‘Tis the season for memorable hair moments. With so many awards shows and red carpet events on the docket, beauty enthusiasts will have plenty of inspiration coming in over the next few months. This glamorous time of year unofficially kicked off with the 2025 Golden Globes, where celebrities sported elegant ponytails, baby bangs, and Old Hollywood waves. And on Jan. 7th it kept on going with the National Board of Review Gala in New York City. The fashionable evening was studded with stars like Ariana Grande, Nicole Kidman, and Michelle Yeoh — all of whom continued bringing out their best glam. One highlight in particular was Elle Fanning, whose lavender hair bow was a simple yet sweet way to instantly dress up her on-trend bob.
Bows have been popping up in a major way since 2022, when the balletcore moment first turned up on runways like Simone Rocha and Christian Siriano. Add to that the resurgence of Regency-era style as a result of Bridgerton’s popularity and the trend has been going strong ever since. In addition to them detailing blouses, dresses, and even shoes, bows have also made their way onto the beauty scene. Recently, Gracie Abrams and Nicole Coughlan decked out their manis with dainty ribbons (the former in 3D form and the later a simple silver design), and A-listers like Dakota Johnson, Selena Gomez, and Cardi B have elevated their hairstyles with bows for a coquettish finishing touch.
Fanning’s latest look follows their lead, bringing the bow trend firmly into 2025. To get the effect, hairstylist Jenda Alcorn fastened a small top section of the A Complete Unknown actor’s curled-under bob and secured it with a pale lilac colored ribbon that perfectly matched the one on her strapless tiered Valentino dress. Makeup artist Tyron Machhausen completed the L’Oréal ambassador’s doll-like glam with blurred petal pink lips and a sprinkling of faux freckles.
The star of The Great has been on a roll lately with epic hairstyles, many of which include other accessories. For her latest film’s Los Angeles premiere, she wore ‘60s style pigtails embellished with sparkling barrettes and for a screening at MoMa, she opted for a black patent leather headband. And if you look carefully at her sophisticated knot from last weekend’s Golden Globes, you’ll notice it was adorned with a gold pin that coordinated with the rest of her Cartier jewels. All that said, if Fanning is your go-to beauty muse, this is your sign to invest in a few hair accessories ASAP.