Plaits, Please! The Best Festival Braid Inspiration From the Vogue Archives

Music festival season is fast approaching with Coachella kicking off this weekend and Bonnaroo to follow soon. And while you may have given thought to the perfect breezy crop top or eye-popping tangerine aviators, it’s high time to strategize on a desert-friendly hairstyle—one that can go toe to toe with the California heat and humidity. This spring, consider the braid—and not just any pair of plaits but a far more creative twist, pulled from the Vogue archives.

See a sun-drenched Sasha Pivovarova with two shimmering fishtails hanging over her shoulders, or Taylor Hill sporting a triple French braid, the back wound together with a pink bungee cord. FKA twigs, too, transformed the popular off-duty look by plumping the top of each twist into a cool-girl knot, while María Elena Marqués went full Heidi in the ’40s for legendary lensman Horst P. Horst, exuding geek-chic appeal ahead of her time.

There’s Amanda Burden copping Elizabeth Taylor’s iconic wedding hair, a thick Rapunzel-like rope stuck with white teacup roses—a dreamy alternative to the flower crown. Elsewhere, Twiggy’s golden, knee-grazing mane plays with a romantic proposal—unfurl each braid at the bottom, letting the ends ripple. For a touch of ease, Kirsty Hume’s scattering of small tails, haphazardly dotted around the head, and German model Charlene Högger's loose ribbon-accented plait offer two simple yet chic ways to rock the braid at your next festival and beyond.