From the thick headbands with braids at Valentino to the straight-laced ponytails at Ralph Lauren, the winter runways were all about minimalistic hairstyles that don’t require a lot of skill to recreate. No muss, no fuss – these hairstyles are as easy as pie and they won’t cause extra damage on top of everything else our poor tresses suffer.
The beauty of these hairstyles comes from their versatility; they’re great for both freshly washed hair and hair that hasn’t been washed in a day or two, so check out these dry shampoos for all hair types and find your favorite. Each hairstyle works for straight, wavy or curly hair, so get your weapons ready: a brush, a wide-tooth comb, hair elastics, hairspray and a teasing comb.
Braids on Braids on Braids
1. The Daring Dutch Braid at Vivienne Westwood
The perfect combination of pretty and powerful, this braid was a fixture in Vivienne Westwood’s winter runway show. We thought this season’s decision to weave thick ribbons through the hair paired well with the Dutch braid seen on everyone’s favorite actress, Jennifer Lawrence, in her role as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. It’s beautiful when a woman doesn’t need to hide behind her hair, especially when she’s shooting arrows, throwing daggers and leading a revolution!
- Start by detangling your hair and smoothing out any frizz. Dutch braids and French braids are different in that a French braid is woven into the hair, while a Dutch braid creates a 3-D, reverse effect on top of the hair. Katniss’s braid starts on one side and goes across her head. Pay more attention to the top half of the braid, where you are adding sections from the crown (not the nape), as this is where the shape takes place.
- When adding sections from the top half of the braid, make sure to include hair from the farthest point opposite from where you started, or else the hair falling on your shoulder will not be included!
- Take the side crown section on the opposite side that you want the braid to fall on. Pin the ribbon into the crown securely, making sure not to pull too tight as you’re braiding. Use the ribbon as its own section, like Westwood, or combine the ribbon with whichever section you please and start braiding.
- Split the crown into three sections and braid normally to anchor the hair. Scoop a 1-inch section of hair from the crown with your index finger into the section already in your hand. Braid that section under the middle third and over the final third (instead of over and under for French). The same goes for the other side. Watch along in the mirror; once you have added about three sections of hair, you will start to see and feel the braid forming on top of your head.
- The trickiest part is braiding against the nape of the neck and bringing the braid forward over your shoulder. Switch your hands wherever it feels comfortable for you, but remember your hand placement. Finish braiding to your liking and voila!
2. Alice + Olivia Milkmaid Crown Braids
This season, the trendsetters over at Alice + Olivia have been struck with inspiration that reminds us of German milkmaids dressed in dirndls. These braids take practice, but you’ll love the look once you nail it! It’ll leave you feeling royal, not rural.
- Decide first if you would like any hair to frame your face. Split the hair down the middle of your head and clip one section off to the side. Braid the hair until you reach the ends and secure with an elastic. Pull at the braids to add some volume before they’re pinned.
- Rest your finger just above the base of the braid near your ear and place the braid on top of your head. Resting your finger gets a better fold-over point for the braid and ensures that it won’t be lopsided.
- Place your pin above the hair tie, in enough hair to anchor the braid to your head, using more pins if needed. Braid the other side and lay this braid in front or behind the other. Tuck the ends of this braid under the first and pin it in. Add a floral headband or silk scarf for a bohemian touch.
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3. Badgley Mischka’s Up-the-Back Bun Braid
On their winter runway, Badgley Mischka featured an up-the-back French rope braid and a bun at the crown. Ever inspired, we took out the plain old ballet bun on the model’s head and replaced it with a sock bun. One of the season’s hottest trends, the sock bun looks great on almost anyone and solves many of our everyday hair troubles.
- Start with a French braid at the nape of your neck, braid until you hit your crown and secure the length with an elastic. Placement on your head is up to you: we like it right on top, but also love it at the crown. Brush out any tangles from here.
- Get your sock/hair donut/chignon and start rolling! Comb or brush the sides of the bun to make sure none of the chignon is showing through. Spice it up even more by pinning a bow to the bun.
Not Your Mother’s Hot Rollers
4. Givenchy Voluminous Pin Curls
Don’t let the blue dye scare you! Pin curls are a fabulous way to get overnight curls without hassle or heat. We admire the leap Givenchy took with this style, although it’s not very wearable off the runway. But never fear; even without dye this style still makes a statement.
- It’s best to prep this style before going to bed. Detangle your hair and smooth some water or anti-frizz product over the length. Section your hair off to your ears and clip it away. Depending on your preference, take a section of hair and wrap it around a finger or two until you reach your scalp.
- For thicker sections, you will need at least two bobby pins to secure the pin curl, possibly more if you plan to sleep on it.
- Continue this process all around your entire head. The trickiest part is finding a place to pin the final curls at the top. Wear a silk hair cap while you sleep to avoid fallout.
- In the morning, start removing the pins from the bottom; it will make it easier to find all of them. Flip your head over to rough up some of the curls to get some volume. Your mirror won’t do any justice to those curls, so make sure to take some selfies on Instagram!
- After a few hours, your hair will fall into waves with that just-spent-five-hours-tanning-on-the-beach hair. Jealous!
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5. Ponytails Past Pre-K at Moschino
With this hairstyle seen all over the runways at Lanvin, Chloé and Michael Kors, it’s clear we all want to be free of the plain ponytail. Moschino turned it into something women can wear without the burden of a bedtime.
- Part your hair at the arch of your brow, creating a side part that isn’t too wide. Tease the crown and sides if you want some extra volume at the top. Smooth down any flyaways with hairspray.
- Gather your hair into a ponytail just above the nape of your neck. To make the ponytail appear more voluminous, pinch a tiny section between both thumb and index fingers at the top and bottom of the hairband. Pull them tightly and your hair should shrink up a bit. Wrap both pieces of hair around the elastic and pin them into it.
- To give the ponytail itself a bit of movement, grab the heating tool of your choice and add some curls to the ends of your hair. This step is optional, so do whatever you like to add a bit of personality to your ponytail!
6. Dolce & Gabbana’s Byzantine Crown Messy Bun
Drawing their inspirations from opposites, such as shy against tart and city against country, Dolce & Gabbana’s designs have caught the eye of powerful women such as Sophia Loren, Scarlett Johansson and Madonna. This crown certainly makes a statement, but a jeweled headband will work just as well.
- Texture the crown and sides of your hair with a teasing comb and spray with your favorite hairspray. Smooth down the teasing and make sure each section blends smoothly into the others. Place your jeweled crown or hair accessory wherever you like and pull out a few tendrils to frame your face.
- Gather the rest of your hair in a low ponytail at the base of your neck and twist it around your finger. Wrap loosely, letting the bun do the work itself and don’t pull too tight. You’ll want to use hairpins for this look, but it will work with lots of bobby pins.
- When you’ve got the bun looking just right, spray a decent amount of hairspray over the bun and don’t touch it again until it dries. Attend to the hair framing your face—twist it around your finger or tuck it away; whatever you please.
Soon your friends will be begging you to show them how you did your hair! Don’t forget to show off your style; tag @hercampus when you post your fab hair selfies on Instagram.