Freshly Plaited

Childhood's favorite hairstyle is all grown up this season

As soon as the first images of the long and loose side braid at the Alexander Wang spring 2010 show hit the internet, a massive frenzy shook up the fashion world. From the fashion blogs to the front row at Fashion Week, everyone was talking about the Alexander Wang braid. High fashion was coming to the masses within just a few seconds. Now that’s called a fashion revolution!

The last time I remember sporting any sort of braided hairstyle, I was swinging from the monkey bars in elementary school. Actually, I even remember making my mom give me the Princess Leia braided buns on each side of my head in junior high school (an embarrassing memory). But this season, the braid is all grown up in every single sense, and I think that I’m ready to embrace it once again.

Alexander Wang and Miu Miu both showcased similar styles of the side braid best suited for long haired girls. It is a very bohemian-meets-city-girl look that is easy to achieve with just a steady hand and a light spritz of hair spray. The messy and loose base of the braid exudes an effortless and sexy wildness that pays no attention to structure and form. It’s not about looking perfect, but much more about looking like you just don’t give a care. However, the plaited part of the hair is neatly plaited all the way down to the tiny tip. The mix of messiness with cleanliness is unexpected and totally chic. Miu Miu took the side braid to an even greater level of sloppiness with an extremely tangled base that made the models look like they ran through a forest full of bushes and twigs.

To achieve this season’s most sought-after hairstyle, side-part your hair in the front and gather your hair at the base of one side of your neck where you want to begin braiding. Start braiding all the way down to the end and secure with a small band. Take the hairs framing your face and pull them away so that they fall carelessly for a messy, bed head look. This style is best suited for long hair because it makes for a magical and outstanding tail that can’t help but be noticed. And the longer your hair, the tinier the tip will be at the end of the braid, and the miniaturizing effect of it compared to the messy haloed frame of hair around the face is a juxtaposition that feels so fresh and new right now. Spray a little hairspray around your head to ensure that your tangled mess is perfectly in place. To go even messier, take the base of your hair where your braid begins and carefully (or recklessly, if you prefer) tangle and pull apart the hairs to create a voluminous and even slouchier look. You’ll look like the coolest girl in town rather than the cutest girl on the playground.

Published May 25, 2010 on LVCMag.com