We love nothing more than to set our curls, coils and waves free. But in the summer months, we’re always on the lookout for gorgeous styles to pull that hot hair back away from our faces. It can be tempting to fall back on the ponytail and the topknot, but these are our favorite woven hairstyles from the runways, and all the tips, tricks, and products that you need to achieve the looks.
8 Hot Summer Braids
Glossy Plaits
A dash of Victorian, a pinch of a Dutch painting, a splash of rich-lady hair and you’ve got the inspiration behind hairstylist Guido’s glossy plaits at the Valentino show. After blow-drying the hair straight withRedken Satinwear 02 Prepping Blow-Dry Lotion and parting it down the middle, he added extensions for length (if your hair is already rib-cage level, skip this step”>. He then combed the hair flat against the back of the head before pulling it over one shoulder. But here’s the really cool part: To give the look its sleek, shiny finish, he rubbed Redken Diamond Oil between his fingers before weaving the braids and securing the ends with an elastic. The result? A look that was luxurious but easy to achieve. Well, minus the extensions.
Braided Buns
If Princess Leia were a dominatrix, there’d be a lot of happy Star Wars fans…and she’d probably wear her hair like this: slicked, slicked, slicked back into two braided buns positioned in the back of the head. (Hey, she’s cooler now.”> The deep side part is slightly masculine and was offset by the polka dot bandanas on Miu Miu’s runway.
Fishtail Braided Chignon
Braided Half-Up
Upside Down French Braid
TUTORIAL: Kala’s Type 3 Tutorial for This Look!
Braided Chignon
Gilbert says “everyone should be able to do this look,” which is not surprising since she completed the braided chignon in about three minutes. We beg to differ. While the look is perfectly undone, it takes a bit of preparation. (Can you even see the braid? Exactly.”> Gilbert’s tip: “Empty your mind and [don’t] think too much about structure or steps. You just twist, pin, and do it,” she says. But really, the soft look involved horizontal parts and sideways French braids. Still, it’s pretty fun to look at.
Braided Crown
We’re used to seeing crowns of braids by now (and we can pretty much thank Sienna Miller for that”>. But Luigi Murenu’s version at the Viktor & Rolf show was cooler than most: It had not one but tworows of braids on each side of the head (which made it look a little tough”>, a mussed finish, and wisps around the face. The effect was edgy and feminine—call it the hair equivalent of the collection’s pleated leather skirts.
Fishtail Braid
If we told you that not a single hair product was used to create this look at Tory Burch’s spring 2013 show, would you believe us? It’s true: Hairstylist Eugene Souleiman simply added extensions, split the hair in two sections, and fishtail-braided each side. Try the look on second and even third day unwashed hair for maximum hold and ideal braiding texture, but don’t forget the dry shampoo.
