22 Curly Formal Hairstyles That Keep the Curls and Hold All Night

Curly hair does not need to be straightened for a formal night, and the styles that keep the curls hold better than the ones that fight them.

A curl pinned up stays pinned because the texture grips the pins the way smooth hair never does.

A curl left down gives the volume that straight hair needs an hour of teasing to fake. The work happens the night before, when the curls get defined and set.

On the day, the style only needs pins and a part. The pinned curly updo comes first because every other look borrows from it.

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Pinned Curly Updo

Defined curls gathered loose at the crown and pinned in sections so they spill out of the top, with a few curls left out at the temples.

It is the updo that uses the texture instead of hiding it, and the curls give it a volume that straight hair needs backcombing to fake.

Define the curls the night before and pin them up dry in sections with bobby pins, letting the ends stay loose.

Mist with water to refresh before you leave.

Half-Up Half-Down With Curls

The top half pinned back at the crown, with the rest of the curls left down and full around the shoulders.

Women who want the curls on show and the face clear for photos should choose this style.

Section the top half from the temples back and twist it, then pin it at the crown and smooth the sides with a little gel. A jeweled pin over the twist dresses it up, and a water mist refreshes the curls below.

Curly Low Bun

Curls gathered at the nape and twisted into a loose bun, with the ends left to curl out of the top and two pieces loose at the face.

The bun belongs at a wedding or a long dinner, and on curly hair it holds all night without a single pin slipping. Tie a low ponytail and twist it around the base, then pin it with U-pins and pull the ends loose.

Smooth the sides with gel and curl the front pieces with your fingers.

Side-Swept Curls

All the curls swept over one shoulder and pinned flat on the other side above the ear, so one side of the face is open.

It gives the look of an updo without pinning anything up, and it shows off an earring and a bare shoulder.

Define the curls a day ahead, then part them deep on one side and brush the light side back with gel. Pin it behind the ear.

A decorative clip over the pins hides them and adds the formal touch.

Pineapple With a Jeweled Clip

Curls gathered high at the front of the crown with a soft scrunchie and left spilling forward.

The pineapple is what curly women wear to bed, and a jeweled clip at the base with the sides smoothed turns it into something for an evening. Tip the head forward and gather the hair with a scrunchie, then pull a few curls out at the hairline.

Smooth the sides with gel and set the clip over the scrunchie so the curls fall forward over it.

Sleek Puff With Laid Edges

Natural coils gathered into a round puff at the crown, the sides smoothed flat with gel and the edges laid in small waves along the hairline. The laid edges are the formal part, and the puff takes ten minutes on day-old coils.

Gather the hair with a stretchy band and fluff the puff with a pick, then lay the edges with edge control and a toothbrush. Set the edges under a silk scarf while you dress and oil the puff for shine.

Curly Twisted Side Updo

The curls twisted to one side and rolled into a loose knot behind the ear, with the roll left soft and a few curls escaping.

An off-the-shoulder dress and a long earring on the open side go with it, and the curl texture keeps the roll from looking stiff.

Brush the curls to one side with a little gel and twist from the nape up, then roll the twist in on itself and pin it. Pull a few curls loose at the front.

Braided Crown With Curls Down

A braid from each temple wrapped back around the crown and pinned where they meet, with the rest of the curls left down.

The braided crown keeps the front off the face and the curls below keep the volume, so a garden wedding or a graduation both get the same soft frame.

Braid a section from each temple on stretched hair, then cross the braids at the back and pin them under the curls. Mist the loose curls with water to bring the definition back.

Flat Twist Updo

Flat twists running from the hairline back into a twisted bun at the crown, the parts clean and the edges smoothed.

Natural coils at any length past a few inches take the twists, and the updo holds for days after the event with a scarf at night.

Twist each section flat against the scalp with a cream, then gather the ends into a bun at the crown and pin them.

A pearl pin set along one twist makes it formal.

Defined Curls Worn Down With a Side Part

A deep side part with the curls defined from root to end and worn down full, the heavy side falling forward over one eye.

Worn down is the formal choice for curls at their best, and the side part puts the volume where it frames the face.

Apply leave-in and gel on soaking wet hair in sections the evening before, then part it deep and air-dry without touching it. Pick the roots for height and oil the front curls.

Rod Set Curls Worn Down

Uniform spiral curls from the roots to the ends, bigger and smoother than natural curls and worn down full.

The rod set gives curly hair a finished look for an evening without heat, and the spirals hold through a long night better than a wand curl.

Set damp stretched hair on flexi rods with mousse before bed and sit under a dryer or sleep on it.

Take the rods out and separate the curls with oiled fingers, then fluff the roots.

Curly High Bun

Curls gathered high at the crown and twisted into a full round bun, with the sides smoothed and two curls left loose at the front. The high bun lifts the whole face and looks right over a high neckline.

The curls give it more size than straight hair gets at the same length.

Gather the hair high with a stretchy band and twist the length around the base, then pin the ends under. Smooth the sides with gel and curl the front pieces.

Twist-Out Half-Up With a Bow

A defined twist-out with the top half tied back in a satin ribbon bow.

The bow is the one detail that makes the twist-out formal, and black or deep red satin shows up against dark curls. The rest stays down and full.

Do the twist-out the evening before on damp hair with a cream, then take the twists down with oiled fingers. Section the top half and tie it with a thin elastic, then tie the ribbon over it with long tails.

Wash and Go With a Headband

Defined coils worn down and full with a thin jeweled headband pushed into the front, holding the hairline back.

The band is the formal detail, and a wash and go done the day before gives it curls that are defined and dry by morning.

Apply gel on soaking wet hair in sections and let it air-dry or diffuse, then push the band back so the curls lift in front of it.

A little oil on the surface adds shine.

Curly Chignon With Pearl Pins

Curls rolled into a smooth low chignon at the nape, with pearl pins set in a line along the roll and the sides swept back clean.

The chignon on curly hair looks softer than on straight hair because the texture shows at the edges of the roll.

Stretch the hair ahead of time so it rolls without bulk, then tie a low ponytail and roll it under.

Pin the roll with U-pins and push the pearl pins in last, where the light will catch them.

Curly Half-Up Top Knot

The top half twisted into a round knot high on the head, with the curls below left full around the shoulders.

The knot adds height at the crown and the length stays on show, which keeps the style from looking like a daytime pineapple. A drop earring sits well under it.

Section the top half from the temples back and twist it into a knot, then pin it and smooth the sides with gel. Refresh the curls below with water and a little cream.

Finger Coils on a Short Cut

Short natural hair set in tight glossy finger coils all over, with the sides tapered and a little oil for shine.

Short curly hair gets the quickest formal style of anyone, since the coils are the style and nothing needs pinning.

Coil the hair on soaking wet sections with gel by wrapping each piece around a finger, then let it air-dry or sit under a hood dryer.

A bonnet at night keeps the coils for the day after, and a big earring finishes it.

Curly Fishtail Side Braid

A fishtail braid woven loose over one shoulder on stretched curls, with the ends left curly and a few pieces loose at the face.

The fishtail on curly hair looks fuller than on straight hair, since the texture fills in the gaps between the strands.

Stretch the curls the day before with a braid-out or a blowout, then split the hair in two over one shoulder and cross thin strands from side to side.

Leave the ends curly and tug the braid wider.

Pinned Curly Mohawk

The sides pinned flat and the curls left standing tall down the center from the forehead to the nape.

The curly mohawk belongs at a gala with an edge more than a traditional wedding, and any length that pins can do it.

Pin the sides up toward the center with bobby pins or twist them flat, then fluff the middle with a pick and define the top curls with a little gel. Hairspray holds the center up all night.

Curly Low Ponytail With a Scarf

Curls gathered into a low ponytail at the nape with a silk scarf tied around the base, the tails hanging down the length.

The scarf covers the elastic and adds a print, which is the easiest formal detail for curls that want to stay down.

Gather the curls low with a soft elastic and smooth the sides with gel, then fold the scarf into a band and tie it around the base. A water mist and a little cream refresh the tail.

Halo Braid on Stretched Curls

One thick braid wrapped around the head like a crown on stretched curls, with every end tucked underneath and the texture showing along the braid.

The halo keeps the hair up and off the neck in a single braid, and it looks right at a wedding or a long dinner.

Stretch the curls the evening before, then braid the hair in two sections and wrap them around the head, pinning as you go.

Loosen the braid with your fingers for softness.

Bantu Knot Updo

Rows of coiled knots across the head, each one sitting up like a small spiral between clean parts. A pin tucked beside a few of the knots is the formal detail.

Bantu knots are formal when the parts are even and the knots are tight.

Section the hair and twist each piece tight with gel, then wrap it around itself and tuck the end. Sleep in a bonnet so they stay neat, and they double as a curl set for the day after.