Tyla’s Never Had a Bad Hair Day—Her Latest Protective Style Is Proof
The versatility of braids is unmatched.
Oh, Tyla, the icon that you are. On July 18, the pop star posted a photo carousel on Instagram, showcasing herself at what appears to be some sort of party. The picture dump was simply captioned "07/25 25/07", which seems to be a hint at what I'm hoping is an album release date. Of course, fans immediately jumped into the singer’s comments, expressing excitement at a potential new drop. But in the midst of all of this, I was locked in on her hair, which has me once again shifting my summer hairstyle calendar just a few short days after she upended it the first time.
After partying in Germany wearing the love child of goddess and lemonade braids, Tyla’s latest hairstyle goes back to the basics—but there’s nothing simple about it. The look consists of two jumbo braid cornrows to start. The extra-long length of the plaits found the ends of her hair landing at her knees. Each cornrow was created using a stitch-braid technique, which gives it those defined lines you see throughout the style. The ends of each braid were left out, giving them a wavy appearance, similar to the look of boho braids.
Tyla showing of a stitch braid protective style.
As someone who has been in my sew-in era, Tyla reminds me how much fun I can have with protective styles. She’s not the only celebrity who’s been enjoying them, either. Tessa Thompson was recently seen at Wimbledon with beautiful medium box braids, after wearing them to all of her couture week shows. Also at the tournament was model Jourdan Dunn, who was sporting a T.W.A., also known as a teeny weenie afro. Even Cardi B. has gotten in on the fun, wearing a whimsical fishtail braid at Ashi Studio's Fall/Winter 2025 showcase during Paris Fashion Week.
I’m obsessed with how simple, yet trendy Tyla’s new hairstyle is, especially because it showcases the intricacies of traditional braiding practices. If, unlike me, you are blessed with the talent of being able to cornrow your own hair, first of all, congratulations. How does it feel to be the universe’s favorite person? Second, if you want to apply those skills to recreate Tyla’s new hairstyle at home, keep reading for the products you’ll want to keep on hand to make the process as easy as possible.
When doing any sort of hairstyle that requires precision, a braid comb will be your best friend. If you have really thick hair that is known to snap a comb or two, get a multipack.
Also handy to keep your braids neat while styling your hair is a braid gel like this one from The Doux.
If you want length like Tyla's, extensions will likely be needed. I love this brand called Rebundle that has plant-based braiding hair.
The wavy bits of Tyla's hair are likely due to human hair extensions, which can be pricey. If you used synthetic hair for the leave-out portion of the look, get that wavy pattern by using a tool like this hair waver.
Post-styling, apply some mousse and a bonnet or durag to keep your braids looking fresh.
