Herringbone help or other suggestions

[Teresa9000]

Sorry if something along these lines has already been posted, but I figured some of the stuff I'm about to say is case-specific. :)

I'm getting married at a casual civil ceremony next week. It will be during the day, and I'm wearing a white knee-length sundress, flats, and (probably) a light-green shawl. I know those are some random details, but I thought they might help paint a picture.

My hair is now around bsl. Most buns do not stay. The lazy-wrap works, and sometimes the equilibrium bun, and if I'm careful the cheater's figure 8 stays too. I am willing to take hair-style suggestions, but what I really would like to do is a herringbone braid.

I've managed to pull this braid off one time in greasy hair, but it was quite messy and it really annoyed me. I don't have any pictures of that first attempt. I tried it the other night in somewhat still clean hair but it didn't even look like a braid yet when my arms wore out. Perhaps if I started halfway down my head instead of near the top of my head I would get further.

Any tips or tricks that work for you? Other hair-style suggestions? TIA:D

[Charli800]

I find the herringbone much easier if I start at the nape of my neck and don't try to 'braid it in'. The difference in appearance is quite small, but there's a noticeable reduction of time holding my arms above my head, which helps. I also find it easier when I don't have to fiddle with adding pieces in.
Maybe it would also help to practice braiding a ponytail and then moving on to a 'proper' braid. Or you might get somebody to help you?
HTH

[AprilElf]

I agree with Charli800, and also if you start a herringbone at the nape without ponytailing it first (and without adding sections in), you get a nice soft, romantic effect. When you start off, you'll probably feel like the braid is way too loose, but that's okay - it'll come right after a little bit. You might have to have a practice run to figure out the right tension for you.

[Finoriel]

I think the herringbone is a great choice for a wedding-do :) I always think the herringbone looks more elaborated when you french braid (inbraid) it, but like the others said it´s not necessary to begin it that way. Depending on how high you begin the french part on your head (front hairline, crown area, back of head) it will indeed be faster to make when you don´t take the longest way over your whole head.
Just remember that this style has the tendency to somehow ´sag´ if you don´t braid tight enough and the chance that the french part begun further down on your head will sag down in a messy way, is there. You could try to put in some flowers into that area of the braid, which will distract the eye from eventual messy parts.
:wink: I guess it´s too late to suggest some pushups for more armstrength, but there also is another way to prevent your arms from getting tired so fast: Braid sitting at a table, put your elbows down on it while braiding and take some rests inbetween when you notice your fingers become tired. Considering that your wedding is in a week and you won´t have much time for extra practice braiding sessions, my tip would be to make the herringbone your daily updo until that, wear it every single day to get as much practice as possible. That way you also get used to how your hair-do feels and you are more comfortable with it. HTH

[Katze]

the herringbone is a good idea. I think it always looks special, somehow.

Braids are messy and sag on me too unless I braid VERY snug, and even then I often have to redo them. My ends are also super thin, meaning that I prefer to pin them up, and I can't do buns to save my life. But i have managed to get some OK looking updos - look at my album pics. :)

The double Dutch/inbraided braid that I posted a couple of weeks ago (see profile pic) isn't a herringbone, but could easily be made as one, and I think the look is elegant and graceful. You could play with different partings - mine was a side part to incorporate more layers and bangs, and because it's flattering to my round face. But you could do all kinds of things!

I'm also getting married (in July) in an informal way (outdoors in California, wearing a sari) and hoping to find a hairdo I can do myself since none of my family or friends who will be there can do anything with hair). I might do something like this too...

good luck and let us know what you find!

[Teresa9000]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone! I think I will try starting the braid farther down on my head. And I probably need to practice this every night this week. My arms are so weak!

[enfys]

In Claie's Accessories I've seen a tool that aids herringboning. I'll just Google it. Back in a sec...

Back!

http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=17501

I found this Archived.

http://www.scunci.com/product_detail.aspx?gid=11&pid=33&lp=5
This is the manufacturer's info. I've never tried it, but if you come across onew I bet it's worth a look at.

[Auryn]

If you lived closer to me, I'd volunteer to braid it for you. I've become quite adept at herringbone braids in the last few years. I've always done mine from lower on the back of my head, or from a ponytail.

I don't know if you use product or not, but a small amount of mousse might help hold it and keep it from looking messy. While I know that it can be drying, I don't think that using it one time would be very harmful.

[SimplyLonghair]

In Claie's Accessories I've seen a tool that aids herringboning. I'll just Google it. Back in a sec...

Back!

http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=17501

I found this Archived.

http://www.scunci.com/product_detail.aspx?gid=11&pid=33&lp=5
This is the manufacturer's info. I've never tried it, but if you come across one I bet it's worth a look at.
Oh I had forgotten about that, I want to try one of those. I love herringbones but don't do them very often due to tried arms and not enough hands. :silly:

[Teresa9000]

In Claie's Accessories I've seen a tool that aids herringboning. I'll just Google it. Back in a sec...

Back!

http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=17501

I found this Archived.

http://www.scunci.com/product_detail.aspx?gid=11&pid=33&lp=5
This is the manufacturer's info. I've never tried it, but if you come across onew I bet it's worth a look at.

What's really sad is that I have this, but I never knew what it was for (because I didn't know what a herringbone braid was until I joined these forums) so now I don't know where it is. I guess it's time to go looking for it, and hope I didn't leave it at my parents' house. :hmm:

[Carolyn]

Be careful with that thing. I bought one and got it snarled into my hair. I thought I'd never get it out. If you notice the pictures in the link, it looks to me like there is a person standing behind the woman who is getting braided. It doesn't look to me like she is braiding her own hair.

[windinherhair]

I already know how to french braid, so I decided to choose another braid to work with, and I chose the herringbone braid.

After about 7 tries, I think I have the part for parting "into" the hair and figuring out where each strand goes (for starting higher up on the head). I am getting finished with my braid too soon though, leaving more hair to braid by the time I am at the neck, and leaving the braid more loose at the sides. So that it making it harder to start the other braid for the rest of my hair.

I am going to also try it without parting into the hair, and just beginning at the neck.

It is quite a challenge, but with more practice I am sure I will get it.

This is the video I have used to help me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Sot6Y4X9ro

I notice that I shed a lot when I am braiding my hair... I try to be careful with how I handle my hair, but it still seems like I lose a lot more when I am styling it. Since I tried it 7 times in a row, that might have something to do with it too (repeated combing).

[Norai]

I'd try braiding it with differing amounts of oil added to your hair until you find an amount that looks good - herringbone tends to frizz out quite a bit (at least for me) and oil might help some. Or maybe someone knows some styling goo that works well for this? I am so inept at styling goo.

[GlennaGirl]

Teresa, I just wanted to say CONGRATULATIONS on your upcoming wedding! May you always be happy together. Many blessings on the day.

[windinherhair]

I have tried this many times, and although my herringbone braid still doesn't look as nice as some pictures I have seen, I was going to share how far I have come.

Am I being too hard on myself, or can you really tell this is a herringbone braid? I really do try to use small pieces of hair, but I think it can still come out looking very similar to a french braid.

It has taken me many tries, but this is as far as I have come to getting the the braid to turn out halfway decent at the neck and down. It turns out a little sideways, and the only reason I can think that happens is since I am doing it on my own hair.

I thought it would look a little nicer then this after I started to get it. Maybe I just need a break.
http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/2474/may1409007.jpg

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/7154/may14090072.jpg

[misstwist]

I also start a herringbone at my nape instead of in braiding, mainly because anything down the center of my head like that causes headaches.

I find that if I place a scrunchy loosely at the nape to form a ponytail it is more snug at the start and doesn't sag. I just remove the scrunchy after I tie it off.

This works for a rope braid, as well.

I don't need to do that with an English braid or with a four strand box braid. I think two strand braids just need to be stabilized a little to get them to start well.

[windinherhair]

To convince myself that I am progressing, I took a picture of my herringbone braid, and then a regular braid. I still want to get better at it.

Herringbone braid (I liked how this turned out instead of the other french braided look)

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/9922/may1509002.jpg

Regular braid (to see the difference)

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/4910/may1509003.jpg

[plainjanegirl]

I also start a herringbone at my nape instead of in braiding, mainly because anything down the center of my head like that causes headaches.

I find that if I place a scrunchy loosely at the nape to form a ponytail it is more snug at the start and doesn't sag. I just remove the scrunchy after I tie it off.

This works for a rope braid, as well.

I don't need to do that with an English braid or with a four strand box braid. I think two strand braids just need to be stabilized a little to get them to start well.

I am gonna have to go look on youtube and see if I can find an instructional video of how to do this braid. But what does it mean you start at the nape instead of in braiding?

[plainjanegirl]

Is this also called a fish braid?

[Monchhichi]

Be careful with that thing. I bought one and got it snarled into my hair. I thought I'd never get it out. If you notice the pictures in the link, it looks to me like there is a person standing behind the woman who is getting braided. It doesn't look to me like she is braiding her own hair.

How does this herringbone tool work? I saw it at Claire's recently, but I couldn't imagine how it works. Don't be afraid, I don't want to buy it, I'm just curious. ;)

[Elenna]

According to the instructions on a Fishbone braid <http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=105 >, you need to partial out small, even sections of hair. Unless a person has eyes in the back of their head or a back-to-back mirror, how do you do this? Maybe, this is a two-person kind of hairstyle!

However, I can sort of do a French Braid.

[Teresa9000]

This is what I ended up going with (sorry it's so huge):
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=2329&pictureid=39353

Actually, I didn't do it myself. One of my friends brought his girlfriend, and she offered to do it for me. I had to teach her how to do it, and since there's nothing I hate worse than a really loose braid hanging around my neck like a cobra hood, we just decided to put it in a low ponytail first. It looked nice from the back, but since I had it in that low ponytail it made my face look bad. I needed something to soften it up, like wispies or bangs.

[AprilElf]

windinherhair - your braids look good! :) I really like the braided-in one. Mine always turn a little sideways too, I think that's just a hazard of doing it on your own hair. :p I tend to braid rather tightly too, so that doesn't help.

plainjanegirl - I think another name for this is the fish-tail braid.
You can see on windinherhair's pictures the difference in starting at the nape (her second pic) and 'in-braiding', which looks more like a French braid because you are starting at the top of the head and adding sections in as you braid down.

Teresa, your hair looks lovely in that picture! :thumbsup: I hope you were happy with the result.

Elenna - You get used to separating small sections by feel only. ;)
It's just practice. I find the sections need to be in proportion to the total thickness of hair you are braiding. So, at the start of the braid they can be thicker, and as you get further down (unless you have no taper) they need to get thinner and thinner. Or else you end up with a regular looking braid on the lower length.

[plainjanegirl]

According to the instructions on a Fishbone braid <http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=105 >, you need to partial out small, even sections of hair. Unless a person has eyes in the back of their head or a back-to-back mirror, how do you do this? Maybe, this is a two-person kind of hairstyle!

However, I can sort of do a French Braid.



No it can be made by a single person though I have not had a chance to try it yet. But I did find a good youtube video by one of our LHC members and she explains and demonstrates it very well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ht8w19Oulio&feature=channel

[Elenna]

No it can be made by a single person though I have not had a chance to try it yet. But I did find a good youtube video by one of our LHC members and she explains and demonstrates it very well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ht8w19Oulio&feature=channel

Oh, ok! Thanks PlainJaneGirl.

[bunzfan]

I think i can just about do the herringbone braid over the shoulder on my layered APL hair :)

Only problem is i do it when wet and braid tightly but as the hair dries the braid get bigger and bigger and starts to come un done... more hair spray maybe.