Kim Kardashian's 47 Greatest Hair Moments of All Time

Very Messy Fishtail

Love it or hate it, Kim K's platinum blonde look was all the rave at the 2024 Met Gala. The reality TV star and her hair stylist, Chris Appleton, went for a last-minute switch-up for the occasion, opting for icy white waves with very visible brown roots and—for an element of surprise—a loose fishtail braid at the end.

To achieve her intentionally messy hairdo, Appleton shares via Instagram that he used the Color Wow Money Mist Leave-In Conditioner and Dream Coat Curly for a sleek, frizz-free look before going in with the Shark Flexstyle Curl Defining Diffuser. Her subtle waves were then sealed with the Color Wow Texturizing Spray to complete.

Wet Hair With a Deep, Millennial Side Part

ICYMI: Millennial side parts are coming back better than ever. For the 2024 Breakthrough Prize Ceremony in Los Angeles, the media personality briefly revisited her once-favorite hairstyle for the occasion. On the red carpet, she gave her jet-black hair a stringy, wet finish. She faked the side bang with a deep part that almost looked as if she teleported straight from the early 2000s.

Side Swoop

In case you haven't noticed, Kim Kardashian has an affinity for the side bang, so much so that she's revamped the hairdo time and again over the decades. Naturally, she's taken the look to the red carpet, including at the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party. There, Kardashian wore her dark hair in loose waves and a long, retro-inspired swept bang that covered her eye.

The Perfect Messy Bun

Decades of red carpet experience under her belt has given Kim plenty of time to "perfect" the messy bun look. The Kardashians star showed off the hairstyle at the 2023 CFDA Awards, pinning her dark, wavy locks into a high updo. She left out strands of her hair and her overgrown fringe to give off an effortless finish.

Messy But Make It Regal

Kim Kardashian is always putting a spin on her favorite hairstyles, including this swirly high knot. At the 2023 Met Gala, she gave an updo a regal finish in light of the event's Karl Lagerfeld theme. She pinned most of her hair on top and parted her curtain bangs down the middle.

Sleek With an Accent

Kardashian loves a slicked-back hairstyle, and her tidy bun at the 2022 Baby2Baby Gala is one for the A-lister's Beauty Hall of Fame. What we adore about her hairstyle for the occasion is its simplicity. With the help of Appleton, she parted her platinum-blonde hair down the middle before tying it into a neat bun. She framed her face with a sliver of hair at the front for an extra "oomph."

Drenched Blonde

Kardashian experimented with her hair to no end at the height of her platinum-blonde era. At the 2022 CFDA Awards, she opted for a side part and slicked her hair back. You can also recreate her look at home—the key is to scrunch the ends with a mix of gel and cream. We suggest Oribe's Gel Sérum and Amika's Supernova Moisture and Shine Cream to get the job done.

Neat High Ponytail

We don't see Kardashian wearing her hair in a ponytail often, so we notice when she does. This high and sleek version was worn to an event celebrating her KKW x MARIO 10 Pan Eyeshadow Palette in 2018, which she created in part with her go-to makeup artist and friend Mario Dedivanovic.

Textured and Relaxed Waves

Aside from the aforementioned wet look, this is what we consider to be Kardashian's signature hairstyle: Long hair worn down in slightly relaxed waves. Her look is the ultimate inspiration for the day-to-day, whether for the workday or a weekend brunch date.

Wavy Wet-Look

This might be our favorite wet-look hairstyle Kardashian has ever worn. It's long, wavy, and shiny—basically, mermaid hair at its finest. If you want to try this look but have no idea where to start, check out another tutorial by her hairstylist, Chris Appleton. This time, it's a Byrdie tutorial he filmed on how to best achieve the style.

Loose and Relaxed

No one does wavy hair quite like Kim Kardashian. That's proved by this look she wore to the 2017 LACMA Art + Film Gala, which was created by none other than Kardashian's go-to celebrity hairstylist, Chris Appleton. Be sure to check out his Instagram for the ultimate hair inspiration. He also works with people like Ariana Grande and J.Lo. (He even posted a short tutorial showing us how he creates easy waves with a flat iron.)

Tussled and Wet

Whether platinum or raven-haired, Kardashian proves she's committed to the wet look. When she first started wearing this hairstyle, she kept it slicked-back and sleek. In the last few years, she's been styling it with a slightly messy and lived-in texture. It looks like she just came from the beach with partially dry hair, and we love it.

Extensions With Choppy Bangs

For a while, Kardashian kept it classic with her long, textured hair, with choppy, curtain-like bangs to set this look apart. To mimic the style, try air-drying the hair and using a texture spray.

Bouncy Blowout

Kardashian knows that a little volume can go a long way. For this look, she paired ultra-long extensions with volume at the roots and throughout for length. You can also use rollers to add a little bit of wave to it.

Honey Blonde Beach Waves

Even those with straight hair can replicate Kim's beachy look. Just let hair air dry before curling one-inch sections of hair with a 0.75-inch barrel.

Icy Blonde, Shoulder-Length Blowout

This look is pure '60s bombshell. The color is icy (almost white) blonde, and the style is a classic blowout with slightly curved-out ends.

Blonde Locks, Brown Roots

We love how Kim embraces her roots whenever she dyes her hair, allowing a couple of inches of her natural color to contrast with the platinum blonde. This look utilizes extensions and air-dried waves to create a casual, almost effortless look.

Waist-Length Blonde

Here, the reality star's hair veered honey blonde, with waist-length extensions offering all the drama.

Center Part With Texture

A loose, textured look gets an upgrade thanks to a center part. The texture of her hair looked air-dried but still put together. Use a smoothing cream to replicate the look.

Blonde Rooty Updo

Kim's Barbie-like updo might look complicated, but it's actually not. In fact, we got the details on this style from Appleton, who told us the secret to the style lies in intertwining two translucent rubber hair ties and looping through a bobby pin on each end. By creating what is basically an invisible claw clip, you can achieve a tousled look like this one without any bulk.

Messy Blonde Bun

Kim's updo always looks great, even with some texture in the hair. To achieve this look, follow the same steps as a classic updo, using invisible hair ties to fasten hair into a bun that is wrapped in place but finished with texture spray. Use your fingers to massage the product.

Retro Blonde Blowout

This retro take on a classic blowout features plenty of layers framing Kim's face. While her hair was kept mostly straight, there were waves at the ends that added some bounce.

Feathered and Bleached

This throwback style was altogether different for Kim. She matched her bleached hair with her brows, a stark contrast to her usual look. The hair was kept shoulder-length, with the bottom ends curving in and the ends around the face feathered out.

Stick-Straight Platinum

Kardashian's look here focused on color, with her long, elbow-length extensions worn stick straight. To get the look, apply a straightening balm like Bumble and Bumble's Straight Blow Dry before blow drying and using a flat iron.

Razor-Sharp Silver Lob

Just like she's no stranger to switching up length, she's no stranger to switching up color (and platinum silver hair suits her well, at least in our humble opinion). This razor-sharp lob is a little different than the last, though, since it's not asymmetric. It stays roughly the same length all the way around her head.

Rounded Platinum Bob

We love the bob seen here, which skims the shoulders and curves slightly inward. The key to this bold look is to keep the ends all one length. The lack of layers yields more drama.

White-Blonde Waves

This look is all about waves, which can be easily achieved with a curling iron. Start curling at the roots and wrapping towards the ends using a spiral shape to add lift and volume to the hair.

Platinum Blonde Updo

This Marilyn-inspired look was kept super simple (so the attention could be placed on the dress). For the 2022 Met Gala, Kardashian's platinum hair was in a high and tight bun. No roots were showing at all, so a look like this would require close attention to detail on the part of your colorist.

Center-Parted Wet Waves

Another wet-look style, this variation sees Kim's hair worn down to the waist. Rather than create volume, she stuck with a center part and just a slight wave throughout.

Low Braided Pigtails

This braided style is about as casual as it gets and easy to pull off. Pull the hair into two low ponytails, securing each at the base with a small elastic. Next, braid each end, securing with another pair of elastics at the base.

One Long Braid

This maxi braid has volume throughout (likely thanks to extensions, which add width to the braid). Here, Kim's hair is pulled back into a tight ponytail, with no part showing.

Center-Parted Maxi Braid

This is a slightly different take on the braid, pairing a severe center part with a much lighter (but longer) braid. In this instance, Kim's extensions allow the style to hang all the way to her waist.

Air-Dried Texture

The problem with air drying is that it often looks messy. Not so with this look, where a side part offers volume and quality products to help ensure movement throughout the ends. Try applying a buildable product like JVN's Air-Dry Cream, which offers a touchable hold that allows natural texture to shine.

Retro Updo

Another take on the high updo, this style highlights Kim's natural color. Follow the similar styles featured on the list by creating a bun that's wrapped around and pinned in place (and pulling out a few tendrils to frame the face).

'70s-Style Blonde Hair and Dyed Brows

This honey-hued color transports hair into a different era, so why not try a style to match? For this look, Kim's center part shows off her darker roots, and her hair is subtly feathered with the ends flaring out. Dyed brows match the look.

High Wavy Ponytail

At the 2018 CFDA Awards, Kim looked like a Greek goddess, wearing a flowing white dress, gold arm cuffs, bronze makeup, and a high wavy ponytail that we immediately fell in love with. We think she should wear this style much more often.

Lengthy and Glossy

Long extensions get a slight wave throughout for this evening-worthy look. Once you've added a wave (or if you wear your hair in natural waves), finish with a hair mist like Kevin Murphy's Shimmer Shine.

High Half-Up, Half-Down

Kardashian appeared at the 2018 Met Gala wearing her hair in a very Ariana Grande–esque manner, which was a high half-up, half-down ponytail. This was another look created by Appleton, who also works with the pop star, so maybe it was inspired by her after all.

Wet, Side-Parted Bob

No stranger to the wet look, Kim turns to this style frequently. She does change it up, though, as seen here. For the occasion, she wore the look with a shoulder-length bob and a subtle side part, which added volume.

Center-Parted and Air-Dried

This is a natural look that pairs a center part with day-old, textured hair. Finish the look with a shine cream that will help tame flyaways and keep it from veering too casual.

Wrapped Topknot

Even if she's off the red carpet and going for a casual look, Kardashian's hair is never not perfect. This wrapped topknot is more on-point than the messy bun we're apt to wear while running errands.

Super-Long Beachy Waves

Kardashian posted this photo on her Instagram account. In it, we can see mile-long hair extensions that go all the way past her hips. Super-long extensions are fun, but what we like most about this look is the perfect beachy waves in which they've been styled. We recommend replicating the look by using the Beachwaver Pro.

Long Black Lob

Over the years, Kardashian has taken her hair from super long to short (and back again). We're partial to her super-sleek razor-cut lob, which is slightly shorter in the back than in the front. We'll never know how her hairstylist got her hair to lay that flat. We do know how to replicate that intense shine, though. Run a dime-size amount of Sachajuan's Shine Serum through your ends.

Sleek and Straight With Barrettes

Kardashian's sleek, hip-length hair came complete with two gold barrettes, a bright yellow Versace dress, and colored contacts (the latter of which makes her eyes look red-brown). Does anyone else get a '90s supermodel vibe from this? We do.

Voluminous Waves

Kardashian appeared on the red carpet at the 2016 Vogue 100 Gala, wearing her hair combed back in plush and voluminous waves. While we love her super-sleek straight hair moments, we think she should bring this look back soon. It's equal parts edgy and glamorous, so we're glad we have Briogeo's Blossom & Bloom Volumizing Spray on hand.

Slicked-Back Side Part

In 2015, Kardashian attended a red carpet event with slicked-back strands and a side part. This was near the beginning of her long-running love affair with the wet look. Since then, she's worn it many more times (some of which are coming up on this very list). We think the deep side part and ultra-shiny strands complement her clean, minimalist outfit.

Fishtail Braid

In 2015, Kardashian appeared at the LACMA Art + Film Gala in Los Angeles wearing a wine-red lip and a long fishtail braid. Situating the braid at the nape of her neck was the trick to keeping the look elegant and glamorous. (If you have yet to master the art of fishtail braiding, check out our easy-to-follow tutorial.)