Simone Biles Wins the Sleek Bun Olympics

What can’t she do?

Simone biles headshot
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Simone Biles is in her relaxation era, and the beauty moments just keep on giving. After a vacation with fellow Chicago Bears wags (wives and girlfriends of professional athletes) a few weeks ago, Biles is on the road again, this time with her sister, Adria Biles. Before the fun started, she hung out with a friend, inadvertently showcasing one of her chicest off-duty hairstyles to date.

Biles opted for a classic look: a bun hairstyle that is equal parts functional, yet chic. To achieve the bun, her hair was first parted down the middle and gathered into a ponytail. The ends were then tucked into a bun, and some type of gel or flyaway control product was applied to the front of her hair to keep the style sleek all day.

Bun hairstyles have made a comeback lately, as they are not only extremely practical given the scorching summer heat in many parts of the United States, but they can also be styled for a variety of occasions. Selena Gomez was just spotted in her version of the look at an event promoting her new fragrance. Tracee Ellis Ross wore a cornrow style while visiting Martha’s Vineyard recently. Even Jennifer Lopez has been spotted in the look.

The look has been cemented as a part of the “clean-girl” aesthetic on TikTok, but beyond social media trends, it’s ideal for those seeking a low-maintenance, high-impact hairstyle. The bun can stand alone or be paired with styles like baby braids, half-up, half-down looks, and more. While buns are fairly simple to recreate, achieving the sleekness of Biles’s is where the real challenge lies. Keep reading to shop the products that will help you create the sleekest bun just in time for transitional fall hairstyles.

Ariel Baker
Beauty Writer

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

Since she started out in the non-profit sector, Ariel enjoys looking at beauty from a sociocultural lens, looking to avenues like politics, music, 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 fiancé and loving on their two cat daughters: Cow and Chicken.