The new trend is not to comb your hair. Here's what you need to know about it
Today's fashion industry is moving away from standards of impeccable styling in favor of natural, and sometimes emphasized, negligence. What was once a sign of fatigue has transformed into a manifesto of confidence and distancing from the artificial perfection of social media.
Messy hairstyles became one of the main features of Prada's Fall 2026 collection. Photo: prada.com
At recent shows by fashion houses such as Prada, Simone Rocha, and Coach, viewers could notice an unusual trend: models walked the runway with deliberately messy, even slightly tangled hair. Instead of perfectly styled hair, they showcased hair that looked as if it had barely been touched by a comb.
On social media, this trend has already been ironically dubbed "depression hair," but, as The New York Times claims, for the industry, this is not just a random look, but a reflection of sentiments that have long been brewing in society.
A model at the Collina Strada Fall 2026 show. Photo: wwd.com
The "unwashed hair" and tangled strands style is actively promoted through pop culture, from singer Charli XCX's look to actresses Rachel Zegler and Gwendoline Christie appearing at the Met Gala with deliberately uncombed hair.
Gwendoline Christie at the Met Gala. May 4, 2026. Photo: John Shearer / WireImage
For many designers, such aesthetics are a way to make complex and vibrant looks more natural. Hillary Taymour, founder and creative director of the Collina Strada brand, says that in her Fall 2026 collection, which used lace, ruffles, and animal prints, deliberately messy hair helped soften the overall impression. According to her, when clothing already attracts a lot of attention, an overly elaborate hairstyle can look excessive.
Prada Fall 2026 collection. Photo: prada.com
At the same time, the manner of carrying oneself plays a key role: such an image will only be convincing if the person looks as if they don't care about their appearance at all. Isabel Wilkinson Schor, creative director of the Attersee brand, notes that the popularity of such hairstyles is associated with the desire to avoid excessive perfection and leave room for a slight sloppiness that looks more natural and lively.
However, the very idea that trying too hard for a flawless look is not very fashionable is not new at all. In the 1990s, it lay at the heart of grunge aesthetics. At that time, unwashed hair and torn clothes became a kind of reaction to the previous era, when fashion was obsessed with logos, luxury, and a flawless appearance.
Simone Rocha Fall 2026 collection. Photo: simonerocha.com
Today's return to sloppiness can be considered a reaction to the cult of "looksmaxing" (the pursuit of maximum visual attractiveness) and the use of idealized filters on social media.
Renowned stylist Guido Palau, who worked on the hairstyles for the Prada show, believes that such negligence in hairdressing has another meaning. In his opinion, it allows room for interpretation and does not overtly demonstrate status. If a person wears an expensive cashmere sweater, they might want it to be noticed, but not immediately. Palau calls this approach "inverted snobbery." A hairstyle that looks accidental, though in reality well thought out, works in much the same way.
A model at the Coach Fall 2026 show. Photo: wwd.com
Thus, the new fashion for uncombed hair is not about laziness or giving up grooming. Rather, it is an attempt to move away from the cult of flawless appearance and to show that not everything has to be perfect. In a world where people are increasingly striving to look impeccable, lightly tousled hair has suddenly become a sign of self-confidence.
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