Big hair of all shapes and sizes has always had such a special place in my heart. I’m a curly girl from Texas, after all, and as they say in the south: the higher the hair, the closer to God. So it truly warms my soul to say that big hair is going to be… well, a big trend in 2024 and (I hope) beyond.

This isn’t to say that hair with a lot of volume is a new thing or that anybody’s natural texture will ever go out of vogue. Those dark days when curls and coils were considered largely unchic are thankfully long gone.

But I’m not just talking about bouncy, beautiful, fluffy curls, kinks and coils that naturally take up a lot of space. This trend is all about making your hair as big as possible, whether it’s straight or you’ve got 4C strands.

Think Chaka Khan and Diana Ross, the original Dynasty TV show or Miley Cyrus at the 2024 Grammys. Don’t just tease those tresses, straight-up bully them. 

Eugene Smith, a senior stylist at John Frieda Salons, says the trend is going to pop off this year thanks to what’s going on in the wider world of fashion at the moment.

He tells Stylist: “We’re seeing big shoulders and wide-leg pants, so this look is adding to the [vibe] of big and wide. It is appealing because there’s a freedom in it – it’s big, bold and bodacious, and we have been slaves to sleek hair for so long. Now it’s acceptable to embrace your frizz and bigger hair.”

Who does big, teased-out hair suit most?

Smith says: “It’s best on oval-shaped faces – this face shape fits all styles. It also works well on diamond-shaped faces as it narrows out the cheeks, which tend to be wider, but almost anyone can wear it. The look is best on long curly hair because you have the volume with curls already there, but we have seen it done with shoulder-length hair too.”

Who are some style icons we can emulate?

Smith says that, in addition to Diana Ross, Miley Cyrus and Chaka Khan, we should look to the likes of Janis Joplin, 80s-era Bette Midler, SZA and H.E.R.

How to get the look just right

“If you’re curly or coily,” says Smith, “you already have it. So you want to use a paddle brush to fluff it up and then tongs to define the curls.

“If you’re wavy or straight, tong after you have dried it. This is because curls equal volume, so you want a curl to create extra. Finish with texture spray, such as Sam McKnight Cool Girl or Colour Wow Style On Steroids, throughout the hair to really get it to lift up.”

Image: Getty