47 Gorgeous Black Braided Hairstyles That Will Inspire Your Next Look

Ebonee Davis is a reliable source for natural hair inspiration, and oh, look, here she is again with another hairstyle we'd like to copy. The model/activist stepped out on the red carpet with a set of gorgeous Afro puffs, boasting a base of tiny cornrows braided in three directions.

A few of the models on the runway at Pyer Moss's Spring 2020 show wore sets of beautiful cornrow braids adorned with gold cuffs forged in the image of Black female music artists. The gilded likenesses of Missy Elliot, Grace Jones, Rihanna, Lauryn Hill, and more graced their plaits, a beautiful tribute to the contribution of Black women to pop culture worldwide.

Anyone who has gotten box braids has likely woven those smaller braids into a set of larger ones, and actor Yvonne Orji is no exception. In 2019, she attended the Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards with her blonde box braids styled into a crown braid that transforms into a braided ponytail.

Keke Palmer's braids start as cornrows in the front, then cascade down her back to flow freely. A little bit of edge control at the hairline and she was ready to hit the red carpet.

You know if Beyoncé's going to serve a protective style, it's going to be epic. For the premiere of The Lion King in 2019, her hair was braided in a curvy pattern reminiscent of finger waves. It was a beautiful marriage between two hairstyles so important to Black culture.

To close out her video for "Hit Different" in September, SZA gave fans a little teaser of her single, "Good Days." For the segment, she wore a set of beaded braids, complete with a gorgeous fringe, which was also adorned with wooden flourishes.

Dancehall artist Shenseea wore this mile-long braid decorated with a crap-ton of safety pins for her "Trick'a Treat" music video. Her look is a great example of how you can transform a simple high pony with the right accessories. If you've got a bunch of safety pins in a junk drawer somewhere, now you've got a use for them.

Tessa Thompson's super long BDSM-inspired braid was one of our favorite hair looks from the 2019 Met Gala, "Notes on Camp." The style comes courtesy of Lacy Redway, who left a little tassel at the end of the 12-foot long latex braid so it could resemble a whip.

You don't have to do the most to get super gorgeous hair. A simple braided bun is always a good look, as Issa Rae demonstrates here. Here, the base of her hair is kept sleek and the braided bit is just a few shades lighter than her base, hinting at a cool ombré.

Tracee Ellis Ross got all gussied up to for the 2020 People's Choice Awards. For the occasion, her hair was styled by Nai'vasha Johnson in a long, textured ponytail with a finger-wave design at the base.

Let the beautiful Victoria Monet provide you with a little inspo for your next jumbo box braid sesh. The singer/songwriter's dark brown, almost-black braids are brightened up with some strands of blonde, adding dimension to her look.

Saweetie never fails to serve us hairstyles that make us press the "save" button on Instagram. These box braids she's wearing are decorated with clear beads at the ends. This kind of look reminds something we wore as kids in the '90s, except the way she's wearing hers in the 2020s is all grown up.

A high, side ponytail will always remind us of the '80s, but we're loving the modern twist Yara Shahidi's hairstylist put on the look. Instead of styling her pony with a single braid, the actor's got at least four, all tied off at the ends with a little black rubber band.

Brandy Norwood hit the stage at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards with her long, blonde box braids styled into at least five Bantu knots. It's a friendly reminder of the versatility of protective styles, and another great option to choose from if you already have box braids in.

Kiki Layne demonstrates a super-cute way to style lob-length box braids. Her stylist pulled one side of her hair back behind her ears, wrapping the braids in what appears to be silver elastic.

There is no hairstyle more classic than a good set of straight-back cornrows. While this could be considered one of the more basic cornrow styles, it's easy to elevate the look to make it more special. For the 2020 American Music Awards, Ciara wore hers with a swooping, swirling set of baby hairs.

Jordyn Woods fêted Justin Roberts's New Music Video 'Way Too Much' with a set of box braids that were left loose and wavy at the ends. Offering proof that scrunchies are making a big comeback, the model used a satiny-looking animal-print version to hold her braids in a half-up, half-down look.

Stylist Vernon François took the concept of a braid crown to the next level with an actual crown. A few days after Amandla Stenberg debuted long, thick braids with red highlights and a thinner braid split along her hairline, François reinvented the look by pinning it up and topping it off with a starry tiara.

Taraji P. Henson decided on a gorgeous set of Fulani braids to promote Empire in South Africa. There's so much gorgeousness going on here, it's hard to choose a favorite element. The braid precisely laid down her middle part? The plaits left loose at the temples? Or the big bun of swirling, highlighted braids sitting high atop Henson's head? One thing is for sure: It all comes together for an absolutely epic look.

Skai Jackson's look comes courtesy of L.A.-based hairstylist LaShondra, who styled the actor's hair in feed-in braids of varying sizes, pulled up into a ponytail. And, of course, the baby hair is slicked to perfection.

Prepare to be obsessed with this look Janelle Monáe wore for a Today set at Rockefeller Plaza: a thick braid with a black-to-silvery-white ombré. Hairstylist Nikki Nelms finished off the look with a golden ring that cleanly seals the tapered end.

Laurel Harrier wore box braids to the L.A. premiere of BlacKkKlansman for a special reason, according to her hairstylist Lacy Redway. "Most of us remember iconic moments from the '90s of seeing Janet Jackson with box braids in Poetic Justice or Brandy in Moesha," she captioned an image of Harrier's look. "But how many of you guys know that braids can be traced back more than 5,000 years ago to about 3500 B.C. ?" In her post, Redway lays out a brief history of braids before mentioning that Harrier chose the look to "celebrate the history and culture of box braids." Harrier's braids, which boast slightly wavy, loose ends, were styled into a half-up, half-down look, complete with subtle, slicked-down baby hairs.

Many an attendee wore this hairstyle at 2018 Essence Fest but, Mary J. Blige brought it from the New Orleans streets to the stage for her performance at the festival. Blige chose long box braids that reach her thigh — in her signature blonde hue, of course.

Hairstylist Christina "Tina" Trammell gave multi-hyphenate Erica Ash a gorgeous set of Fulani braids that looked beautiful paired with her head-turning gown. Trammel also added wooden beads at the ends of Ash's braids, tying the whole look together.

This next-level look on the lovely Amandla Stenberg comes courtesy of hair legend Vernon François. François created this multicolor, knotted plait, "because why knot," as he captioned an image of the look on his Instagram page.

Hairstylist Sheridan Ward gave Thandie Newton this hairstyle for a panel at Cannes Lions. Her cornrows were braided back in a slightly swoopy pattern, brought together at the nape of her neck into a low bun that is making us hungry for Cinnabon.

For the cover of Allure's June 2017 issue, Zöe Kravitz's signature micro braids (this time in platinum blonde) were accessorized with charming faux flowers and butterflies, courtesy of Nikki Nelms. The result? An ethereal, mystical style.

Popular natural hair influencer Nneoma is the queen of finessing her protective styles in unique ways. Here, she used one of our favorite accessories from childhood — hair bubbles — and wrapped them around the base and ends of each box braid for a playful look that's simple to replicate on your own.

Known for her colorful style, Brazilian blogger Magá Moura looks like she came straight out of the '90s with her face stickers and unicorn braids adorned with pastel beads on the ends. Here, she styled them in high pigtails, leaving some braids out in the front to frame her face.

Insecure creator and actress Issa Rae stunned on the red carpet at the 2017 NAACP Image Awards rocking this half-up, half-down look with a cornrowed topknot and two hanging braids on the side. The rest of her hair was left loose in a braid-out pattern at the back. Consider trying the style out on those days when you want lots of volume but also want to keep your hair out of your face.

Alicia Keys has been serving us gorgeous braided hairstyles since she burst onto the scene in 2001 with "Fallin'", and she's still in the business of selflessly providing the girls with hair inspo. During her tenure as a judge on The Voice, she wore cornrows that fed into a larger braid with a voluminous bouffant

When is Solange Knowles not giving us serious hairspiration? After going blonde in September 2017, she later stepped out with this set of braids by Susy Oludele, aka @hairbysusy, we were, as the kids say, shook. We love the mix-and-match feel of these braids, adorned with beads and white thread.

Not everyone likes the taste of candy corn, but the look of these orange-and-yellow ombré jumbo braids is making me want to eat a bowl full of them. The braids, done by YouTuber Kersti Pitre, are what she likes to call Kandy Cornrows. We think the name fits perfectly.

Kerry Washington's straight-back cornrows, which she wore to shoot Allure's November 2017 issue, were given an easy, earthy vibe with loose edges and a few well-placed cuffs. Here, hairstylist Takisha Sturdivant-Drew shows us you don't need edge control to serve a polished, braided moment.

Just so you know, we're still gathering our collective edges from when we saw this hairstyle on Survivor’s Remorse actress Teyonah Parris. Parris took her Fulani braids to beaded glory with this look.

If Beyoncé lets you do her hair, you know you've got the magic touch. @hairbysusy consistently floods our Instafeeds with major hair porn, and this electric, acid-yellow set of box braids adorned with colorful beads is no exception.

Duh, braids are awesome, but sometimes you want to rock them and your loose natural hair. Tamara, owner of Ancestral Strands hair salon in Brooklyn, created this look on one of her models for CurlFest 2017. The best part? The braided loop in the middle, which gives this style a unique flourish.

Songbird Justine Skye has the voice of an angel, and also, great hairstyles. All the time. The self-proclaimed "Purple Unicorn" made a bold statement with this braided ponytail by master braider @guin_gui. There’s some legit whip-ability with this braid… and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Speaking of purple, model/dancer Damaris Lewis was a muse to the late great Prince. They shared the stage and the sensibility to be fly and fierce, which is what this look by Felicia Burrows is. We especially like the zigzag part in between the braids; it’s a nice touch. Reminder: Screenshot this and bring to the salon.

Pumpkins ain't got nothing on this adorable orange bob. We love these bright box braids on Lindiwe Dim, snipped short and secured with yellow, peach, and pink elastics.

Jourdan Dunn wore a set of feed-in braids by Lacy Redway to the 2015 Met Gala and, of course, absolutely nailed the look.

St. Kitts–based hairstylist Jalicia created this gorgeous updo, which she punctuated with a bit of colorful thread in the front. While we're sure the braids she twisted into a giant bun look great when they are hanging loose, we're obsessed with the drama this swirly updo is serving.

This set of braids is giving us '90s, Ethiopian, and Fulani vibes all at once. We love the way they're styled here with two space buns in the front and hanging braids in the back. The accessories just take the look to the next level.

Lupita Nyong'o is the real MVP when it comes to style and beauty. In the summer of 2017, she rocked this protective style — a lob made of tiny Senegalese twists, courtesy of Lacy Redway. Granted, they're not braids but the effect this look gives is similar.

This blonde style, anchored by a set of cornrows done at The Braid Lounge in Virginia Beach, is the stuff dreams are made of. The client's shaved sides give this style an edgy feel.

An indisputable fact about Nina Simone is that her musicianship and her style can never be duplicated. She proudly wore her natural hair for many years and often tapped into her roots to inspire her hairdos. Here she is with a simple-yet-elegant braided bun. She may be gone, but her proclivity to turn hair into art still influences many today.

Fellas love braids, too. Just ask Michael B. Jordan. While prepping for the wildly successful Black Panther film, Jordan grew out his hair and wore braids.