Why Helen Mirren's slicked bun hairstyle at the Golden Globes might've come as a surprise to fans

Helen Mirren looked fabulous in a lilac dress at the 2024 Golden Globes, but she broke one of her own beauty rules with one aspect of her ensemble.

Dame Helen Mirren is constantly inspiring us with her stunning looks - and her most recent fabulous ensemble, which she debuted at the Golden Globes, was certainly no exception. The 78-year-old was nominated for her role as Cara Dutton in Yellowstone spin-off 1923, after all, so she had to look her best - and so she did, in an inspired lilac gown by Dolce & Gabbana.

Looking like the striking diva she is, she paired her figure-flattering lilac (one of the biggest fashion colour trends for 2024) dress with a cape of the same hue that added a rather dramatic element to the look. She also wore some simple silver platform heels and a frosty combination of a diamond necklace and earrings to complete the look. 

But the real point of controversy for Helen with her 2024 Golden Globes look was her hair, which was swept into a sleek, slicked-back bun style.

She doesn't typically opt to put her hair up into a bun - the actress has said in the past that she prefers to keep it down, as she's trying to set the standard that older woman can have long hair and leave it down. 

"There’s an unspoken rule that you’re not supposed to have long hair. Or if you do have long hair, you’re supposed to have it all neatly up in a bun,” she told Vogue in May. "I don’t think there should be any rules and luckily there are less and less." 

She added that one of her icons, Madonna, helped her paved the way to break rules in the beauty industry. "I grew up in a world where there were all kinds of rules as far as women were concerned, and then saw people like Madonna come along and break them all. She was totally a woman after my own heart," she said.

Channel Helen's Golden Globes Look

Specific styling rules for her Golden Globes hairstyle fete included a deep side part - again, breaking trend rules, as middle parts are still dominating the beauty sphere - with her hair completely slicked into a polished, low bun.

A style like this is perfect for any occasion - whether you're rushing out the door to run some errands or you're getting ready for a fancier occasion, a low bun is a classic, flattering, and reliable style.