When I look back on the hair trends of the late ‘90s and early 2000s—some of which I participated in and some I hard-passed on—I feel a wave of mortification come over me. What were we thinking? I guess that belated embarrassment can be true of many unmistakably era-specific looks, but there’s something so distinctive about the hair choices of that time that makes them unlikely to be resurrected anytime soon. Unless you’re Rihanna and can make something like a zig-zag part seem unbelievably cool and modern.
Smurfette herself was spotted in Los Angeles without a stitch of blue in sight, other than one oversized ring. Her outfit was a mix of casual and luxurious: a sweatshirt and jeans partnered with a fur shawl and a snakeskin bag and heels. But her hair was in a category of its own.
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At first glance, you may notice that Rihanna’s long, sleek, straightened hair is styled half-up in two completely adorable braids that keep her hair fully off of her face. That alone is hair inspo.