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That Hairstyle You Wore to Prom Is Cool Again

We haven't even made it to February and already 2020 is shaping up to be an extremely controversial year for hair. First, we saw the return of the mullet (enough said), and now another trend from the past is back to haunt us: prom hair.

You know the look. In fact, you probably rocked it at a school dance between the years of 1999 to 2003. It essentially consists of some kind of updo, usually a bun, and the defining trait is the two long, loose pieces of hair in the front, often lovingly referred to as tendrils. If looking at old photos of this hairstyle (captured on a disposable camera, obviously) makes you cringe, I have some bad news for you—because it's officially the "new" trend on the red carpet. J.Lo, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Margot Robbie, to name just a few, have all recently made an appearance with their front pieces ready to party. And, honestly, I don't hate it.

"Like all trends and styles, the ones that are cool tend to circle back," says hairstylist Laura Polko, who did Julia Fox's look at the Critics' Choice Awards earlier this month. Whatever your definition of "cool" might be, she definitely has a point: The early aughts are clearly having a renaissance right now.

As lip gloss, French manis, and low-rise jeans have all rotated back into modern lexicon, it only makes sense that prom hair, as popular as it was at the time, would also reemerge. Hairstylist Justine Marjan, who often uses ’90s and early-’00s references as inspiration, points to our love for Lizzie McGuire as another example of our nostalgia for simpler times—and piecey hairstyles.

But instead of the crispy, over-flatironed, greasy version of our collective pasts (side note: why were we always so greasy?), this time the style manages to look chic. Stylists also love it for its ability to instantly emphasize your face. "Front tendrils help shape your face, and the hair pulled higher also adds fullness and youthfulness," says Sarah Klein, a hairstylist at L.A.'s 901 Salon. "It draws attention in such a beautiful way."

Should you choose to dust off your flatiron, there's one of two ways you can go about it. Go full 1999 with thick, sleek tendrils like Dua Lipa did at the Grammys, which looked surprisingly fresh thanks to the sleek bun and her two-tone color. The trick here is adding enough hair to the front pieces to make it feel purposeful.

On the other hand, stylists are also taking it in the complete opposite direction, and keeping the whole look soft and a little bit messy. "Forget the hairspray and perfection and add a little more texture to make it a higher-fashion alternative to the classic 2000s prom updo," says Klein. For Fox's take on the look, Polko curled her hair with a larger iron (she likes the T3 SinglePass Curl 1.25-inch iron) away from her face to get that pretty open look, and made sure to add volume to the rest of her hair to make it cohesive. Again, that's key, since the contrast of a stiff bun and curled tendrils is what makes this look dated, Klein says.

If you're worried about pulling off the look, my only advice to you is to lean in. Maybe Pen15 is holding open auditions for season two?

Bella Cacciatore is the beauty associate at Glamour. Follow her on Instagram @bellacacciatore_.

Originally Appeared on Glamour