The crimp hairstyle is very busy recruiting new fans

The crimp hairstyle can't come to the phone right now. She's busy being rediscovered. It was a tough old time out there for a second, but the nostalgic style has been picked back up and dusted down by the cool girls and well… we apologise for ever benching you, babe.

Like so many trends that have come before it, the style has peaked and flatlined, breaking out in the 1980s for statement texture, then rolling back round in the noughties when Christina Aguilera, Tyra Banks, Britney Spears and Hilary Duff helped put it back on the map. Now? It's been quietly infiltrating our fyp for some time, just not as we remember. Ultra compact, Lady Marmalade zigzags have stretched into a looser, more modern style. In contrast to beach waves, it’s tighter and more deliberate, but it still feels casual, wearable and cool.

Lately celeb fans like Olivia Dean and Zara Larsson have given the crimped hairstyle their own nod, but rather than looking too regimented, a softer approach has helped it feel fresh. Meanwhile Chappel Roan served up a playful, artistic crimp hairstyle at this year's Grammys.

What is crimped hair?

Traditionally, crimped hair called for tightly styled zigzag waves, clamped through hair to create a uniform sawtooth wave. For 2026 though, larger and softer zigzags offer up a gentler way to wear the trend.

How to get crimped hair

Luckily, the tools required to create crimped hair have grown up with us Amika’s High Tide Deep Waver, Beauty Works’ Waver and Hershesons' Multi-Tasker call on a triple barrel that's easy and intuitive to use. As with OG crimping, you clamp the tool down on sections of hair, moving it along the shaft from the top to the bottom, but because the bends are bigger, you can cover wider chunks more quickly. A key tip, for keeping the look modern, is to start two or three inches from your roots, then stopping an inch or two short of your ends (no poodle hair here). More effort is required than your usual straightener or tongs – but, honestly, not a lot more. And, if you want to commit to tight, retro crimps? The Babyliss Crimper helps make styling easier.

No hair tool? No problem. Tight, slim, three-stand braids can help to create the effect, and if you want to supercharge it, you can clamp your braids with a straightener for a few seconds each to lock in that movement.

How to wear crimped hair

We've seen loose crimps look luxe and romantic, or dinky crimps look cute, playful and artistic. You can wear your hair crimped all over or even accent little pieces with crimps scattered throughout.

The looser look is “essentially amplified natural movement, so think glossy, elongated waves that look expensive but still soft,” explains curly hair expert and Curlsmith ambassador Nicola Harrowell. “Olivia Dean and Zara Larsson’s versions worked because the hair looked hydrated and reflective, not crunchy,” she adds.