Selena Gomez Just Took Part in the Hairbow Trend in a Major Way
The ultra big, ultra feminine look.
Having already made headlines through the release of her beauty brand’s new body collection and the announcement of her new relationship, Selena Gomez has also garnered attention this week for championing a nostalgic beauty trend. On December 7, she posted a mirror selfie to her Instagram story in which she donned a huge black bow atop her slicked back bun. The ultra feminine look stood in contrast to the rest of her outfit, which, from what we could tell, consisted of a top with steel, buckle-like hardware and matching belt buckle bracelets.
Not only did Gomez wear the bow—already a statement piece—to begin with, but she also opted for an enormous bow nearly twice the size of her head. In the photo, the accessory fans out beyond both sides of her head, looking more like wings than a hair piece.
Bows have been a popular hair accessory for centuries, but became especially popular among women in the 1680s. As the story goes, the Marquise de Fontagne, who was one of France’s King Louis XIV’s mistresses, lost her hat while she was riding a horse. At the time, it was considered improper for woman to be soon with their hair loose, so she improvised, pulling a bow off of her dress and using it to tie up her hair. The style took off in popularity, with Marie-Antoinette reportedly spending 20,000 francs on hair ribbons about a century after the Marquise’s wardrobe malfunction.
Today, bows have become emblematic of nostalgic, innocent femininity, recalling visions of schoolgirls tying up their hair in matching ribbons or young women getting ready for holiday gatherings. They can be worn with high, slicked back styles like Gomez’s bun, they can be used to tie hair loosely at the nape of the neck, or they can be worn throughout one’s long, loose tresses. For more inspiration, check out the myriad ways celebrities styled black hair bows during the 2023 Met Gala.
If you’re as inspired as I am by Gomez’s big bow, consider spicing up your hair routine by adding one to your look. Below, some of the cutest, most on-trend options.
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Gabrielle Ulubay is a Beauty Writer at Marie Claire. She has also written about sexual wellness, politics, culture, and fashion at Marie Claire and at publications including The New York Times, HuffPost Personal, Bustle, Alma, Muskrat Magazine, O'Bheal, and elsewhere. Her personal essay in The New York Times' Modern Love column kickstarted her professional writing career in 2018, and that piece has since been printed in the 2019 revised edition of the Modern Love book. Having studied history, international relations, and film, she has made films on politics and gender equity in addition to writing about cinema for Film Ireland, University College Cork, and on her personal blog, gabrielleulubay.medium.com. Before working with Marie Claire, Gabrielle worked in local government, higher education, and sales, and has resided in four countries and counting. She has worked extensively in the e-commerce and sales spaces since 2020, and spent two years at Drizly, where she developed an expertise in finding the best, highest quality goods and experiences money can buy.
Deeply political, she believes that skincare, haircare, and sexual wellness are central tenets to one's overall health and fights for them to be taken seriously, especially for people of color. She also loves studying makeup as a means of artistic expression, drawing on her experience as an artist in her analysis of beauty trends. She's based in New York City, where she can be found watching movies or running her art business when she isn't writing. Find her on Twitter at @GabrielleUlubay or on Instagram at @gabrielle.ulubay, or follow her art at @suburban.graffiti.art
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