At what length did updos start looking elegant?

[EvaSimone]

I've been growing my hair for the last 2.5 years and I just realized that in the last few months my updos have felt and looked elegant and professional. Before that they weren't exactly bad but I would have pieces hanging out or my buns would be small and odd shaped.

For me the length where I can do elegant updos and buns is hip length. What about you? Or at what length do you anticipate this?

ETA:
Thought I'd add pictures from eight months ago and now.

Before:
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e159/rszpara/hair051.jpg

Now:
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e159/rszpara/tamalesandtrip138.jpg

[Tangles]

Cool. This is giving me more determination to try for hip, as I start a big new job this summer, and I really will need to be able to do professional updos on a near-daily basis.

[1nuitblanche]

Probably this length will be around waist. Some of my length is there already, but I have deep layers, so I can't really tell yet--always there is a piece that sticks out when I make an updo with a hairstick, for example.

[PorcelainHorror]

My hair is BSL but fine and layered way too much (growing out "emo/scene" hair) so when I put it up in hair sticks it just looks... puny. I'm thinking for my waist length updos will look pretty and not awkward.

[Juneii]

right about now :D I am very happy and excited

[EvaSimone]

Cool. This is giving me more determination to try for hip, as I start a big new job this summer, and I really will need to be able to do professional updos on a near-daily basis.

I definitely encourage you to keep growing. Their was a huge difference with just a few inches of growth. It's really odd but it changes how everything looks and holds for me.

[Nevermore]

It's not a specific length for me, it's just when the majority of the hair is the same length. This could easily mean shoulder length with no layers (a sock bun would be option for a polished looking updo in that case), but for me it was about waist length.

[verene]

I didn't really start wearing updos until I was nearing waist (I didn't care for my hair much in high school). But on the odd day I did decide to wear one they looked decent. After growing out a layered hair cut, it seems to me that my hair started looking nice again around waist, or a bit higher. The long-waist expanse above hip was bugging me - tassels flipping out of braids and what not, but I've either now adapted to the longer length, or hip is just a better length for my hair for looking nice and being cooperative in styling.

[hmmm]

Great thread! I'm going to be watching it for more replies. :)

[Arniky]

hi
any length below midback can be good for a visible updo, wiat length and below makes it attractively bigger. Longer lengths tailbone, calf length updos need to be nice ly secured to prevent a tumble down.
Nik

[Fayjoi]

Your updo looks fantastic! I have about the same hair length as you, but if I make a bun it's so tiny that's it's almost embarassing to walk around with it. May be it has to do that the last 4-5 inches still has layers.

[Anje]

I'm not sure when mine started looking particularly nice. Maybe they don't yet... :-P

I do remember hip length as a time when I suddenly couldn't make my normal cinnamon bun work any longer (too many wraps, needed a radically different method to secure it or something), and I needed to work out some new updos. Inside-out buns and various knots became my new go-to styles then.

BTW, What bun is that? It looks nice!

[artemis]

I think waist length was about when I could make updos that didn't have pieces sticking out everywhere. My hair is BSL right now and I can't do any buns without it falling out :(

[EvaSimone]

/snip/
BTW, What bun is that? It looks nice!

It's a karenlynn knot but I pull one of the loops a bit different. It makes it a little less recognizable.

[enfys]

I love the bun you made; it looks much neater now.

I found my updos started looking elegant at about 1 minute; less than that they are a bit sloppy and uneven.

Any length can be adapted to look elegant and polished you just have to know for to work it. For me I think at classic nothing looked un-elegant. Even if I tried!

[EvaSimone]

Your updo looks fantastic! I have about the same hair length as you, but if I make a bun it's so tiny that's it's almost embarassing to walk around with it. May be it has to do that the last 4-5 inches still has layers.

Thank you! :flower:

Florenite's Split bun is great if you want to add some volume so is the angel bun, and the karenlynn knot. My hair looks pretty puny if I do any type of compressed bun, I guess that's the curse of fine hair. :p

Here are links to them:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=159

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=131

If you already know about these buns then I am sorry for being redundant. :flower:

[EvaSimone]

I love the bun you made; it looks much neater now.

I found my updos started looking elegant at about 1 minute; less than that they are a bit sloppy and uneven.

Any length can be adapted to look elegant and polished you just have to know for to work it. For me I think at classic nothing looked un-elegant. Even if I tried!

1 minute??

It's awesome to hear that at classic everything looked elegant! That's where I am hoping to grow to.

[jojo]

Mine are just starting to look more elegant (well better!) as I reach waist, I would think hip would be better, but then any length is better than I have!

[squiggyflop]

um well mine dont really look all that elegant to me.. i couldnt tell you when im going to get to that stage..

[Torrin Paige]

I could do a pretty French twist at BSL (which I can longer do. The sheer amount of hair on my head makes it look like I have a bizarre alien cranium now, LOL)...and my simple braided bun didn't look too shabby. I had the most pretty options starting at waist, though.

[FrannyG]

I can do elegant updos at APL, but my choices are very limited. In the past, I found that I had more of a choice of elegant updos as I approached waistlength.

I should add though, that my hair is very fine and of average thickness, so I can do certain styles at a much shorter length that people with iii hair can.

[Gumball]

I don't think there is a specific length, but more the length that the person feels their updos look great. Some might need hip+ length hair, while others not so much. For me it really depends on the style and how the hair complies. Different styles may work with varying degrees of excellence at different lengths.

[nowxisxforever]

I'm not altogether certain - I think somewhere between waist and illiac.

[Akiko]

There seem to be always nice elegant updos as long as I can make a ponytail. French twist and gibson tuck are both elegant. I was able to do them at APL or even a little shorter.

Now gibson tuck does not work for me. I had to learn a new way to make a french twist. Around waist, there are more updos I can make and they are secure. I like my current length (30 inches).

[Fayjoi]

Thank you! :flower:

Florenite's Split bun is great if you want to add some volume so is the angel bun, and the karenlynn knot. My hair looks pretty puny if I do any type of compressed bun, I guess that's the curse of fine hair. :p

Here are links to them:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=159

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=131

If you already know about these buns then I am sorry for being redundant. :flower:

I don't know much about buns at all, I haven't tried much, so all information is welcome :D
Thanks so much for the links :) I will check them out and start practising

[MandyBeth]

My jaw nearly chin length can look professional if I bribe it enough to go into a French twist. Takes some work and some cheating - I pull the top back first and don't "roll" that section and use it as the base for the twist.

So, my hair is ok with pretending to be elegant short. Doesn't do it at all down.

[Bellona]

I don't really have anything to contribute, but your bun looks so good!

I've never gotten my wurly, coarse, iii hair to look nice in an updo, but I think that has to do with the fact that I always have layers. Maybe someday :D

[Wicked Princess]

I was able to do elegant updos at waist length. If you count the Gibson tuck as elegant, anyway! :o However, once I got to tail-bone, I found that no matter WHAT updo style I tried, all of them tend to look "better" because there's more...heft? They're more substantial...and I think that makes them look much better.

I really do wish I could do the French Twist still - I didn't even learn how to do it until recently and now, whenever I try, it looks a little like I'm trying to squeeze too much hair into what should have been a much sleeker style. :o