Country Superstar Lainey Wilson Is Still Absolutely Stunning Without Her Hair Extensions

Country superstar Lainey Wilson quickly became a big name in the country music industry after her debut, largely thanks to hits like "Heart Like a Truck" and "Watermelon Moonshine." Fans love seeing her dominate the stage with her confident presence, which is partly defined by her chic Western style. Almost every time fans see her, a big cowboy hat sits atop her very long blonde hair. Even when she goes to formal awards shows, she usually has her hat as an accessory. 

Every once in a while, though, Wilson uses social media to give fans a peek at a more casual version of her. It's usually when she's at home, playing around with music, hanging out with her husband, Devlin "Duck" Hodges, or doing something similar. She'll try out other accessories, such as baseball caps and bandanas, or sometimes wear no hat at all. However, it's especially rare for fans to see Wilson without her signature extensions.

One of those rare instances came in late July 2026 when Wilson shared a new video on Instagram of a fun and sweet moment she shared with Hodges. The two had gotten married just two months earlier (after Hodges gave Wilson an extremely pricey engagement ring), and they still seemed to be in their honeymoon phase. Additionally, comparing the snap to her usual look, fans felt like she looked just as gorgeous with shorter hair.

 In the clip, the newlyweds worked together to master a viral dance trend for Wilson's newest song, "Phone, Keys, Wallet," with John Mayer. The two weren't exactly in sync, but it was a charming clip that showed off their natural banter. One detail that really stood out was Wilson's naturally short hair, which fell around five inches below her shoulders, with plenty of layers. Fans absolutely loved the look, with one commenting, "Lainey your hair looks good with highlights and layered." Another wrote, "I absolutely love your haircut and highlights, Lainey!" Maybe Wilson will start wearing her hair like this more often after the reassurance from her fans.

It's no surprise that Lainey Wilson is rarely seen without her long hair and a cowboy hat. She has made it part of her signature look over the years, and once she started it, she never went back. Wilson first gained success with her breakout hit, "Things a Man Oughta Know," which came out in 2020. Around this time, fans started to see her attend many big music events, with Wilson often wearing her long extensions and wide-leg pants. The cowboy hat didn't really come around until 2022 and 2023, but Wilson quickly committed to the accessory.

Since then, she's worn a wide-brimmed or other variety of cowboy hat to pretty much every event. Considering she truly looks great in the item, we can't blame her for it. In a YouTube video going behind-the-scenes of Wilson's exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum called "Lainey Wilson: Tough as Nails," the singer shared why she started wearing bell-bottoms and hats after breaking out in the industry. "I realized pretty quickly that, as a female in this business, you have to do something that's a little outside of the box ... So, I pulled my bell-bottoms back out." 

Following the advice of a CMT executive who said that "all the legends can be recognized by their silhouette," Wilson added the hat in the following years. Clearly, her strategy worked, as she quickly became one of the biggest names in country music. One of her most popular hits was 2022's "Heart Like a Truck," from the appropriately titled album "Bell Bottom Country," but she's continued that steady success ever since. Wilson has even started embarking on an acting career, although she almost didn't get cast as Abby on "Yellowstone," which certainly would've been their loss.