12 Stunning Braided Hairstyle Ideas for Black Women

These celebs will make you want to call your braider ASAP.

By Danielle Gray, Good Housekeeping

Your search for your next protective style begins and ends right here. We’ve done the handiwork of putting together some of our fave celebs rocking braids in countless ways — all you have to do is sit back, relax, browse, and then schedule an appointment with your braider. Braided Bun

Braided Bun

Tracee Ellis Ross, pictured at Annual Nominees Night, knows a thing or two (or a hundred) about easy and fly protective styles. Keep your braided bun sleek and edges laid without the mess with an edge control like EDEN BodyWorks Coconut Shea Edge Control Glaze.

Half-Braids, Half-Crochet

Simone Missick hit the WanderLuxxe House in this fab half-braided, half-crochet style. What’s great about a style like this is you can get a braided look in less time than the average style and the crochet part can easily be put into a ponytail or topknot.

Megalong Box Braids

Eva Marcille slayed these shin-length (yeah, for real) braids at the BET Awards last year. This a look that keeps on giving — it looks better and better as they wear on, giving it a more boho style.

Feeling These Fulani Braids

Issa Rae (seen here at the Met Gala) serves endless hair inspo and this take on Fulani braids is no exception. Steal her embellished look by adding in a few decorative beads like these.

Side Swept Braids

KiKi Layne hit the 2018 ESSENCE Music Festival in this majestic side-swept braided style. The string tied around it further elevates the look.

Jumbo Box Braids

If you want something easy that you could create in little time at home, turn to Janelle Monae’s grey ombré jumbo box braids she rocked at a special event at the 92nd Street Y. We love the braiding hair from Latched + Hooked.

Beaded Box Braids

Teyonah Parris gave us a cool new way to do box braids at the American Black Film Festival with her cute mini bun in the center.

Side Braided Ponytail

Leave it to Alicia Keys to show us some major braided inspo. Her style includes a mohawk, braided ponytail, cornrows, and a whole lot of fly.

Lemonade Braids

Misa Hylton hit Black Girls Rock! and killed it with these beautiful blonde braids, similar to those worn by Beyoncé in her iconic 2017 "Formation" music video.

Box Braid Top Knot

Teyonah Parris looked like a princess in her braided top knot at the If Beale Street Could Talk premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. As tempting as it might be to do this look immediately after getting your braids, you may want to wait up to a week for them to loosen slightly.

Half-Braided Updo

If you look closely, this look Regina King wore to Variety's Power Of Women is a series of sectioned hair joined together by twists and separated by a single slim cornrow. Nonetheless it is a look you’ll want to copy right now.

Mirco Braids

Solange Knowles was honored as the 2018 Harvard Artist of the Year, but we also want to honor her platinum micro braids.