French Braids: The Hottest Hairstyle to Try This Fall
French braids of all styles are a HOT beauty trend right now. Learn where this trend came from as well as how to get the look for yourself in the following article!
Hollywood’s French Braid Trend: How it Started:
It all began as a simple trick for keeping her bangs and shorter layers out of her face. Lauren Conrad worked a simple braid into her long blonde hair, usually tucked behind her ear or pinned back with some bobby pins.
Then, her braid evolved into a mini french braid that swooped down the side of her face. Pulling in different sections of hair gave the style a little bit more interest, and showed off her golden highlights.
Suddenly, braid mania hit Hollywood. Everyone was wearing this front french braid, even to sophisticated evenings like red carpet events! As the love of braiding spread, stylists got more creative. Some, like Leighton Meester’s hairstylist on the set of Gossip Girl, gave the braid a bit of a twist into the back, so it snaked across the back of her head.
Now, the hairstyle has totally hit the mainstream! One location where I’ve seen the side french braid all over the place? The GYM! In two volleyball tournaments in the past two weekends, I saw the newest trick, the french braided ponytail, on members of 8 different teams!
It’s totally athletic-chic–you’ve got to try it yourself!
Photo Credit: Haley Vecchiarelli
To get this look:
- Grab a small section of hair right in the top center of your part, like you’re starting a normal french braid. If you don’t know how to french braid, here’s a great guide to get you started.
- As you french braid (which means pulling in additional sections of hair to add to the three main “parts” that you’re braiding as you go to create a weaved look), pull in medium-sized new sections of hair near your face/hairline, and on the other side pull smaller, loose pieces from the back of your head (this is what will make it snake down the side of your face instead of going straight backwards).
- Make sure that you keep the side of the braid close to your face pulled very tight! If you don’t, it won’t stay secure and keep its distinctive shape as you go. If this part is problematic, you can adjust by only working in face-framing hair into the braid (and not adding any hair from the top/back side of your hair instead). This will give the braid a defined, almost 3-D feeling because of its strongly defined edge.
- Once you run out of face-framing hair pieces to pull into your braid, you can either turn it into a regular french braid, a regular braid, or pull it back into a ponytail/messy bun. It’s a super versatile hairstyle.
This braiding strategy can give you all kinds of awesome looks. If you pull all your hair back into a ponytail, it will keep bangs out of your face for any sort of athletic activities. However, if you want a more girly, romantic look, try a messy bun like this one:
Isn’t that fabulous? Totally soft and gorgeous. (And I love how the braid accentuates her highlights!)
Will you try this trend?
How do you wear your hair? Do you ever french-braid it? What’s your favorite way to wear it? Tell us in the comments!
Posted on on September 23, 2009 / Filed Under: Beauty & Hair / Tags: Gossip Girl, Hair, Hairstyles, Lauren Conrad, Leighton Meester, Tips, Trends
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Leia
I love french braids and wear them all the time! But I have to say: I don’t think Lauren Conrad started this trend. French braids have been around for ages!
This was a great article – thanks for all the eye candy and tips :)
Rebecca
True that, Leia. Gossip Girl didn’t invent everything.
Rachel
I agree with Leia. Lauren Conrad wasn’t the original- my friends been rocking those hairstyles since she was 15 (she’s 20 now). And at the time everyone in school would copy her (you know the girl with the ‘it’ hair).
It’s cool- but only if you can do them really quick.
Alana @ The Comm Ave Strut
I’ve always loved braids. My parents used to braid my hair every night when I was little so it wouldn’t get tangled in my sleep. I was home last weekend for Rosh Hashanah, and I had my mom braid my hair again, this time to be worn out of the house.
So yes, I love braids :)
Lyz
I absolutely love braiding my hair in every way possible and as a theatrical costume designer I tend to use them a lot for my designs too! haha
yukari
i love french braids.. i wear them a lot (be4 my last hair-cut)
it hs been a trend in Japan this few seasons
Katie
I have my bangs french braided right now. :)
I always thought french-braiding was junivelle when I was younger, so I stayed away from it. Even when everyone started doing it because of LC, I still didn’t want to look like one of “those” girls. But now that the style has been refined and tested to be solid, it’s what I fall back on!
Also, for those who don’t know how to french-braid, I taught myself like two months ago. It’s actually really easy. It’s great to french-braid before bed with wet hair, wake up and take it out with a little hair spray and go!
Renske
My bangs are too short for braiding, but I bought some fake hair a couple of weeks ago and braided that.
I put it on like a headband and then I use bobby pins to attach them to my hair in the back. Looks really nice, I get a lot of compliments!
Ciara
I LOVE this trend! Holy cow! There are so many ways to utilize braids. =)
Natalie
This makes me wish I had never chopped all my hair off! I love the last look especially.
J
I do love her hair style and tried as well. Thanks for the tip!
Kristen
I have SO many yearbook pictures from about Kindergarten to 5th grade with a hug french braid going over the top of my head and to the other side. I love love love French braids. I was thinking about cutting my hair, but I decided to start doing more stuff with it instead so I’d appreciate the length.
Diane Kruger did a cool braid for an awards show. Go here: http://www.glamour.com/beauty/blogs/girls-in-the-beauty-department/2009/05/i-tried-out-the-cutest-braided.html and you can see her braid in addition to how to do it! I did it for an arts and wine festival, and it worked great all day! A little hairspray can also be helpful.
Zephyr - CF Editor
Leia – True enough! I’ve been doing french braids forever too. Although I think she probably did start the recent hollywood trend, she definitely can’t be credited with inventing the french braid or anything!
Alana – Aw, my mom used to braid my hair when I was little too. Btw, cute blog! We should meet up in Boston sometime!
Katie – So true. It’s one of the easiest hairstyles once you get it down!
Renske – Good idea with the fake hair! Do you have any pictures? I can’t really picture it but I like the idea!
Natalie – Aw, it’ll grow back :) And I know, the last look is my fave too. Isn’t Lisa a genius?
Alexandra
This trend was definitely over last season. Though I still think they are cute, just not anywhere near as common as I saw them before.
Kellie Huish
I love how I’m totally rocking this hairstyle today. I’ve seen the braid everywhere lately, in magazines, on fashion blogs, on celebrities. So this morning I was looking at my straightened hair trying to figure out how to spice it up, braids definitely did the trick! Such a cute look and so versatile!
Brenda
This website seems to be getting so out of date! First “how to wear leggings” and now braids are being described as a new trend? Both have been around for quite some time now.
Luinae
I’ll have to learn how to get it down, I can’t do it all right now.
I haven’t seen them AT ALL at my school, which is odd because my school is usually trend central. I will def try it pulled back into a bun, that’s my favourite look.
Candi @ Lipgloss & Lingerie
Thank you so much for this post, Lisa! I’ve been admiring this look on others for so long, but you can bet I could not figure out how to french braid! haha I’ve been sporting a look a lot like Lauren (the 2nd pic) but instead of the braid, I’ve been doing a twist. (Blog post & video here: http://lipglossandlingerie.blogspot.com/2009/09/how-to-video-bohemian-updo.html) I either do it with my hair up, or down. It’s really easy. I can’t wait to try this out now that there’s instructions haha!
Thanks again!
-C
Kim - Cal State
I love this look! I keep meaning to do this when I tie up my hair but I always forget. But perhaps I will try it out tomorrow!
Lydia
i love putting my hair up in 2 french braid styles when i am at the gym esp aerobics classes!!
Francesca
Love this post! I wish I could do my hair like that. I see a lot of celebrities with french braids, but they all have middle parts (like Lauren Conrad). I’ve always wanted to braid my hair, but I don’t know how. As in, I have a side part and side bangs swept to the left.
The only one I know is taking small strips of hair from the either side of the front and regularly braiding them and pinning them in the back, but are there any other hairstyles?
Emma, Scotland
I love this hairstyle but because I have a full fringe (.nt sure what you call it in the US…ehh full bangs?) it always looks weird..
Any change you could upload some pics of someone with bangs wearing it.
Reneé
Fab post!
I loved the model at the last picture it’s soo cute:) I have short hair end at my shoulder so I’ll definetly try this tomorrow!
Marysa
I tried a french braid off to the right hand side and did a sloppy bun on the left side of my neck and my guy loved it! He said, “I really like your hair, the braid is playful and looks really cute.” Any guy who compliments a braid earns an automatic A+. Thanks for the tips!
Cara
I love French braids and have ever since I taught myself how to do them in 5th grade. It used to irritate me so badly that my mom could never learn how to do them so that mine would look nice instead of sloppy! On the plus side, I am now excellent at doing them in my own hair, and think I will have to incorporate them more again.
Ilaria
This is one of my favorite hairstyles: classic, simple, quickly to made and yet so elegant even with messy hair [and, since I've wavy/curly hair, that's simply perfect for me].
kay
ive been rocking this hairstyle ever since the very first time lauren wore the side braid [on one episode of the hills.] i totally tried it the day after at school.
one of my bestfriends even said the style is ugly. but i still kept on wearin my hair that way.and now she’s one of the people who wears it everyday. HA! talk about jumping right in the bandwagon! hahaa.
marry
beautiful
Valeria
I love braids! :D I don’t wear it that much, because I’m pretty much a lazy person, lol. But they look so good! :)
I specially adored Blair Waldorf’s. They’re so chic and romantic :)
I’m trying those on tuesday… my and my boyfriend are gonna celebrate a very special day! *-*
princesscindiee
ye,, i am a big fan of the hills, and seein laurens braided style, i tried it myself. I dont have really long hair, so i was worried it wouldnt luk rite. But i curl the bottom and then braid over the top of my head. It just adds a little variety to how i wear my hair at school. Instead of dead straight how it used to be. Plus its a lot more grown up look and really suits me. I was just wondering, when you braid from one side right over to the other side of your head, how do you stop the bit were you started looking a bit, well er, bald. When i do it looks bare. wud appreciate a comment bak. thanks =x x x love lauren by the way, shes awesome/. :x
Emrald lovern
me too, i am totally rockin the braids thing. I plaitt really small tho, so sometimes it doesn’t luk rite. But wen i am havin a gud hair day it luks prettiee awesome. luvin lauren by the way, shes amazing. hopes she gets everything she dreams of, cos she truly does deserve it. love emrald USA west Hollywood (wer lauren lives lol)
x x x x
jodi
i love braids, i always dop the one that goes down the side of your face and have it straigh or sometimes curly, or have my side frindge down and then braid a bit of my hair at the side and pull it back into a messy pony tail. :)
Gabby
I LOVE THIS SITE I JUS RAN ACROSS IT SUM HOW… BUT I LOVE DOIN THE FRENCH BRAIDS STYLE I GOT ALL THE LIL GIRLS TRYNNA COP MY STYLE NOW.. ;]
Lisa
I love this style so much but, whenever I try I seem to mess up. I don’t know how I manage so but I do. Frustrating!
moni
i wore a side crown french braid with my hair pulled back into a bun today. Tease a few layers at the back crown and smooth out- super cute! theres a blog on elle.com where an editor takes 21 days to do 21 different hair styles and i saw a picture of it and just loved it!
Caroline
I love this, and i love the look of french braids. they would look so nice with my new hair cut. unfortunately, i cant seem to braid my hair so it looks pretty:[ haa