Simone Biles Just Brought Back This Retro Hairstyle — And It’s the Hair Inspo We Need
Simone Biles stuns in vintage-inspired French roll hairstyle at Laureus World Sports Awards, celebrating sport's power to change lives.
Black News 
Simone Biles went retro over the weekend while attending the 2026 Laureus World Sports Awards. The Olympic champion wore a vintage-inspired hairstyle that turned heads and gave her whole look a soft old-Hollywood feel.
Her hair pulled the entire moment together for the April 20 event, where she showed up as a Laureus ambassador. The Laureus World Sports Awards is an annual event that honors athletes and teams while celebrating major sports achievements. The event also supports the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which uses sport to inspire younger generations.
Simone said, “I am just as proud to be joining Laureus as an Ambassador. I am honored to help support Laureus as I share the big idea at the heart of everything Laureus does: that sport has the power to change the world.
The mental health advocate continued, “I’ve seen that power in action – how sport can open doors, build confidence and help young people feel seen and supported. I am inspired by Laureus’s focus on the particular needs of girls and young women.”
While Simone is a four-time winner of the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year award, this time she showed up in a different role as ambassador. She also switched up the beauty mood to match.
Simone Biles Brought The French Roll Back To The Red Carpet
Simone chose a demure, sleek French roll to top off her ambassador red carpet moment. The hairstyle featured sleek sides gathered and pinned at the back of her head. In the front, she framed her face with soft Shirley Temple-style curled bangs parted down the middle.
The hairstyle topped off a super glam makeup look and a tan strapless, feather-like mini dress with a train.
Updos like Simone’s have a long history in hair culture. Twisted styles like these can be traced back to Egyptian and Roman times, when hair was secured with combs and decorative pins.
Simone Biles Is Rocking It Now, But The French Roll Has Been A Go To Style
In the United States, the look became especially iconic after Breakfast at Tiffany’s hit theaters in 1961. By the 1990s, Black women were embracing the style and putting their own spin on it.
And why not? It is one of those hairstyles that does a lot with very little. The swept-up shape puts melanin skin, cheekbones, and the neck on full display. It is elegant, polished, and works with just about everything from gowns to cocktail dresses to a sharp suit. And when you add details like curls, bangs, finger waves, or twists, the whole thing feels even better.
Iconic women like Halle Berry, Toni Braxton, Lela Rochon, and Nia Long have all worn French rolls, also known as French twists, on the red carpet.
Fast forward to now, and we are still very much here for it. Girls we love, including Keke Palmer, Rihanna, and Victoria Monét, have also worn versions of the look.
In late 2024 and throughout 2025, the style picked up more love across social media. By 2026, the French twist and French roll were fully back in the conversation.
Seeing the style make waves is nostalgic. It makes you think of Marcel irons, holding spritz, perfectly placed curls, and a handful of hairpins making sure every strand stays exactly where it needs to be.
But Simone’s version did not feel dated. It felt fresh, pretty, and easy.
With spring and summer invites coming in hot, the hair girlies need to go ahead and add this one to the Pinterest board.
