Braided Up

47 Gorgeous Black Braided Hairstyles That Will Inspire Your Next Look

Let Taraji P. Henson, Zoe Kravitz, and more be your guide to gorgeous braids.
47 Best Black Braided Hairstyles to Try in 2021
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Elaborately-braided hairstyles can sometimes take hours to achieve, so of course, you want them to look extra fresh once you finally get out of the salon chair. We're talking about hair that makes you do a double take and then double tap. 

Braiding, particularly in cultures with a strong African influence, is a tradition that goes back for generations. And classic styles are constantly being reinvented and brought to life with a new-school swag. That's because braids are extremely adaptable, and with a wealth of techniques and traditions to look back on, it should come as little surprise that Black people with naturally Afro-textured hair are embracing and reinventing an important part of our culture.

Be it beads, patterns that swoop and swirl around the crown, technicolor ombré hues, or braid styles adorned with thread, cuffs, and butterflies, the options are endless, which can be a bit daunting if you're trying to decide on a look. But fear not! We're here to help you navigate it all with some major inspiration spied on celebrities and on Instagram. Whether you're looking to rock straight backs, Fulani braids, or the ever-popular Janet Jackson Poetic Justice braids, we've got ideas that will help you achieve ultimate hair goals.

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    Puff Piece

    Ebonee Davis is a reliable source for natural hair inspiration, and oh, look, here she is again with another hairstyle we'd like to copy. The model/activist stepped out on the red carpet with a set of gorgeous Afro puffs, boasting a base of tiny cornrows braided in three directions.

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    Golden Girls

    A few of the models on the runway at Pyer Moss's Spring 2020 show wore sets of beautiful cornrow braids adorned with gold cuffs forged in the image of Black female music artists. The gilded likenesses of Missy Elliot, Grace Jones, Rihanna, Lauryn Hill, and more graced their plaits, a beautiful tribute to the contribution of Black women to pop culture worldwide. 

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    Braids on Braids

    Anyone who has gotten box braids has likely woven those smaller braids into a set of larger ones, and actor Yvonne Orji is no exception. In 2019, she attended the Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards with her blonde box braids styled into a crown braid that transforms into a braided ponytail.

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    Safety First

    Dancehall artist Shenseea wore this mile-long braid decorated with a crap-ton of safety pins for her "Trick'a Treat" music video.  Her look is a great example of how you can transform a simple high pony with the right accessories. If you've got a bunch of safety pins in a junk drawer somewhere, now you've got a use for them.

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    Whip-Smart

    Tessa Thompson's super long BDSM-inspired braid was one of our favorite hair looks from the 2019 Met Gala, "Notes on Camp." The style comes courtesy of Lacy Redway, who left a little tassel at the end of the 12-foot long latex braid so it could resemble a whip.

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    Fiyah Bun

    You don't have to do the most to get super gorgeous hair. A simple braided bun is always a good look, as Issa Rae demonstrates here. Here, the base of her hair is kept sleek and the braided bit is just a few shades lighter than her base, hinting at a cool ombré.

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    Finger Waves and Length for Days

    Tracee Ellis Ross got all gussied up to for the 2020 People's Choice Awards. For the occasion, her hair was styled by Nai'vasha Johnson in a long, textured ponytail with a finger-wave design at the base. 

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    Mumbo Jumbo

    Let the beautiful Victoria Monet provide you with a little inspo for your next jumbo box braid sesh. The singer/songwriter's dark brown, almost-black braids are brightened up with some strands of blonde, adding dimension to her look. 

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    Child's Play

    Saweetie never fails to serve us hairstyles that make us press the "save" button on Instagram. These box braids she's wearing are decorated with clear beads at the ends. This kind of look reminds something we wore as kids in the '90s, except the way she's wearing hers in the 2020s is all grown up.

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    Sultry Straight Backs

    There is no hairstyle more classic than a good set of straight-back cornrows. While this could be considered one of the more basic cornrow styles, it's easy to elevate the look to make it more special. For the 2020 American Music Awards, Ciara wore hers with a swooping, swirling set of baby hairs.

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    '90s Baby

    Jordyn Woods fêted Justin Roberts's New Music Video 'Way Too Much' with a set of box braids that were left loose and wavy at the ends. Offering proof that scrunchies are making a big comeback, the model used a satiny-looking animal-print version to hold her braids in a half-up, half-down look.

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    Twice Crowned

    Stylist Vernon François took the concept of a braid crown to the next level with an actual crown. A few days after Amandla Stenberg debuted long, thick braids with red highlights and a thinner braid split along her hairline, François reinvented the look by pinning it up and topping it off with a starry tiara.

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    Loose Ends

    Laurel Harrier wore box braids to the L.A. premiere of BlacKkKlansman for a special reason, according to her hairstylist Lacy Redway. "Most of us remember iconic moments from the '90s of seeing Janet Jackson with box braids in Poetic Justice or Brandy in Moesha," she captioned an image of Harrier's look. "But how many of you guys know that braids can be traced back more than 5,000 years ago to about 3500 B.C. ?" In her post, Redway lays out a brief history of braids before mentioning that Harrier chose the look to "celebrate the history and culture of box braids." Harrier's braids, which boast slightly wavy, loose ends, were styled into a half-up, half-down look, complete with subtle, slicked-down baby hairs.

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    Down-to-There Platinum Hair

    Many an attendee wore this hairstyle at 2018 Essence Fest but, Mary J. Blige brought it from the New Orleans streets to the stage for her performance at the festival. Blige chose long box braids that reach her thigh — in her signature blonde hue, of course.

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    Fulani Fab

    Hairstylist Christina "Tina" Trammell gave multi-hyphenate Erica Ash a gorgeous set of Fulani braids that looked beautiful paired with her head-turning gown. Trammel also added wooden beads at the ends of Ash's braids, tying the whole look together.

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    Knot Your Average Pony

    This next-level look on the lovely Amandla Stenberg comes courtesy of hair legend Vernon François. François created this multicolor, knotted plait, "because why knot," as he captioned an image of the look on his Instagram page.

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    Cinnamon Bun Braids

    Hairstylist Sheridan Ward gave Thandie Newton this hairstyle for a panel at Cannes Lions. Her cornrows were braided back in a slightly swoopy pattern, brought together at the nape of her neck into a low bun that is making us hungry for Cinnabon.

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    Flower Power

    For the cover of Allure's June 2017 issue, Zöe Kravitz's signature micro braids (this time in platinum blonde) were accessorized with charming faux flowers and butterflies, courtesy of Nikki Nelms. The result? An ethereal, mystical style.

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    Braids and Bouffant

    Alicia Keys has been serving us gorgeous braided hairstyles since she burst onto the scene in 2001 with "Fallin'", and she's still in the business of selflessly providing the girls with hair inspo. During her tenure as a judge on The Voice, she wore cornrows that fed into a larger braid with a voluminous bouffant

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    Mix & Match Plaits

    When is Solange Knowles not giving us serious hairspiration? After going blonde in September 2017, she later stepped out with this set of braids by Susy Oludele, aka @hairbysusy, we were, as the kids say, shook. We love the mix-and-match feel of these braids, adorned with beads and white thread.

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    Kandy Kornrows

    Not everyone likes the taste of candy corn, but the look of these orange-and-yellow ombré jumbo braids is making me want to eat a bowl full of them. The braids, done by YouTuber Kersti Pitre, are what she likes to call Kandy Cornrows. We think the name fits perfectly.

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    No-Fuss Muss

    Kerry Washington's straight-back cornrows, which she wore to shoot Allure's November 2017 issue, were given an easy, earthy vibe with loose edges and a few well-placed cuffs. Here, hairstylist Takisha Sturdivant-Drew shows us you don't need edge control to serve a polished, braided moment.

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    Beaded Babe

    Just so you know, we're still gathering our collective edges from when we saw this hairstyle on Survivor’s Remorse actress Teyonah Parris. Parris took her Fulani braids to beaded glory with this look. 

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    Electric Lady

    If Beyoncé lets you do her hair, you know you've got the magic touch. @hairbysusy consistently floods our Instafeeds with major hair porn, and this electric, acid-yellow set of box braids adorned with colorful beads is no exception.

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    Orange Soda

    Pumpkins ain't got nothing on this adorable orange bob. We love these bright box braids on Lindiwe Dim, snipped short and secured with yellow, peach, and pink elastics.

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    Well-Fed

    Jourdan Dunn wore a set of feed-in braids by Lacy Redway to the 2015 Met Gala and, of course, absolutely nailed the look.

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    Epic Bun

    St. Kitts–based hairstylist Jalicia created this gorgeous updo, which she punctuated with a bit of colorful thread in the front. While we're sure the braids she twisted into a giant bun look great when they are hanging loose, we're obsessed with the drama this swirly updo is serving.

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    Throwback Slay

    An indisputable fact about Nina Simone is that her musicianship and her style can never be duplicated. She proudly wore her natural hair for many years and often tapped into her roots to inspire her hairdos. Here she is with a simple-yet-elegant braided bun. She may be gone, but her proclivity to turn hair into art still influences many today.

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    Up Top

    Fellas love braids, too. Just ask Michael B. Jordan. While prepping for the wildly successful Black Panther film, Jordan grew out his hair and wore braids. 

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