Ilona Maher’s New Haircut Is the It Girl Look of Fall—and the Style Was Made for Her

The Olympian debuted fresh curtain bangs and a head-to-toe brown look courtesy of JVN and TJ Maxx.

Ilona Maher / Savion Washington/Getty Images

Ilona Maher’s latest transformation is your reminder to visit your hairdresser and get a little trim!

The 28-year-old Olympic rugby player dropped two new Instagram videos revealing a chic seasonal glow up, featuring a gorgeous caramel-toned fall outfit and a sleek haircut styled by celebrity hairstylist and beauty entrepreneur Jonathan Van Ness. Naturally, she looked flawless.

The new ’do

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Maher’s soft new curtain bangs framed her chiseled jawline and feathered brows perfectly, while the rest of her long brown locks cascaded in loose, glossy waves.

In the first video, Maher fluffed her hair in the front camera and struck a pose, showcasing glowy glam with peachy cheeks, a terracotta-taupe lip and lashes that highlighted her signature green eyes.

The on-screen text read, “With this hair and outfit I better be seeing a ring soon,” while Maher cheekily captioned the clip, answering her own question, “Like what is the holdup? Oh wait…I’m single.”

Her second post leaned into her signature confidence and comedy. “Me genuinely unable to stop looking at myself after I get my yearly haircut,” she wrote on screen, smirking in the camera and giving fans a close-up of her fresh glam. “Like who is she?!?” she added in the caption, “Thank you @jvn for making me look impeccable today.”

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“Had so much fun seeing you queen 😍🫶,” Van Ness commented.

A fall fashion serve

Maher’s entire look was styled by Alexis Zipp Goldsmith and sourced from TJ Maxx, where the rugby star is currently an ambassador and face of their latest fashion campaign. The two-time SI Swimsuit model wore a warm brown asymmetrical twist-front, off-shoulder top paired with a chocolate and white polka dot satin midi skirt.

Burgundy-brown pointed-toe knee-high boots completed the elevated autumn look, and she layered on two dainty gold necklaces for a subtle touch of sparkle.

A message beyond the mirror

While the Vermont native certainly served face and fashion, this moment—like much of Maher’s content—was about more than just surface-level beauty.

From helping the women’s Team USA secure its first-ever Olympic rugby sevens medal to being named runner-up on Dancing With the Stars last year, Maher has always embraced change with humor and authenticity. And her exponential social media growth over the past year is proof. She has built a large following through her body-positive messaging and empowering women to feel strong and beautiful exactly as they are. She consistently uses her platform to redefine what power, femininity and athleticism can look like.

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