Wanna Know Who I’m Wearing? My Hair Will Tell You

Do you remember the days of clearly communicated, and clearly understood, dress codes? I don’t, but I’ve read about them in books and watched people get dressed for dinner on Downton Abbey, so I know there was a time. As dress codes have become more and more confusing (I kid you not, I’ve seen wedding invitations that say “lake chic,” “casual formal,” and “cocktail,” the third of which is fine…. if the event wasn’t at a sports bar on a Thursday), we’ve figured out a new way to communicate that we know where we are and how we’re “supposed” to show up there. We wear the right hairstyle. So… are hair codes the new dress codes? I think they might be. And there are a few reasons why this makes so much sense.

The Trend

My invites to the shows must’ve been lost in the mail this year, so I can’t tell you exactly how attendees were asked to arrive. Still, I’m fairly certain no one said “do your hair like this” for any of the PFW shows (unless you’re a model). The matchy-matchy glam tells us more about the overall aesthetic, in the Tumblr sense of the word, that brands have curated for themselves. The hairstyles worn to each show were precisely what you might see on a choose-your-fighter mood board slideshow (like this Byrdie fall selection—I’m Cotswolds!) with Miu Miu Girl, Dior Girl, etc.

This in-the-know glamming was extremely evident during the Spring/Summer 2026 fashion shows, kicking off strong with Gucci’s inception of the new Rich Girl hair ideal in Milan. When the party moved to Paris, we saw a beach wave convention take place at Chloé, a wolf cut pack gathered at McQueen, and natural textures—plus some new bangs—ruled the front row at Chanel.

At Dior, “undone drama” was the move. Willow Smith wore a layered, sculptural updo that reminded me of a tiered fountain. Her micro braids were fixed into layers that grew a little taller as they reached the top of her head, where the curly ends spilled out of the perfect messy bun. Nico Parker softly pressed her curls into a voluminous, retro blowout that still retained a bit of her gorgeous natural texture while Taylor Russell opted for an iconic crown of short curls that looked purposefully played with.

In the front row at Chanel, the overall situation was classic, yet delightful—perfect for Matthieu Blazy’s debut show. Attendees like Lily-Rose Depp, Marion Cotillard, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley put their natural waves to work, while those with straighter textures like Margot Robbie and Gracie Abrams forwent further time with a flat iron in favor of their natural slight bends. Middle parts were on the menu for everyone.

Importantly, Ayo Edebiri and Nicole Kidman also showed up in brush-through-and-leave-the-house waves and bangs. Somehow, they knew *this* was the time to premiere a brand-new French-girl fringe—another go-to for plenty of attendees.

As mentioned, the waves at Chloé leaned more boho. At Saint Laurent, Charli XCX, Lila Moss, Hailey Bieber, and Lourdes Leon all opted for shiny strands with a few flyaways as plus ones. Iris Law and Zoe Kravitz went full bedhead, but the energy was the same. At Akris? Straighteners and side parts. Bouncy blowouts and face framing abounded at Zimmermann. McQueen was somewhat choose-your-own-adventure, though there were also edgy wolf cuts a plenty.

Why It’s a Thing

Even if you’re so confident in your personal style that you don’t pay a single teeny tiny minute thought to what anyone else will look like ahead of an event, don’t tell me you’ve *never* asked a friend what they’re planning on wearing somewhere. I remember middle school. (And yes, I’ll wear a dress tomorrow if you will.)

I do believe that no matter how cool you are or appear to be, there’s still something inside all of us that wants to… belong, in a way. But we can’t show people that! To wear something average is at times worse than wearing something ridiculous, but it would be devastating to show that you didn’t understand the vibe at all. I might wear a sweatsuit to the bar, but I’m going to pair it with heavy liner so you know it’s a look. I did think about where I was ending up at the end of the getting-ready process.

At the same time, glam has become so much more of a thing in general; it makes sense that we’re putting more emphasis on it. We can thank the Kardashians, in part, for teaching us the power of having your hair and makeup travel everywhere with you. (Lisa “I have glam in Monaco” Barlow came later, but she’s still a good data point.) Also: the days of signature hairstyles are pretty much over. There are chameleons everywhere, adding bangs, changing up color, or trying different textures depending on the day with the help of wigs and extensions. Even Lisa Rinna likes to make us guess semi-reguarly.

So no, actually, I won’t wear a dress tomorrow just because you’re going to. But if you want to get blowouts before the party, I’ll join you. We’ll probably see everyone else there, too.