Anya Taylor-Joy Channeled Sharon Tate With Her Itty-Bitty Braid

You can always count on Anya Taylor-Joy to deliver a seriously stylish press tour. She did so last spring while promoting Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga in a series of stunning looks by the likes of Marni, Khaite, Mugler, and more. Now she’s doing it all over again for another action-packed flick, The Gorge, and she’s taking New York City by storm with even more chic head-to-toe ensembles — all in the span of just 24 hours. Given the multitude of wardrobe changes in such a short time, Taylor-Joy needed a hairstyle that was versatile enough to pair with anything, yet she didn’t go the basic route. Instead, she chose a singular baby braid reminiscent of actress Sharon Tate’s iconic ‘60s hairstyle.

On Feb. 4, Taylor-Joy hopped around NYC from Soho to the East Village for a slew of press appearances. While her new film has a futuristic, sci-fi slant, she opted for ensembles that nodded to the 1960s, which made her retro baby braid such a perfect choice. Among the outfits the actor paired with her nostalgic hairstyle were two mod Celine skirt suits, a leather capelet and bubble skirt, and an Alexander McQueen “yeti coat” — and they all worked seamlessly with the barely-there braid.

Sharon Tate, who Taylor-Joy was channeling with her hairstyle, made baby braids a big trend back in the 1960s, but the look has had a few major surges in popularity since that time. First, it became a mainstay of Y2K style in the early aughts. Then more recently, itty-bitty braids braids were a fixture of Coachella and other music festivals, with celebrity supporters including Kendall Jenner, Hailey Bieber, and Emma Roberts.

Now, with Taylor-Joy’s help, it looks like they’re having another major moment. And while her asymmetrical baby braid is worn in the simplest of ways — with the rest of her waist-length platinum hair down in loose waves — it can also be more dressed up, too. Take Lily-Rose Depp’s Victorian-inspired version for example, which is contrastingly more sleek and sculpted. With so many ways to wear them and so many styles to pair them with, baby braids are poised to be one of the season’s biggest hair trends.