Slicked Back Hair Reigns Supreme at the Emmys

We all know that awards season is hotly anticipated, first and foremost, because the creatives behind our favorite movies and TV shows finally get recognized (or, unfortunately, snubbed) for the work they put in over the last year. During the 2024 Emmy Awards, for instance, some of the shows we have our eyes on include The White Lotus, Succession, The Bear, Abbott Elementary, and other fan favorites.

The shows being recognized tonight vary in terms of genre and subject matter, but while watching their stars hit the red carpet, it’s hard not to recognize the similarities between them—and what this says about current fashion and beauty trends at large. And tonight, I’ve observed star after star wear their hair in a shiny, slicked back look—a trend that directly counters the voluminous hair bows that took over the red carpet at the Golden Globes.

Hair bows have been taking over red carpets, celebrity Instagrams, and street style moodboards alike. The ultra feminine trend conjures nostalgic visions of girlhood and lends any look a wider, more voluminous silhouette. 

While the Golden Globes, where hair bows reigned supreme, took place only about a week ago, it appears that a new hair trend has already taken shape. Slicked back hair has been the go-to style of the 2020s (thanks to the off-duty model look championed by trendsetters like Bella Hadid), and it’s taking over yet again on the red carpet at the Emmys. Stars like Tracee Ellis Ross, Sarah Snook, Dominique Fishback, Rachel Brosnahan, and others have all sported the look tonight, albeit in different ways. Some have worn the style in the traditional bun or ponytail, while others have embellished it with a few loose lock of hair framing their face. Some, like Brosnahan, have also slicked their hair back even while wearing it loose down their back. 

This look is a sharp deviation from the hair bow in a few ways. First, the slicked back look is one of minimalism, whereas the hair bow is one of indulgence and even maximalism, depending on the size of the bow. In addition, slicked back hair is a far more mature, “business-like” look compared to the childlike playfulness of the bow. 

Regardless, I’m here for the trend, and for the diversity of hair looks we’re already observing this early in awards season.