Kristi Noem Looks So Different With Stick Straight Hair
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Former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem looks so different when she ditches her hair extensions. That's because Noem has made long brown hair, with gentle tousled barrel curls, into her signature style. Sometimes known as "Utah curls," this is a classic, feminine look that's more often associated with influencers than politicians. But a detour from her go-to look had Noem looking unrecognizable when she appeared on an episode of "The War Room" in 2022 with pin straight hair.
Unlike her usual glossy hair, the straight style left Noem's ends looking fried and thin. While she still had enviable volume, her hair looked stiff and dull. The sizzled-with-a-straightener style has been outdated since at least 2010, and if she wanted to change up her look, she would have been better off finding a way to straighten her hair without the heat damage. But considering that her curls have become such a recognizable element of her personal brand, it's strange that she chose to make a professional appearance without them.
Kristi Noem's softly curled hair is part of her Mar-a-Lago transformation
In recent years, Kristi Noem has gradually been refreshing her look to more closely resemble the hyper-feminine style popularized by the women in President Donald Trump's family, including Ivanka and Melania Trump. Pictures chart the jarring transformation of Noem's lips, while her long, loose curls are giving major Mar-a-Lago vibes. "All I see is lip filler and hair extensions," wrote one Reddit user. Noem has also been photographed rocking her beauty pageant looks while dressed for immigration raids, which has earned her the nickname "ICE Barbie."
Considering that Noem used to wear her hair short, the shift is probably part of an intentional move to boost her career. "It's absolutely strategic," Richard Thompson Ford, law professor and author of "Dress Codes: How the Laws Made Fashion History," told The New York Times in 2024. He explained that the goal of Noem's transformation is "signaling that she's going to be Trump's kind of woman. And, at the same time, that she isn't going to challenge him." The stylized look works to soften Noem's aggressive career advancement.