Finger Waves & Kiss Curls Are Fueling A ’20s Hair Revival

Summer is when you can really let your hair down — both literally and figuratively speaking. The warm-weather season tends to bring about more textured, low-maintenance styles. But that doesn’t mean forgetting about the polished looks.

For these, you can take inspo from the biggest old-school trend making a comeback: flapper hair. Specifically, finger waves and kiss curls, two signature styles worn by women in the Roaring Twenties. Both looks were all over the 2025 Met Gala red carpet, where countless celebs embraced the retro aesthetic to complement their ensembles for the event’s “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” theme.

“I do think there’s a resurgence of kiss curls following the Black Dandyism theme at the Met Gala, which brought a vintage flair to the style,” says Glen Oropeza, the celebrity hairstylist who sculpted Sydney Sweeney’s strands into the look that night.

Jazmine Shepard, a celebrity hairstylist at Joon Drop salon (who did Cole Escola’s kiss curls for the affair), is also seeing a rise in finger waves. “They’re a fun way to enhance any look, and add some glamour and sleekness,” she tells Bustle. Read on for everything to know about the ’20s-era hair trends, including how to recreate the looks at home.

The Return Of Finger Waves

Finger waves were first popularized in the 1920s as a way for women, especially performers or “flappers,” to add the appearance of curls before curling irons were widely accessible, explains Shepard. “All that was required was setting lotion, a comb, and your fingers,” she says.

You can spot them by the deep, sculpted “S”-shaped waves that lay flat against the head, adds Oropeza. Stars like Jenna Ortega and Serena Williams both rocked the look at the Met Gala.

Hair expert Bianca Hillier dubs the style as Great Gatsby-coded. “It’s a fabulous formal choice to dance the night away, which is why flappers adored it being a fixed look,” she tells Bustle.

Kiss Curl Summer

Also known as spit curls or curled baby hair that lies on your forehead, kiss curls evoke the romance of the golden age of Hollywood (see also: Josephine Baker). And they’re the perfect complementary look that can act as a statement piece or an accent to your finger waves.

“Often gelled flat, this style was most notably popularized by Josephine Baker,” says Shepard. “They accentuated her features, often shaped to her cheekbones or gelled to her forehead.”

Besides Sweeney, Teyana Taylor, Ayo Edebiri, and Dua Lipa (and more) sported artful ’20s-era curls at the Met Gala.

Get The Look

Whether you’re creating kiss curls or finger waves, you’re going to need a strong gel.

“For kiss curls, you’ll first need to section out the hair you want to form into curls,” says Oropeza. “Then, use water and the Kerastase Gloss Absolu Glaze Drops to condense the piece you are going to shape, control frizz, and add shine ahead of using a strong hold gel to lock into formation. I then go in and create the swirl with my fingers and lock it to the forehead with an extremely strong hold hairspray.”

For your finger waves, begin with damp hair, then saturate it with a gel from your roots to ends. “Sometimes using a hair color tint brush can help you apply evenly while also keeping your hands clean,” says Shepard. Then, grab a comb — she recommends the 339 Fine Cutting Comb from YS Park — and start where you want the first ridge to be. “Lay the comb vertical to the head, and using a sliding motion, slide the comb in the direction you want. Use your middle finger and pointer to replace the comb with your fingers to form the ridge, then continue wiht whatever section of hair you want,” she explains.

Once that’s done, go back to the first ridge and use your fingers to hold it while you comb the hair underneath straight down. “You will repeat this as you go around,” says Shepard. “After combing straight down, you will lay the comb vertical again and slide in the opposite direction of the first ridge. Repeat until you reach the end.”

Et voila: a flapper-chic ‘do.