‘What if everyone can tell it’s a wig?’ Leah Harper tries out a different one each day. Composite: Linda Nylind View image in fullscreen ‘What if everyone can tell it’s a wig?’ Leah Harper tries out a different one each day. Composite: Linda Nylind Women's hair From blond to pink to curly to cropped – my wild week of wearing a new wig every day Glamorous, fashion-forward, fun – wigs are everywhere you look, with celebrities leading the way. But should you go for something flamboyant, or a more natural style? Time to test-drive a few
Leah Harper Wed 24 Jun 2026 06.00 CEST Share Prefer the Guardian on Google The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more .
‘I think it’s the word – ‘wig’!” says Melanie Burrell, scrunching up her nose. “I prefer ‘hairpiece’.” It’s part of the reason why, when she opened her wig business in Glasgow in 2010, she called it Parrucche – the Italian word for “wigs” being a little more discreet, especially when it came to signage.
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But the stigma once associated with wig wearing is quickly diminishing. Outside of Black and queer communities, where using hairpieces has long been commonplace, wigs were once associated with attempts to conceal hair-loss, or for fancy dress. But in recent years, their appeal has broadened. According to data insights company Statista, the global wigs and hair extensions market is predicted to reach $13.28bn this year. For men, toupees, now more commonly known as “hair systems ”, are part of this resurgence.
Wigs have been rebranded as glamorous, fashion-forward and fun, with celebrities leading the way. Fans have long suspected that Sabrina Carpenter’s consistently bouncy blond locks may, in fact, be a wig. “Will not confirm nor deny. I don’t even know what a wig is,” the singer told Time magazine , before adding: “but I also don’t know what not a wig is.” More recently, and more obviously, she donned dramatic short black wigs for a shoot with Perfect magazine .
Other A-listers have been less evasive: last year, Cardi B caused confusion by showing up to court wearing a series of wigs. “Yesterday you had black hair, short hair. Today it’s blond and long. Which one is your real hair? Or are they both real?” asked the apparently baffled attorney. “ They’re wigs ,” the rapper replied with an eye roll and a laugh.
Often, celebrity hair appears to be too good to be true. Could the actor Odessa A’zion’s enviable corkscrew curls really just be the work of a talented stylist? “The gag is,” A’zion told Deadline , “the LA premiere [of Marty Supreme] was a wig, and [for] the New York premiere, it took me five hours to do my hair, and everyone thinks it’s a wig.”
But wearing a wig as a civilian can still feel like a daunting prospect. What if everyone can tell? And does that even matter any more? For one week, I immerse myself in the world of wigs to find out.
I decide to ease myself in with a wiglet or “topper”: a hairpiece that sits on top of, and clips into, your existing hair. A lot of wiglets incorporate a fringe, or “bangs”, but since I already have a fringe I opt for an 18-inch straight synthetic hair topper by Peonymebeauty (£29.91) in “chocolate brown”. This, it turns out, is slightly darker than my natural hair colour – one of the perils of buying online.
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