Kaia Gerber’s Pigtail Braids Are a Sign of a Throwback '90s Hair Trend

Kaia Gerber has had a busy few months. She’s gotten her new business, Library Science—a reading community with merch to boot—off the ground. She’s traveled to the Paris Olympics alongside mom, Cindy Crawford. The model even was crowned a Celine Pilates Princess—and debuted a fresh set of curtain bangs. That all said, she’s very deserving of an off-duty day.

But it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Gerber’s laidback style is still incredibly chic. The model was spotted getting out of a car on August 14 in peak Book Club Founder fashion: with a white tee, pajama pants, and It sneakers.

While there’s plenty to unpack about Gerber’s recipe to wearing pajamas outside, the beauty editor in me has to reserve a moment to discuss the model’s taut pigtail braids. The three-strand plaits are clearly reminiscent of the ‘90s, signaling a resurgence of a throwback hair trend.

Pigtail braids, a favorite of Jennifer Aniston, Britney Spears, and even a young Kaia herself, reached peak popularity in the '90s. But their return to the hairstyling scene is somewhat to be expected. In Marie Claire’s roundup of the biggest 2024 hair trends, our experts predicted a renaissance of hairstyles from decades past.

While you might not be fully prepared to bring back a deep side part from your middle school days or commit to a baroque bob, pigtail braids are a fairly easy entry reference to the wayback machine.

Instead of opting for super tight-knit, over-the-ear plaits, opt for a looser braid tucked behind the ears with a slicked-back middle part. It’s a simple way to upgrade a pigtail braid for an easy hairstyle that’s nothing like the one you wore at sleepaway camp. Just look to Gerber for proof.