Hair is everything. Anyone with half a follicle knows that. In the traditional sense, a hairstyle can make or break an outfit. But what if a hairstyle was the outfit?
Wearable hair is becoming quite the hit in 2026, with Margot Robbie and Charli xcx both donning tresses-inspired dresses in recent days.
For Robbie, it was a continuation of her excellent run of Wuthering Heights press tour looks, with a plait-laden dress by Turkish-British designer Dilara Findikoglu which she wore to the film’s London premiere.
Then, a little over a week later, Charli xcx stepped out in a black knit cardigan and pencil skirt with a hairy hem and sleeves at the Berlin Film Festival. The dress was designed by Lou de Bètoly, a Berlin-based French designer whose most recent collection played with tendrils of knitting that look like bedraggled hair.
Hair has been cropping up across different runway shows for the past few years. Back in January 2024, Simone Rocha’s collection for Jean Paul Gaultier couture featured hair-style earrings twisted into bows and buns, as well as hair-fringed heels.
That same year, Schiaparelli sent plaited hair ties down the runway, a look which feels destined to make a red carpet appearance awfully soon thanks to the current popularity of funky ties.
It’s far from the first time hair has had a runway moment. Martin Margiela’s final show for Maison Margiela in 2008 featured models with their faces covered in hair, as well as full hair jacket that resembled several blonde bobs. Helmut Lang showed heels with tails, like horses, back in 2004, while Lee McQueen was known for sewing locks of hair into his Alexander McQueen dresses to signify that they were his DNA.
And wearable hair has existed long before runways. “Incorporating human hair into wearable accessories has been done for centuries, both historically and globally,” says Rachael Gibson, aka @thehairhistorian. “It speaks to the romantic and spiritual powers that humans assign to hair.
“In Europe and North America, hair keepsakes are most often associated with the Victorians, who built an entire industry out of turning strands into wearable art. These creations were often produced to commemorate a death, but also to mark key life moments, such as the birth of a child or an engagement. In a time before photography was affordable and widely available, it offered a way to keep someone you loved close at hand.”
During the 16th and 17th centuries, human hair worn as an earring became particularly popular, some 500 years before Sandy Liang sent her hair bows down the catwalk. “Many portraits of the era feature men with gold hoops, hung with both jewels and long strands of hair, donated by a loved one,” Gibson notes.
So, why is it making a comeback now? Some trend forecasters have noted it as a response to our current era of AI and automation, with people seeking distinctly human accessories, so much so that they’ve become anatomical. Gibson senses it could have something to do with a renewed appreciation for “slow, labour-intensive craftsmanship,” although she’s careful to note that many of these creations, while closely resembling human hair, are nothing of the sort. “Much of the hair used today is either synthetic or, if it’s real, it’s untraceable — it’s unlikely you’ll ever be able to identify the person who provided the hair you’re wearing, much less feel closer to them through incorporating a part of their body into your own appearance.”
For those looking to get really hairy with it, creators like Zen Hansen (@hairanthropology) make accessories out of actual human hair that her clients send in, designed for memorial or sentimental purposes. Valentine’s Day may have been and gone — but there’s always next year!
