by Garance Doré
Ever since an impulsive bob haircut, I’ve been teetering dangerously on the precipice of soccer mom hair. There’s nothing to do but pull it back, pop vitamins, eat lots of hair-strengthening oils and wait for nature to restore my customary length. Chin up, I say.
Meanwhile, the milkmaid, head-skimming braids we saw last year have loosened up quite a bit. Voluminous, messy side plaits are everywhere: the runway (Alexander Wang), Hermès ads, the red carpet and last but certainly not least, on Garance Doré’s superb blog.
Thinking back to when I had long hair, it seems that the trick to these would be to part the hair deeply on one side, tease the crown a bit (but not this much), braid loosely in the opposite direction of the part, and tighten the braid towards the bottom. Then maybe go in and rough it up again with a teasing comb.
Lucky has a handy french-braid how-to video for those of us whose hands get all confused when trying to braid our own hair in the mirror. It looks so easy I may give it a whirl.
In the meantime, while I wait for Return of the Mane, here are some braid inspiration pictures for all you long-haired lovelies.
Karlie for Hermès by Paolo Roversi
Diane Kruger in 2009, ahead of the curve as usual. Love her.
Artist Francesca DiMattio by Kava Gorna for Refinery 29
