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When I look back on the hair trends of the late ‘90s and early 2000s—some of which I participated in and some I hard-passed on—I feel a wave of mortification come over me. What were we thinking? I guess that belated embarrassment can be true of many unmistakably era-specific looks, but there's something so distinctive about the hair choices of that time that makes them unlikely to be resurrected anytime soon. Unless you're Rihanna and can make something like a zig-zag part seem unbelievably cool and modern.
Smurfette herself was spotted in Los Angeles without a stitch of blue in sight, other than one oversized ring. Her outfit was a mix of casual and luxurious: a sweatshirt and jeans partnered with a fur shawl and a snakeskin bag and heels. But her hair was in a category of its own.
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At first glance, you may notice that Rihanna's long, sleek, straightened hair is styled half-up in two completely adorable braids that keep her hair fully off of her face. That alone is hair inspo.
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But upon closer inspection, it seems she has successfully reinvigorated a look I never thought I could get behind again: the zig-zag part. With all due respect to Melissa Joan Hart and Mandy Moore, I just never thought we could bring this back in a non-cringey way.
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The key to what makes it work, other than being on Rihanna's head, is the subtlety. Instead of gigantic zigs and zags, held in place by something like colorful butterfly clips, the zig-zag blends beautifully, giving it a grown-up twist.
While I'm not entirely confident that I could reproduce such a sleek-yet-soft take on the zig-zag part, I am sure that anyone who can will be seen as cute and not cringeworthy.
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