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    1. Beauty

    Only Meryl Streep Can Make a Simple Braid Look This Chic

    Even in an outfit that gives Sherlock Holmes.

    Ariel Wilson's avatar
    By Ariel Wilson
    Published 7 May 2025 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Meryl Streep wearing glasses and clear dangly earrings and smiling on a red carpet.
    (Image credit: Getty Images)
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    If Meryl Streep so much as breathes, I’m inspired. It makes sense, then, that the actress's latest hairstyle has me revisiting a simple look that I used to be absolutely obsessed with. On May 7, Streep was spotted on the set of Only Murders in the Building, the Hulu series that follows a crew of true-crime obsessed people who find themselves trying to unravel their own murder mystery.

    Streep was pictured talking with fellow series actor Martin Short, in a trench coat and fedora à la Sherlock Holmes. Still, it was her easy low braid that caught my attention, and I couldn’t help but think of what a convenient hairstyle it would make in the upcoming summer months. Streep’s blonde hair was pulled over her right shoulder, braided into a small knot, and secured with a ponytail holder. Alongside the hat, a simple pair of earrings and dark sunglasses completed the look.

    Meryl Streep wearing a low braid with a fedora on top, paired with a tan trench coat, jeans, and converse sneakers.

    Meryl Streep wears a low braid with a fedora on top, paired with a tan trench coat, jeans, and Converse sneakers.

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    Even though you're likely not mid-investigation like Streep's character, you, too, can get in on the braid train. Braids are one of the simplest, yet most effective hairstyles out there, particularly because of how quick and easy they are to achieve, as well as how versatile they are to style. Single-plait hairstyles like this one can be minimalist and casual like Streep, they can be dressed up for the red carpet (see: Eiza Gonzalez), or they can even be styled into an updo, as seen on stars like Issa Rae, Lupita Nyong'o, and more.

    This braid is relatively simple to DIY (seriously, if I can do it, I promise you can too). Still, if you need some pointers, keep reading for the products that will make achieving your Meryl-Streep braid a breeze.

    Bristle and Nylon Brush

    Mason Pearson
    Bristle and Nylon Brush
    $200
    $225 AT BLUE MERCURY

    I live, breathe, and swear by my Mason Pearson hair brush. When recreating this style, you'll want to make sure that your hair is smooth and tangle-free, and I love this brush for doing just that.

    Sheglam Dual Voltage Mini Flat Iron Hair Straightener Curling Iron Combo, Anti-Tangle, 360° Swivel Cord, 60s Fast Heating & 2 Temp Levels for Travel

    SHEGLAM
    Dual Voltage Mini Flat Iron
    $20
    $20 AT AMAZON

    One of my favorite little tricks when doing this hairstyle is to run a straightener over the completed braid. When I take my hair down, I'm left with these really defined waves, kind of like an amplified braid out.

    Yuzu + Plum Oil Sleek Stick

    Briogeo
    Yuzu + Plum Oil Sleek Stick
    $23
    $23 AT BLUE MERCURY

    If you deal with flyaways on the regular like me, make it a point to keep a slick stick on you at all times, but especially when doing a hairstyle that's a little more loose, like this braid. This one from Briogeo is a great option that will keep your hair smooth and in place.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

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    Ariel Wilson
    Ariel Wilson
    Social Links Navigation
    Beauty Writer

    Ariel Wilson is the Beauty Writer at Marie Claire. Previously the associate beauty editor at PS, she also has bylines in InStyle, Forbes Vetted, Women's Health, and more.

    Shaped by her experience in research, social sciences, and the non-profit sector, Ariel enjoys looking at beauty from a sociocultural lens, looking to avenues like politics, culture, and the arts, to inform her views on the space. That being said, as a true beauty-product obsessive, testing the latest items to hit the market, keeping up with trends, and meeting industry icons, will always be her favorite part of working in the beauty space.

    When she's not working, Ariel can be found hanging out with her husband and loving on their two cat daughters: Cow and Chicken.

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