Ideal length for updo's and styling?

[Eryka]

Just curious as to what has been the best length for people who are updo enthusiasts. For quite some time I've felt inhibited by my length and weight when it comes to experimentation and I am a COMPLETE goober when it comes to styling. Most updo's fall out and I have to go through insane measures to just keep the damn thing up, much less make it good looking. Essentially, never learning a new style, just preventing a breakdown of that style.

So yeah, what was/is your ideal length? I'm thinking hip or finger tip.

[Mandie]

-gawks at beautiful hair in avatar photo- ...sorry, what? There was a question? O_O

I would say I'm finding I can do way more at waist than I could at BSL, but I'm thinking along your lines, maybe tailbone/hip for the "best" length for most styles. Not too much to fit into the majority of updos, but not so little it's wisping and falling out.

[QMacrocarpa]

Which updos are feasible at any given length depends very much on thickness. I'm sneaking up on waist-length, and I'm quite pleased with the variety of updos I'm able to do, but really, I've been pretty content with the ever-shifting variety of styles for the last two years (eight or so inches) of growing, too. I've grown into and out of certain styles, but I can't say I've found any one length that seems best for updos in general.

[Rosethorn]

I'm at about wrist length (something you'd only say on LHC :)) right now- from about waist length on has been good for updos for me. I've really noticed that, for me, hem is almost more important than length for keeping updos, well, up. Fairytale ends stay up much better than blunt ends do for me. I've got fine, slippy hair, though. I think everybody's going to have different experiences. I'll stop rambling, now. :p

[Chromis]

I have not run into that yet, but I do find that some styles no longer work well at a given length and then magically start working again after a few more inches. Figure eight buns are a frequent offender for this on me and cinnabuns. I think it has to do with number of times it wraps evenly, which will vary on thickness for different people.

The biggest thing for me has been continually making an effort to learn new styles. One you might try that should stay up with no heroics at all even with long heavy hair is the modified Ellingwoman braid.

[Eryka]

Thanks everyone. Sounds like the general consensus is hip-ish. I have decently thick/heavy hair and with it being nearly ankle length, it has a mind of its own when it comes to updo's.

[jacqueline101]

You know I think any thing past bra strap length is easy to style.

[torrilin]

Since your thickness is iii, you're going to have a different "ideal length" than someone whose hair is thinner.

I've never had longer hair than my current past waist length, and so far the longer it gets, the easier it gets. But my ponytail is only about 3", and my hair is fine and very floaty... not staticky, but actual floating. Any whisper of air movement can send bits of it all over the place it's so fine and light. It's finally no longer levitating up to nose height just from walking around, so for the first time I'm wearing my hair down and not having it be torture.

But given the floaty nature, updos are just an automatic thing to me. I regard every length from pixie on down to my current one as a horrible trial where my hair must be contained for fear of tangles, and since it's fine and floaty my updo options are kind of limited for a lot of that length. Things like Gibson tucks and French twists or peacock twists just explode off my head. So all the times I've done the death march from chin to BSL, it's been off a rotation of ponytails, braids, and cinnamon buns because that's all that will even try to stay. The only short hair updos that work on me are ones based on French or Dutch braids, whether done single or double. Most stuff that people say works on shorter hair, my hair laughs at and escapes. I need to be around waist to have a decent range of updo options that will actually stay up.

I'm guessing the length I'll choose to maintain at is the length where a single braid wraps around my head, and that's likely in the tailbone to classic length range. It should wind up being a decent balance between updo options, easy maintenance and wearing down ability.

[Jenny31557]

Have you seen arc691's blog? She has gorgeous ankle length hair and she is very very good at styling it every day.
Here's a link in case you haven't seen it yet:
http://691superlonghair.blogspot.co.uk/?m=1
Hope this helps
Oh, and if your avatar is your hair, then your hair is stunning :)

[Anje]

I'm pretty happy with my ability to do everything but cinnamon buns (too spiraly to hold without lots of and crown-wrap braids (too short for one braid, too long for two) at my current length, which is a high tailbone. My hair's fairly thin, though, so someone with more normal thickness would probably need classic-ish for the same styles.