Bittersweet accomplishment--Gibson Tuck

[ravenreed]

I FINALLY got a Gibson Tuck to work at my length/thickness. Sadly, it was not the most attractive look for me. I looked more like I was trying to cover a misshapen skull than anything, because the bulge at the base of my skull was HUGE.

I read yet another how-to on Tucks, and the author had suggested that the more hair you have, the higher your starting point should be. That was what made it doable. So thanks to the person who pointed that out, whomever you might be! I need a pretty deep pocket to get the tail in. In fact, I have more tail than hair to hide it. I might play around with it to see if I can somehow flatten it out enough that I don't look like a prehistoric beastie.

So, for those of you out there still trying, it is possible. I hope someone else has more suggestions. :cheese:

[Arctic_Mama]

No matter my length of hair, a gibson tuck looks strange on me (too much like an alien, I think!). And yet I have seen it look beautiful on other women. So like so many styles, just because I can do it doesn't mean I should, or that it is flattering on me. It's okay to not prefer how a style looks on you :)

As for flattening it out, if you ever figure that out let us know!

[ReadingRenee]

Gibson Tuck never worked for me but some women on here made it look SO Beautiful! It seems like really curly or wavy hair could make it work really well because it looked more natural to have more volume or something.

Good luck!

[Anje]

Glad you got it to work. I don't have enough thickness on the lower back part of my head, so mine tend to end up leaking hair out the bottom.

[embee]

"Leaking hair out the bottom" - that is *exactly* what mine do, and it takes hardly any time at all to get there. Bummer, as I think the style is wonderfully elegant.

[ravenreed]

Yeah, I am kinda bummed that I did not know about this fabulous style when my hair was shorter as I think I could have made it work then. I like it better than french twists for an elegant looking 'do. Ah well, there are so many other nifty styles to try.

[countryhopper]

I like to pin a vintage looking feather pin over the "hole". It looks so elegant!

My hair also sometimes wants to "leak hair from the bottom". I just have to take the time to shove more hair down the sides of the pocket rather than straight down.

[ravenreed]

I just saw another lovely tuck in a different thread. I might keep at it to see if I can get it to work. Countryhopper, if I tuck into the sides it might look less strange. Thanks!

[Idun]

I can´t get the GT to work at all. I end op with a large ball at the back of my head. That kind of looks ok too, with an ornament or two, - but it is not a Gibson tuck.

[Medievalmaniac]

The key is to not just put the hair in the pocket, but to evenly spread the hair within the pocket, then make sure the pin(s) you are using go through both the upper and lower layers to secure it in place. If you spread the ends off to either side and then roll them into the sides of the tuck, they won't poke through. :)

[Yozhik]

I've seen some instructions where they advise pulling the tail completely through, and then looping it around a couple of times until you have less of a tail to "tuck" in. It seems to work fairly well (from what I distantly remember being illustrated in a youtube video).

Maybe that would help minimize the "skull head"? ;)

[Heidi_234]

I'm still having trouble with the Gibson tuck. Did you do it by keep pulling hair though the topsy tail hole over and over again until you're out of hair, or did you managed the actual Gibson tuck where you create the pocket? :confused:

[ravenreed]

The key is to not just put the hair in the pocket, but to evenly spread the hair within the pocket, then make sure the pin(s) you are using go through both the upper and lower layers to secure it in place. If you spread the ends off to either side and then roll them into the sides of the tuck, they won't poke through. :)

Thanks! I will try again. I am determined to get this updo to work!


I've seen some instructions where they advise pulling the tail completely through, and then looping it around a couple of times until you have less of a tail to "tuck" in. It seems to work fairly well (from what I distantly remember being illustrated in a youtube video).

Maybe that would help minimize the "skull head"? ;)



I'm still having trouble with the Gibson tuck. Did you do it by keep pulling hair though the topsy tail hole over and over again until you're out of hair, or did you managed the actual Gibson tuck where you create the pocket? :confused:

I have tried the method where you keep pulling the tail through again and again, and it didn't look right. It spread the two sides so far apart and made a huge hole at the top that I could not cover well. I might explore this more but I think the pocket method would work better for me.

[Alcenaia]

I've seen some instructions where they advise pulling the tail completely through, and then looping it around a couple of times until you have less of a tail to "tuck" in. It seems to work fairly well (from what I distantly remember being illustrated in a youtube video).

Maybe that would help minimize the "skull head"? ;)

This method works well for me and doesn't make my skull look funny. :p However, I don't do this often at all, despite the fact that I like this style. For some reason, my hair tangles unbelievably while I wear my hair like this. Ideas why or suggestions to fix?

[Heidi_234]

I have tried the method where you keep pulling the tail through again and again, and it didn't look right. It spread the two sides so far apart and made a huge hole at the top that I could not cover well. I might explore this more but I think the pocket method would work better for me.
It didn't work for me either (you pretty much summed up what happens on the back of my head when I attempt it). How do you do the pocket thing though? I'm at total loss what pocket ya'll are talking about! :o Do you know a good tutorial for it?

[ravenreed]

This method works well for me and doesn't make my skull look funny. :p However, I don't do this often at all, despite the fact that I like this style. For some reason, my hair tangles unbelievably while I wear my hair like this. Ideas why or suggestions to fix?

I have tangles whenever I do the topsy tail method, however I have less if I unwrap the hair in the opposite direction of the pull through before I take out the hairband.


It didn't work for me either (you pretty much summed up what happens on the back of my head when I attempt it). How do you do the pocket thing though? I'm at total loss what pocket ya'll are talking about! :o Do you know a good tutorial for it?


She does a good one here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4zcTCdozkU&feature=related

ETA: This one is promising and very cute:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IGX7wk8vdk&feature=related

[Heidi_234]

She does a good one here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4zcTCdozkU&feature=related

ETA: This one is promising and very cute:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IGX7wk8vdk&feature=related
Thank you! The first one really helped actually to understand the pocket thing (what a nice accent too! :d). Though I'm not sure I'll be able to tuck all the length.

[Laurenji]

The Gibson Tuck worked fantastic for my when my hair was shoulder length. I loved the way it looked. But now that my hair is pushing low BSL, it also tends to "leak out the bottom", as others have said. I'm really excited about that variation that you posted by the girl with red hair. I've been looking for a new style lately and hopefully that one will work. (I already have my hair up today or else I'd try it right now...)

[ArcticNights]

I love the Gibson Tuck, and Frannyg (member of this forum) have a great tut on how to do it on her blog :)

Maybe i can link now, I`m over 25 posts :

http://frannyslonghair.blogspot.com/2010/05/hairstyle-how-to-gibson-tuck.html

I hope it works, because this is a great instruction.