There aren’t many curly haired heroines out there in popular culture. Especially not in 2025 where overly facetuned features prevail and the only waves comes courtesy of a hot iron. And even those are manufactured – smooth, perfectly formed and evenly spaced throughout.
One of the most memorable curly haired girls in history has to be SJP's Carrie Bradshaw. In season 2 of SATC, she famously likened her type 2C waves to that of a wild horse, while by comparison her love rival – Natasha with the swishy, straight hair and a Ralph Lauren twinset – was seen as more 'tameable'.
I don’t think we need to get as deep as embedding our hairstyle within our personality. It’s made to be changed and played with after all. However, it would be nice if less-than-perfectly-coiffed curls were allowed on the menu.
Read Next
Why does fashion love a straightened mane so much? Long before Instagram filters existed and botox (read: smooth, unwrinkled skin) was the norm, the world loved a good poker straight style. Fashion wants a blank canvas – the clothes should do the talking, etc. But if you’ve been a victim to cookie cutter syndrome, it's time to ask yourself how bad it could really be to look different?
When I had a baby I made it my mission to embrace my naturally wavy hair simply because I did not have time to blow dry it anymore. It was a path I'd embarked on many a time before, only to be knocked off course by bad haircuts or new trends I thought demanded straightened locks.
Just last year I weakened and got a Brazilian blow dry, only to regret it once spring rolled around and my curl pattern was impacted, roots unavoidably flatter, and everything just a bit limper. A linear journey this is not!
There are also so many factors involved in achieving curly hair than I ever anticipated – from the cut and style, to the shampoo routine and even the way I was sleeping. Don't even get me started on the curly hair products, of which I have tested hundreds.
Color WOW Dream Coat for Curly Hair
Bread Hair-Gel Curl Defining Styler
Oribe Curl Gloss
The most important factor in achieving a degree of predictability? Cutting my hair as close to one length as possible, which involved a rather unpleasant few months of a triangular, not-quite-a-bob look. But I had the end goal in mind. Whenever hairdressers layered my hair, I found the waves didn't have the weight they needed to form without frizz. Depending on your curl type, though, your strands might have a whole other set of demands. That's the difficult thing about curly hair.
The other difficult thing? No two days look the same. No matter how hard you try. Which is why it pays to experiment with your curl routine (I've detailed mine here) and nail it. Once you do get there, you'll save so much time and effort; your hair will thank you for forgoing heat, you will see less split ends and less breakage. And you will literally gain an extra half an hour in bed – think of all the minutes you'll save not blow-drying and straightening your hair every morning.
The bit no one talks about, though, is the mental detachment from the glossy hair we've had drilled into us by Disney Princesses and popstars is attractive from day one. You might have got your curls looking their best, but if you can't embrace a messier look, you won't have the confidence to pull them off.
My main inspiration was Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen who, to shake of their squeaky clean childstar rep and be taken seriously as designers, started wearing their hair long and unabashedly messy. It only enhances the effortlessness of their head-to-toe The Row outfits.
I suspect that, with the Y2k renaissance and Indie Sleaze fascination going nowhere, we'll start to see more of an appreciation for less-than-perfect hair and thus a less-than-perfect life. Think Kate Moss with just-stumbled-out-of-a-club hair. Or Carrie Bradshaw running her hands through her curls and puffing on a fag as she wrote 'And I got to thinking...' in various uncomfortable positions. Or Julia Roberts in a Hunza G mini with wild tousled waves in Pretty Woman (1990).
We don't all have the time or discipline to tap into that loaded #cleangirl code of conduct. Bring on a bit of low-maintenance joy, I say.
ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE.
Abigail Southan
Senior Fashion Ecommerce Editor
Abigail Southan is our Senior Fashion Ecommerce Editor and has five years' experience as a writer and editor in the industry. Abigail has a BA in History from the University of Bristol and an MA in Fashion Journalism from Central Saint Martins. Abigail currently covers all things style and shopping across titles including Harper’s Bazaar, ELLE, Esquire and Red. On a daily basis, she helps readers buy better with how-to-wear guides, first-person product reviews and deep dives into the latest trends. Previously, Abigail has worked for The Sunday Times’ Style and Fabulous magazine as their first ecommerce writer and was a founding editor of Sun Selects. She has also written for Net-a-Porter, I-D, Man About Town, Wonderland and 1 Granary, and has interviewed the likes of Paris Hilton, Dua Lipa and Christopher Bailey. You can follow Abigail on Instagram at @abigailsouthan.
