A ringlet is a long, spiral curl of hair that hangs down in a corkscrew shape. Picture a curl that twists around and around like a spring, bouncing when someone walks or turns their head. In old portraits and historical movies, you'll often see people with ringlets cascading past their shoulders.

Ringlets can form naturally in people with very curly hair, but they're also created deliberately. In past centuries, people would wrap sections of hair around heated rods or sleep with their hair in special papers to achieve perfect ringlets. The style was especially popular in the 1800s, when both children and adults wore elaborate ringlet hairstyles for formal occasions.

Today, you might see ringlets at a fancy party, in a period drama, or on someone who loves vintage hairstyles. While tight ringlets aren't as common in everyday fashion now as they once were, loose, bouncy ringlets remain a popular look that gives hair a playful, elegant appearance.