But natural curls are slowly making their way back into fashion. The very things curly hair has been maligned for — effortlessness, devil-may-care irreverence — are right now the height of cool. It’s a feminist statement, one that says my hair, and by extension me, cannot be contained. And the power of curly hair can be much more nuanced than it gets credit for: Its height can give the face a subtle halo effect, like diffracted light or a good Instagram filter. Think of Bernadette Peters, whose ringlets grant her an air of eternal youth. If you have curly bangs, like Juno Temple in “Vinyl,” you are at once tough and tender. Solange Knowles has proven that the bigger the hair, the better it looks with culottes and chunky platforms. Natural curls bring up pleasant associations of being on vacation sans products or tools, at once unfussy and feminine.

Designers have embraced the carefree curl on the runway, too. I keep a screen shot on my phone of the photographer and actress Petra Collins walking in Gucci’s fall show, cherubic blond curls just shy of frizzy trailing behind her. For spring, Diane von Furstenberg, who has an enviable head of curls herself, put models in a bouncy, beachy version of the look. At Hood by Air, the defined spirals were a bit disheveled, adding a hint of romance to the edginess of the clothes.

To call these curls natural is not to say that they don’t require careful maintenance. Put two curly-haired women together and within minutes they’ll be comparing tools of the trade: styling creams, deep conditioners, wide-tooth combs. Curls come with their own special agita. Some days one half of your head will look perfect, the other too wild. You’ll put it up for a cocktail party and realize that the undone look you were going for actually reads as Regency bride. But you’re only a deep breath and a shower away from a fresh start. And when you get it right, you needn’t worry too much about your clothes or makeup. These aren’t mermaid waves. With curls, you’re a siren.