Wednesday Addams Hair: Jenna Ortega & The Double Plait Slay

by BRENDA L. / DEC 6, 2022

Reading Time: 4 Minutes

Index

    To some people, October is the perfect month to explore the goth side of things and enjoy a good horror film under the blankets with friends and family, paint their nails black, and have a good excuse to dress up like their favourite villain: to some others, spooky season never dies. And surely, this applies to Wednesday Addams, beloved young lady from the Addams family – who, throughout the decades, has seen significant changes in terms of acting, demeanour and, you guessed it right: hairstyle.

    1. Wednesday: The Legendary Performance Of Jenna Ortega

    Those that like to call themselves horror aficionados are probably already familiar with young Jenna Ortega, a relatively new entry in the roster of iconic scream queens of cinema. Need a refresher? Jenna starred next to Mia Goth in slasher movie X, the latest Scream flick, The Babysitter: Killer Queen, and last but not least Netflix’s psychological horror You, where she accidentally befriends professional creep Joe. Does any of this ring a bell?

    2. Becoming Wednesday Addams

    @accesshollywood It’s always #Wednesday in our hearts 🖤 @Jenna Ortega ♬ original sound - Access Hollywood

    Whilst wearing the dress and the hair of Wednesday might seem relatively easy, Ortega put all her heart into becoming a true Addams girl – with the help of artistic genius and director Tim Burton, of course. If you haven’t seen it yet, know that Jenna’s dancing scene has quickly gone viral – inspiring thousands of TikToks and reels.

    The dance itself seems to be borrowing creative elements coming from many gems of the past, including the iconic little Wednesday’s dance from the 1960s silver screen show and, some say, Michael Jackson’s Thriller choreography. Nonetheless, Jenna Ortega designed the whole performance by herself, studying and putting together all the moves that made it to the final cut.

    According to Ortega, she and Tim Burton have also worked together on her general expressivity: “She [Wednesday, ed.] doesn’t blink. Tim likes it when I tilt my chin down and look through my eyebrows, kinda like in a Kubrick stare.” Jenna also explained how Wednesday’s typical deadpan face requires her to completely relax her face muscles, and how she trained herself to blink when her co-stars are talking and she’s not on camera. Impressive!

    3. Does Wednesday Addams Always Have Braids?

    @catquinn Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday Addams braids feature bangs, or more specifically french fringe. Makeup and hair designer Tara McDonald told me how they styled her braids and milkmaid braid for the Rave’n scene. #jennaortega #netflixwednesday #wednesday #wednesdayaddams ♬ Addams Family Theme - HeathisHuman

    The short answer is yes: since her early appearances, from comic books to animated series and live actions, Wednesday has always been depicted with braided pigtails. This hairstyle is probably a mockery rather than a fashion choice, especially since this hairstyle is somewhat associated with naive youth – a contrast with the vibe we get from Wednesday herself, whose cunning and stern attitude are second to none.

    The major change we can see in the series, though, is that Ortega’s Wednesday features an impressive, slightly curtained fringe.

    4. How Do I Do My Hair Like Wednesday Addams?

    @mavork Her hair 😫 #jennaortega #explore #wednesdaynetflix #wednesday #blowup #viral #wednesdayaddams ♬ Unholy - Sam Smith & Kim Petras

    Hair and makeup artists Tara McDonald and Nirvana Jalalvand are the ones who took care of Jenna’s hair after director Tim Burton established the new look at his place in London. According to Ortega, they tried many different options, such as tiny, short braids, silver streaks, and even big, extra-long thick plaits. One of the stylists at the hair and makeup testing session, Paul, pulled out a clip-in bangs and that’s when everyone decided that was the look.

    According to Jalalvand’s Instagram, they added three sets of wefts into each side of Jenna’s head and blended them into her natural hair – which they dyed darker for the show. Eco Gel was their best friend for getting those layers tucked in as they braided.

    If you’re looking to recreate Wednesday’s iconic hairstyle, you can either choose to go old school with the middle part and no bangs or take inspiration from Jenna Ortega’s new look. Let’s see together how.

    5. How Can I Cut My Bangs Like Wednesday Addams?

    @naomi_arbide #greenscreen @Jenna Ortega hair inspo🖤Comment what hairstyle is next?✨#hairtok #wednesdayaddams #hairstyle ♬ original sound - main account got banned

    Whilst Wednesday’s braids are fairly simple to recreate, understandably not everyone has the right length and thickness in their natural hair to achieve the perfect, adorably spooky look that characterises this hairstyle. If you need to add some volume and length to your hair in order to get the perfect plaits, opt for seamless hair extensions. These clip in hair extensions lay flat against your head and are made of the best quality out there, thick from root to tip and with minimal shedding thanks to their silicone seam.

    If you’d like to try this hairstyle but are not sure about committing to such a haircut, you can always try and get Wednesday’s new iconic hairstyle by using clip in bangs hair extensions. Cliphair’s clip in fringe is the best hair accessory, made of 100% human hair; it can be washed, cut, and styled just as you would do with your natural hair, and allows you to switch things up whenever you want. Need a tutorial? Check out this awesome TikTok styling guide, made by those who already tried it.

    @itsoizzie Replying to @_fabbyyyyy i loved the show, eugene was my favorite 🐝 ! #wednesday #wednesdayaddams #hair #hairstyle #easyhairstyles ♬ original sound - main account got banned

    6. Conclusion:

    Seeing such a refreshing new take on an all-time-beloved character such as Wednesday Addams is truly a blessing, and it’s only natural that many people out there are willing to get a Wednesday-inspired makeover. With the right hair extensions, you can craft the perfect plaits and wispy bangs to get the ultimate Wednesday Addams aesthetic, in true Jenna Ortega style. *snap snap!*
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