Fashion Friday: The braid obsession
I have had a bit of an obsession with French braids lately. I keep braiding my hair, then undoing it, then braiding it again. Half the time it’s because I’m unhappy with the result. The other half of the time I get such a good feeling from finishing a braid. I love doing braids that start from one side and finish at the other (featured in my last Fashion Friday edition).
They weren’t really braids, more like plaits – but after seeing Violent Soho in concert a couple of weeks ago, I did my hair in an interesting sort of fashion. I didn’t want to just tie it up or just braid it, so I did a bit of both. I pinned half of it up with a small alligator clip I got in Japan from a fukubukuro bag.
I let the other half of my hair just hang loose, but after thinking about it I decided to plait some of the strands. I used little clear elastic hair ties to tie them up. I sort of liked how I did my hair, because it had a bit of that rock-chick vibe, which fit my new Violent Soho tee and black skirt and tights.
It’s fun to work with different hairstyles. I guess I am not limited since I have rather long hair. Plaiting my hair was the norm when I had hair down to my knees; there was no other way it could survive a day. If I simply tied it up in a ponytail, it would just whip around and get caught on things. My mum French braided my hair every morning when I was in primary school.
I often got sick of it, and by the time I was eleven, she sort of stopped, and I tried doing it on my own. It was difficult, and often I just tied up my hair in a pony and then did a plait from the pony to the end of my hair. I could plait with three strands, but braiding – which involves gradually making the strands thicker by pulling in more hair from the sides – proved difficult.
I am quite used to it now. I just remember hating braids. I would tell my mum that no one could even see my hair was nicely done unless they were looking at me from behind. In school photos, I let my braid hang around my shoulder so it was visible from the front, but I still didn’t like that no one could really see it.
Do you like braids? How do you like to style your hair?
Comments on this post
Bennilyn
I actually did not know the difference between plaits and braids up till now! /um grew up referring plaits as braids. I usually just have my hair down since whenever I plait/braid my hair it usually ends up looking messy at the end of the day or when I arrive (from sleeping or wind blowing). Plus my hair is layered now, there will be some “fuzz” sticking out…
I agree with you on the not being able to see hair from the front! XD I used to have my hair tied up and bangs pinned away in primary school (school rules)
Jamie
Like Benilynn, I didn’t know the difference either. I do now.
Actually, I do like braids. French braids, regular braids etc. When I went to the YMCA for summer, our counselor Lauren would always French Braid our hairs. Of course, it felt like a weave because she did it extremely tight. I love them, and had the hair for it, until I started to cut my hair shorter. In time, I kind of grew out of the braiding thing as no one really braids their hair anymore. Not that I’ve seen over here anyways.
Amy
For the past five years, I kept my hair really short, so I didn’t have many styling options, but this past school year, I was completely sunk with the workload. So I usually twisted my hair into a hasty (and in retrospect, rather ugly) bun throughout the year. I didn’t even notice until recently that my hair actually grew, considerably. I still pull up my hair in a bun when I’m working, but I’m trying to get used to the feeling of hair on my neck. I feel uncomfortable, even with ponytails let alone with my hair fully down (though I do like how both look on me, sadly.)
Super adorable clip! I imagine it’s really useful with bangs!
Saki
Oh, braids! They are so old-style yet modern I can’t do anything but loving them! And they look so gorgeous on you! ♥
Jessica
I honestly didn’t know there was a difference between braids and plaits. :o Of course, it doesn’t matter since I cannot do neither one. Sometimes I wonder why I don’t just keep my hair short…and then I remember that I hate it short. :P I just wish that I had the patience to fix it, but you have absolutely beautiful hair. :)
Nancy
I can imagine that feeling of success when you finish a braid. Self braids are hard for me because I don’t really have the coordination for it but I need practice :P. I felt the same way about braids back then even though it was usually meant to keep your hair out of the way.
I like braids when it’s done right.. Then again, “right” can mean many things. But you know what I’m talking about :6. I usually comb my hair down and move along with my day, haha.
AnneMarie
I too didn’t like braids when I was growing up. I just felt like a farm girl when I did. My mom also didn’t know how to french braid so I thought that braids looked ridiculous on me compared to when girls in my class came in with their hair french braided. It never occurred to me that it was a different type of braid.
But now, I love braids! My hair is just too short to braid so I’m waiting for it to grow out again. Back when I had long ombre hair though, braids were my go-to way of getting my hair out of my face. (: French braiding is a pain though. My arms get so tired. :P
Bhairavee
i used to love plaiting my hair when I was in school, but since then my hair has always been cut short, till shoulder and I have my hair cut into steps, so I can’t really plait them.
But I love those braids that start from one end and end at the other. Just today, when I had gone to the beauty parlour, there was this girl who had come there for a trial hair-do for her marriage and the beautician was trying all these beautiful braids! I has intrigued by the intricate pattern that the hair was being woven into!
Well I wish I could grow my hair long enough to plait them again! :(