Glamour

Hair

Aubrey Plaza Wore the Most Elegant Bob Updo for Summer

The loaded topknot is so easy to re-create. 

It’s official: Aubrey Plaza has earned herself the title of bob style queen. After Plaza was photographed looking perfect in an undone bob in New York City last week—amid a heatwave, no less—the actor attended a Los Angeles screening of her upcoming film Spin Me Round in the most elegant loaded topknot updo we’ve ever laid eyes on. 

This gorgeous style differs from Plaza’s usual look, which is essentially another modern take on the effortless, Renaissance-inspired Botticelli bob. Her new look still highlights her signature side bangs and face-framing S-curls. So, Plaza pretty much just singlehandedly proved that side bangs and parts are very much cool again. (Do you hear that, Gen Z?!) 

The Happiest Season star complemented her topknot with gold hoop earrings and a deep-V-neck minidress. BRB, we’re running to copy this whole look immediately.

Plaza’s loaded topknot is especially timely. All sorts of bob styles are going viral this year, including the cool-girl Scandi bob, heatwave-friendly curly bob, and their cousins the blunt bob and wavy lob. Bob enthusiasts are also actively seeking stylish ways to wear their short hair in updos. The end result of this phenomenon has been a resurgence in the mid-2010s era loaded topknot, both because it’s been spotted on celebs— Kaia Gerber, Margot Robbie, Jennifer Lopez, and Hailey Bieber have worn the style—as well as how easy it is to style yourself. 

“The beauty of this look is in its effortlessness, as it’s super easy to create yet still manages to look chic,” Cliphair trends writer Brenda Lee Intignano said of the topknot. Unless, of course, you want to take Plaza’s more put-together look, which actually has a bit of a bridal vibe. That’s the beauty of the loaded topknot, though: It’s incredibly versatile, and there truly no “right” way to wear it. Most importantly, however, the updo proves that contrary to popular belief, you can still style short hair in an updo. All you might need are a few bobby pins.

As for how to re-create an Aubrey Plaza–inspired loaded topknot yourself? First, you’ll want to start with dry hair that has some texture to it. You can accomplish this by either applying texturizing spray, blow-drying your hair using a diffuser, or curling it with a curling iron attachment, Maxine Salon hair stylist Raven Hurtado tells Glamour. Then, once your hair is dry, pull all the hair you want tied up toward the back of your head, and tie it into a high ponytail. But before you pull everything back, remember that if you want to emulate Plaza's look in particular, you’ll need to leave your bangs and some strands out to frame your face. 

Once your ponytail is formed, twist or tie it into a knot on top of your head, and use bobby pins to secure the bun around the edges. Depending on how messy or put-together you want the look, either leave it as is, or pull the bun in opposing directions for a tousled look. Finally, finish with more texturizing spray and hairspray to ensure it stays in place, and if your hair is prone to forming bumps and flyaways, apply hard hair gel to help smooth it down, advises Hurtado.

Ready to style your own chic loaded topknot? Shop some essentials to recreate the Aubrey Plaza bob updo, below.