The slick style trend that's taken over red carpets in the last five years
It's almost impossible to look at a red carpet these days without spotting a slicked-back bun, ponytail or twist.
The sleek style has taken Hollywood by storm, with everyone from model Bella Hadid, to actress Nicole Kidman, and reality TV giant Kim Kardashian rocking slicked-back hair at awards shows, film premieres and even the Met Gala.
But how did the look take over red carpets in a matter of years when long, lush locks were the go-to celebrity hairstyle for so long? Keep reading to find out.
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Edgier stars like Angelina Jolie would rock a slicked-back bun from time to time but the style didn't really start to gain traction until the late 2000s.
Here she's pictured in a sleek updo at a premiere for The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button in 2008.
That was around the same time fashion and modelling icons like Shalom Harlow (left) and actress Amber Valletta (right) also started showing up on red carpets with slicked-back hair.
Harlow's hairstyle at The Met Gala in 2009 was considered quite editorial and was probably a little ahead of its time, knowing what we know now.
Actress Megan Fox also tried her hand at a slicked-back style at the MTV Movie Awards that year.
Known for her unique style, she was one of only a few Hollywood stars who went all out with this gelled look more than a decade ago.
Flash forward by eight years to the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, one of the most fashionable events in the film industry, and the slicked back look started its true rise to popularity.
Pamela Anderson wowed in this gelled style, which held her long hair back to allow her intricate earrings to take centre stage.
The slick-back really started to peak in 2022, when celebrities like Kim Kardashian embraced sleek gelled updos for major red carpet events like the Met Gala.
Wanting to keep all eyes on her dress, which was originally made for Marilyn Monroe, Kardashian wore her bleached-blonde hair in a slicked bun.
Hailey Bieber has been a slicked back bun fan for years and rocked this 'clean girl' look at the 2022 Met Gala.
Alongside Bella Hadid, Bieber could probably be considered one of the pioneers of the slick back on red carpets and runways.
Don't Worry Darling actress Florence Pugh showed how short-haired girls could embrace the slick back trend when she arrived at the Valentino Haute Couture Fall/Winter 22/23 in 2022.
Rather than slicking her hair into a bun, she used gel to part her hair and slick it into the perfect edgy bob.
There's no denying that 2024 marked the slick back trend's biggest year yet, with Bella Hadid leading the way for the chic minimalist hair trend.
She rocked several slicked styles at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, including this one with a dramatic side sweep.
She showed off the versatility of slicked back styles with this look a few days later, which saw her brunette locks piled atop her head in romantic curls.
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