Kaitlan Collins' Stunning Hair Transformation Through The Years

Since rising to prominence as a CNN anchor, Kaitlan Collins has cultivated an unmistakable signature look. The White House correspondent first broke onto the scene in 2017 with a fairy simple long hairstyle, characterized by its blunt ends and side part (which would become a mainstay in her hair journey). Over the years, she's maintained certain elements of her hair look, while elevating others. 

For the most part, Kaitlan Collins has kept her rich, brunette tone, and she's never really gone shorter than shoulder length. While she did seem to have a lob back in 2015, before she'd joined the CNN network, she's stuck to a longer style in the years since. But it's still been a journey: She went from a thick, almost shapeless style to looking gorgeously glossy with curled ends and different tones of brown. Over her time at CNN, she's gained confidence, experimenting with more formal styles for work events and red carpets. From structured curls to volumized updos, the TV personality isn't afraid to pull out all the stops when it's time to get glammed up. For the 2026 Grammys Gala, Kaitlan Collins proved she's the queen of the LBD, and sleek, chic red-carpet hair.

The most significant milestone in the anchor's hair journey, though, has to be the transition from her signature side part, which she kept for the first years of her career, to a middle part. This move to update her look away from the millennial go-to and towards a more contemporary aesthetic was crucial in Kaitlan Collins' stunning style transformation. 

Before we knew much about her, Kaitlan Collins sported a fun lob, as seen in an Instagram photo shared by her dad in 2015. Then she joined CNN back 2017, and though she wasn't quite a household name to begin with, the junior reporter looked the part of TV anchor. When she first graced our screens, she was sporting her thick brown mane in a sleek, side-parted style, which was neat and tidy for on-air appearances. Though her hair was straight, it did have some body, particularly through the ends.

For her first year at CNN, Kaitlan Collins didn't deviate too much from the hairstyle she started out with. In a photo taken in August 2018 in the White House Briefing Room, the journalist was still sporting her side-parted hair, though this time there was a bit more movement. She had layers around her neck, which were grazing the area around her collarbone and gave the 'do more body. The ends were also flipping inwards and outwards, resulting in a chic finish with "unbothered" energy.

In June 2019, Kaitlan Collins posted a photo on Instagram that showed her enjoying the summer with a glass of champagne. To match her off-the-shoulder pink-and-orange dress, she had a similarly playful hairstyle that had a little more personality than the anchor usually opted for at work. She still wore it side-parted, but the bottoms waved into defined curls for more of a party-ready look. Her hair also seemed to have grown a few inches by this time, helping her ends to settle into full curls rather than just waves and flips. 

We thought we loved Kaitlan Collins with curly hair, but her straight, glossy version with structured ends is winning us over. She shared this photo to Instagram in August 2020, and while the rest of us were in the middle of our "pandemic casual" eras, Collins looked stunning with a polished blowout. Now, this was essentially the same cut she started with, but the way that the ends were either sprayed or gelled to the side elevated the 'do completely. 

While her hair continued to get longer during her first few years at CNN, Kaitlan Collins appeared to go in for a serious chop in 2021. By that August, she was posing for a photo with E! News' Catt Sadler and had her hair bouncing up by her shoulders. In cutting off those few inches, she dropped a lot of weight, getting back body and movement in return. Hair that's feeling heavy might be a sign that you're due for a haircut, and in this case, it definitely paid off for Collins. 

Kaitlan Collins has displayed plenty of camera-ready hairstyles, but in 2022, she moved away from professional and took a giant leap towards glamorous. For the 45th Kennedy Center Honors that December, she went for structured barrel curls, though she kept her hair in its usual side-parted position. It's also possible that she went for a darker hue at this time, since her roots were almost black, while her ends were a warmer, richer chocolate tone. While there are downsides to having brunette hair, one of the perks is tonal dimensions like this!

Though she started at CNN as a junior, Kaitlan Collins had ascended through the ranks, and by the 2020s, the invitations were flowing in for red carpets and other prestigious events. In December 2023, she attended a shindig at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, wearing her hair completely different from what we'd seen before. She went for an elegant updo with a single tendril curling down the side of her face. With her hair pulled back, her soft-glam makeup was given full reign to shine, as was her dramatic earring stack.

The year 2024 was a breakthrough for Kaitlan Collins, at least in terms of her hair journey. The anchor departed from her roots by parting her hair — wait for it — in the middle! After many faithful years in service to the side part, she moved her part over a couple of inches at the BAFTA NYC Tea Party that October, and we love to see it. Collins also embraced more face-framing layers, which complemented her beautifully.

In April 2025, Kaitlan Collins joined her colleagues at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, and she scrubbed up nicely for the exclusive event. While she's showing no signs of ditching her long, waved hair while she's working, this formal occasion called for a ponytail. This time, she turned up the drama with volume at the crown, likely created with some teasing and held with hairspray. No complaints here — once again, the anchor's flawless makeup took center stage as she pulled her hair off her face with a fabulous 'do.

If we didn't have a favorite Kaitlan Collins hair moment before, we have one now. For a pre-Grammy event in January 2026, Collins turned up with an ultra-flattering straight style that made her look like a million dollars. With her front pieces tucked behind her ears, and the warmth through her ends shining under the lights, this simple yet chic look was immaculate. We can safely say that we never want to see her side part again after this look! Kaitlan Collins has often nailed the old money aesthetic, and she did it again with this refined, polished 'do.