Rihanna Debuts Curly Braided Hairstyle in Santa Monica

The 38-year-old singer was photographed arriving at a Santa Monica restaurant wearing long curls combined with braids.

Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Accessories

Gouache-painted editorial illustration of long curls flowing into tight braids in warm ochre, dusty rose, and sage on a cream field. — Rihanna was photographed arriving at a Santa Monica restaurant on Tuesday wearing a half-up, half-down curly-and-braided style as she promotes her Fenty Hair brand. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Rihanna was photographed arriving at Giorgio Baldi restaurant in Santa Monica wearing a half-up, half-down style that combines long curls and braids. She paired the look with a grey sweatsuit, a white jacket, white flats, oversized hoop earrings and sunglasses.

Why it matters

The look reflects Rihanna's ongoing hair experimentation, which she has linked to boredom with her styles. It also comes as she promotes her haircare brand, Fenty Hair, which she said was inspired by rediscovering her love for her own hair.

The hairstyle appears to combine box braids with curls, though the exact technique has not been confirmed. Rihanna wore the same braids on October 29 in Los Angeles, and a messy curly updo at Paris Fashion Week in September.

The players

Rihanna

Barbadian singer, businesswoman and founder of the Fenty beauty and haircare brands, known for frequently changing her hairstyles.

Fenty Hair

Haircare brand launched by Rihanna in June 2024, offering shampoos, conditioners, treatments, styling products and a hair tool.

The details

Rihanna wore her hair in a half-up, half-down style with long curls and braids while arriving at Giorgio Baldi. The outfit included a grey sweatsuit, white jacket, white flats, oversized hoop earrings and sunglasses.

June 2024: Rihanna launched the haircare brand Fenty Hair.
September: She wore a messy curly updo at the Christian Dior show during Paris Fashion Week.
October 29: She wore the same braids during an outing in Los Angeles.
November 7, 2026: She was photographed arriving at Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica.

Culture Shift

Rihanna's hair changes connect to her June 2024 Fenty Hair launch, which she said grew from rediscovering her love for her own hair. The shift reflects celebrities using their haircare lines to showcase versatile, personal styling.

Readers wanting similar texture can consider combining braids with curls, a technique the look appears to use. The styling is tied to specific product lines, so the cost and availability of comparable products will depend on the brands involved.

The takeaway

Rihanna's frequent hair changes show how a single celebrity can make a hairstyle a visible trend. Readers curious about the look can focus on the combination of braids and curls rather than any single product.