Every Updo Out There Can Be Dressed Up With A Pair Of Bangs

While intricate hairstyling has been around since virtually the dawn of time and across every culture, it might interest you to know that the modern updo as we now know it really started to take off in the 18th century. Slate reports that you can essentially draw a line between the elaborately constructed styles worn by well-to-do ladies of the 1700s and the contemporary updos seen at weddings, on the red carpet, and for all sorts of special occasions. These days, though, there’s an extra, trending element taking over: celebrity updos with bangs offers a whole new way to construct even the most classic buns and chignons, framing the face while adding texture and movement.

Just as celebrity style is incredibly varied, so are the upswept looks and even the types of bangs they wear. They work equally as beautifully with curly, straight, waved, and short fringes, and can be incorporated into traditionally formal updos as well as more casual takes. While they can sometimes have a (possibly unfair) reputation for being finicky, bangs can really be seamlessly added into all of your favorite ponytails, buns, and braided styles.

Ahead, get inspired — and possibly find your next haircut — with this roundup of celebrity updos with bangs.

Salma Hayek

Curtain bangs are beloved for their versatility, a more low-key alternate to a classic blunt set. At the Oscars, Hayek’s own pair soill down from her high, looped bun, framing her face and adding even more intensity to her smoky eye makeup.

Regina King

There’s nothing boring about the ponytails King wears, especially when she’s letting her stunning natural texture shine through. Her curly bangs make her classic pony feel so personal, detailed, and exciting.

Dakota Johnson

Don’t think your bangs have to be perfectly neat for even the biggest events — your updos don’t have to be either. As Johnson demonstrates, an artfully messy structure can make an otherwise prim-and-proper look feel sultry and even a little edgy.

Olivia Wilde

Plaits of all types feel even more elaborate with a bold set of bangs, like Wilde’s large bubble braid and thick, straight-across fringe. Individually, both elements would be eye-grabbing — together, they’re an all-time standout.

Rihanna

Wearing a particular hairstyle to the Met Gala might be the greatest co-sign of all — and that goes double for anything debuted by Rihanna. She opted for a towering, strand-wrapped bun in 2015, very neat and sleek save for the one sprout of hair left intentionally out on top.

Eva Longoria

Bangs come in all lengths, and the longer sets can be an easy way to slowly wade into the cut. Longoria used the short, jaw-length pieces around her face to make her teased ponytail feel even more casually glamorous.

Helen Mirren

You just can’t go wrong with a classic. To complement her immaculately-wrapped chignon, Mirren added a full set of bangs, taking care to forgo any longer tendrils around her temples. Her goal seemed to be sleek elegance, which she naturally pulled off.

Gemma Chan

Are you excited to know that side bangs are making a serious comeback this year? How could they not with a spokesperson like Chan showing off how chic they are? She paired hers with a mid-height ponytail, splitting about two-thirds of her fringe off to one side.

Cardi B

A dramatic dress calls for an equally exciting look. At the latest Marc Jacobs show, Cardi B leaned into the fluffy, voluminous texture of her outfit by going for a towering, strategically messy bun that gave way to long bangs beneath. She must have loved the style, because she kept the bangs for a long while afterwards.

Taylor Swift

An instant recipe for cottagecore? Braids and bangs, easy-peasy. Swift’s plaited updo might not feel as homespun or elaborate if not for the wavy bangs — her signature — up front.