braided protective styles as a pre-teen in the early 2000s, but lately they've been blowing back up with a modern twist, and Infiniti isn't the only star who's been taking the style for a spin these days. Back in October, Tyla attendedGlamour's Women of the Year event wearing straight extensions on one side of her head and small cornrows on the other. A few weeks later, she wore a similar look that was bob length and styled with a bold flip at the ends.

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A half-braided or half-twisted updo is a great protective style to consider if you want to give your natural hair a break from being manipulated for a few days. To get the look at home, read ahead.

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Danielle Jackson is the senior beauty writer at Marie Claire. She has nearly a decade of experience covering beauty, lifestyle, and entertainment and was previously the senior beauty editor at Women's Health, where she thoughtfully covered topics related to skincare, haircare, aesthetics, and wellness. Before that, she spent three years as an assistant beauty editor at PS, and in the years since, her work has appeared in titles like Vogue, InStyle, Glamour, and more. Danielle graduated from the University of Georgia with a BA in English, and has lived in Brooklyn for almost ten years. When she's not writing, you can find her reading romance novels and talking about sunscreen. You can find her on Instagram @danielleknecole.