NYFW’s Most Stylish Guests Are Gravitating Toward These Retro Hairstyles

Forget the most wonderful time of the year — New York Fashion Week is the most magical. Overnight, the city’s most stylish citizens dutifully troop up, down, and around every neighborhood in town to attend shows, parties, or just scope out what their fellow fashion lovers are wearing. Though fashion is right in the name, it’s just part of the equation. The best NYFW street style beauty moments are just as head-turning and story-worthy as their sartorial counterparts — think bubblegum pink hair and seamless blends of classic and cutting-edge trends. This year, in particular attendees and sidewalk spectators alike seem to have put a serious emphasis on continuing their personal style and aesthetic through their beauty choices, both subtle and extravagant.

Much like fashion-focused street style, beauty street style says more about where things are headed than where they are now — think of it like a trend oracle. Prim-and-proper schoolyard looks have been en vogue for a while now, but it looks like hair and makeup are finally following suit with retro updos, laser-precise lipstick, and glowing cheekbones. On the more avant-garde end of the spectrum, graphic eyeliner is getting bolder than ever with bright colors and exaggerated shapes. Always-chic buzzcuts are enjoying a well-deserved moment, too — they’ve been popping up on cool city-dwellers and Internet it-girls all week.

Below, a curation of the best NYFW street style beauty looks of 2022 so far, one of the most exciting fashion weeks in years.

Bouffant Beehive

Equal parts glamorous, polished, and powerful, this NYFW attendee’s twist-accented updo is a perfect complement to their dress’ retro silhouette — especially the voluminous sleeves.

Wavy Micro-Braids

Casual-chic can sometimes be even more impressive than its red carpet-ready counterpart, and this NYFW guest’s micro-braids — that cascade into free-flowing mermaid waves, no less — just proves it.

Bold Lips

It’s all right there in the French-girl playbook: incredible trench coat, a slicked center-part, and a siren-red lip painted on with an artist’s finesse.

Oxblood season is finally here — take advantage of every minute. Mary Leest’s deep-dark red lip is a near-match for her leather jacket, which helps pull out the rich brown tones in both.

Graphic Eyes

Julia Fox’s signature eye makeup is already, undeniably, a major moment of 2022. While her exact technique might not work for everyone, the look’s dramatically dark wings definitely do. Here, the wings’ exaggerated ends look almost superhero-like.

Light and airy, this take on graphic liner is just as whimsical but very easy to recreate at home. The creamy white arcs play perfectly against this Hannah Bronfman’s sultry black ensemble, dancing just above the eye crease to really stand out.

Buzzcut Season

A close-cropped buzzcut is so fresh and free, like the hair equivalent to beautiful skin paired with no-makeup makeup. In the case of this NYFW guest, why not have both?

Shoulder-Skimming Bob

Come fall, few things compare to a paradigm-shifting power haircut — especially when it’s a razor-sharp bob. Tiffany Hsu’s center-parted take on the classic style, complete with a warming bronze hair color, is as chic as it gets.

Platinum Blonde

Caroline Daur’s platinum blonde hair color looks like it’s ushering in the colder weather with its icy-cool tone and sleek, structured bun.

Bouncy Curls

Mara Akil Brock’s best looks are all about an embracement of her own naturally stunning features, including her lush grey curls. As more and more celebrities and tastemakers celebrate their born-with-it beauty, expect a trickle-down effect.

Power Pink

If millennial pink is soft and muted, this is the pink shade to unite every generation. Bold, bright, and bubblegum without a root in sight, it’s unmistakable and unforgettable.

For a more muted take on the pink trend, a soft peach lends the same irreverent vibe. Here, an NYFW guest’s red lipstick is the perfect contrast to the warm peach in her perfectly-cut fringe.

Retro Ribbons

Whimsical, playful, and totally youthful, hair ribbons are both classic and unexpected in modern hairstyles — which makes them rife for experimentation. Here, an NYFW guest adorns her shoulder-length pigtails with two black-and-white bows that mirror the ones on her dress.

Towering Topknots

Sleek, chic, and sculptural, a dressed-up topknot is always in style — and not having to fuss with loose ends or hair in your face is always a bonus. This NYFW attendee’s tall, twisted topknot looks extra artistic thanks to the slicked-down scalp framed by carefully laid edges.

Wet Look Waves

A fresh-from-the-salon look doesn’t always mean a bouncy blowout — a combed, still-wet look is so easy, breezy, and stylish. For this NYFW guest, the deep side part and prim nature of their cheerful-colored dress add exciting new elements to the classic wet effect.

Looped Braids

One of the best street style beauty moments of the season, these looped braids — arranged like pseudo-bangs across the forehead — are an accessory unto themselves. As a bonus, this Fashion Week guest’s bright orange nails just so happen to be one of the year’s biggest manicure trends.

Housewife Hair

The Mad Men vibes of these retro, teased curls are immaculate. The pulled-back crown, plumped with plenty of volume, and gently-tapered curtain bangs have been spotted on plenty of celebrities this year — and this NYFW guest proves how real-life wearable it is.