How to Style the Milkmaid Braids Trend for Spring 2025

Grocery prices are rising and the all-in dollar amount for a weekend at Coachella is basically astronomical. Nevertheless, it costs exactly the same amount of money to put in a milkmaid braid as it always has. Now, who wants to talk more about how beauty is recession proof?

Ahead, learn everything there is to know about the festival and morning chores-worthy hairstyle that’s taking over this spring (and how you can easily get it yourself).

The Trend

Over the last few months, we’ve seen a major rise in milkmaid and crown-braided hairstyles on our social media feeds. It could be Coachella in the air amid the ongoing indie sleaze revival—the style was very popular during the early 2010s, worn by everyone from the Olsen Twins to Beyoncé—or the fact that the pastoral style pairs perfectly with the ever-popular milkmaid sundress.

No matter what it is, influencers are loving the style—they themselves were probably influenced by model Allegra Samsen—and gothic updos featuring the twists have taken red carpets by storm.

At the 2025 Berlin Film Festival, Margaret Qualley gave a side-parted (another big trend right now) take on the ‘do thanks to the magical fingers of hairstylist Anna Cofone. Scarlett Johansson showed off the style in the trailer for Wes Anderson’s upcoming film The Phoenician Scheme, and it all comes together with Lady Gaga’s Abracadabra music video look, featuring an elaborate braided updo.

She’ll be headlining Fridays at Coachella, and I’m sure the crowd will be full of many little monsters wearing the same style. Meanwhile, Vanessa Hudgens will be in the VIP tent, reminding everyone that she did it first.

About Milkmaid Braids

Though they’re very similar, milkmaid braids and crown braids aren’t entirely the same thing. You’ll find a crown braid at the top of your forehead, exactly where you’d find… a crown. A milkmaid braid is positioned a little further back on the head and gets its name from… milkmaids.

Back when, these working women often chose the style for its practicality. Imagine trying to milk a cow with regular braids in? They’d just dip into your bucket! It’s best to tie things up instead. Plus, they can keep you cool—whether you’re doing farm chores before the sun rises or attending an outdoor concert in the desert heat.

Sticking with tradition, the milkmaid braid is also more likely to feature a middle part. And unlike milking a cow, the style is way easier to copy than it looks.

How to Get the Look

Celebrity hairstylist Lacy Redway previously told Byrdie exactly how to get the milkmaid braid for yourself.

“Divide your hair by the nape of your neck in two sections,” she explained. “Braid each section into two braids before crisscrossing them onto themselves and securing them with hair and bobby pins.”

If you’re short on time or your fingers are tired, you can also use just two braids to get the look. That’s what Samsen does (fans have been begging for a tutorial).

“My tip is to start the braid by just doing two regular braids with a middle part and secure with two hair ties,” she tells Byrdie. “This makes the braid easier to bobby pin to form the milkmaid shape.”

Using a comb, you’ll once again part your hair in the middle, making sure that the clean part line extends from your forehead to the nape of your neck. After fixing each side into a classic braid, you’ll wrap one braid over your head, near but not at the hair line, and pin it in place. The other braid will wrap under your head, crafting an infinite loop when it meets up with its counterpart.

After you’re happy with placement, make sure to use plenty of bobby pins to keep your braids tight and secure. You can finish with a little hair spray, and go about your chores.

Your version of milking cows might be picking up oat milk matchas for the crew while they finish their own, more time-consuming hairstyles, and it’s always nice to be styled appropriately.