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akrasia
July 24th, 2010, 09:13 AM
Hiya,

I've decided to wear my hair up until the end of the calendar year, hoping to get some nice growth.

Trouble is, in my job I need to have a fairly conservative hairstyle (I work in a law centre). So I can't really have the sparkly clips and big hair sticks I like to wear on the weekends.

For work-appropriate updos, I've just been doing a low bun which gets old fast. I've tried a French twist, but I can never get it to stay up.

Any other suggestions?

marikamt
July 24th, 2010, 09:18 AM
I have a Ketylo hairstick that is literally the same color as my hair...... it blends in perfectly and you can't tell that it is there.
I use it in an infinity bun as my 'go to' style.

Kristin
July 24th, 2010, 09:41 AM
I have a set of hair sticks that are the same color as my hair, too, and I consider them to be more conservative for that reason. I think that most buns are pretty conservative and there are several in the hair styling section of the articles. Youtube is also a good place to search for styles. If you're worried about flashy hair toys, you could make some hair pins fairly cheaply. I just made some from bent knitting needles and all but the very ends are hidden in the hair. Torrin has a YouTube tutorial about making hair pins that way.

restourceful
July 24th, 2010, 09:49 AM
Marikamt's suggestion is good. A simple stick near the same color as your hair would be easy as wood comes in colors that are close to most natural hair colors. Also, Amish pins (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZtaFmUS8hzo/ShCU2fl8vPI/AAAAAAAABZY/inxp_GX-PoM/s320/105.JPG) and Good Days (http://www.gehmanscountryfabrics.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=1139) pins are good and nearly invisible. But I seriously LOVE me some Goody Spin Pins (http://teenfashion.about.com/b/2010/03/10/great-new-idea-goody-spin-pin.htm) or Hair Scroos. You only need a couple and they stay put really well. You can do many styles with pins and scroos and the pins are usually inexpensive if you can find them locally. I got my Good Days pins at Sally's, my Spin Pins at Target, and a friend brought me Amish Pins when she visited from Ohio.

CrisDee
July 24th, 2010, 09:53 AM
Try Hypnotica's French twist (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6cjaX_rUuE&videos=SyGF8vBiplU)- it would work with your length hair, it's quick, easy and it's very conservative. I wore mine up this way almost every day (until March of last year when a period of temporary insanity caused me to chop off all my hair). She uses a sparkly holder, but I usually used something like this (http://www.amazon.com/French-Twist-Comb-Three-Tortoise/dp/B002RN6WY6) - I'd gotten a 3-pack of them at the dollar store.

kittensoupnrice
July 24th, 2010, 01:54 PM
I find that ficcares look neat and professional as well. They're stylish without being "gaudy", and work with a number of styles.

I second everybody else's opinion on Amish hair pins, or if you've got dark colored hair, hair scroos work really well, too.

A wooden hair fork would also be a nice option, and I find that I can keep a french twist in with a fork, where I can't with sticks or pins.

rhosyn_du
July 24th, 2010, 06:43 PM
Seconding the ficcare suggestion. The "classic" colors are all pretty subdued and look very professional and conservative paired with the right clothes.

For styles, a log roll is a good professional style, and it might be more secure with your length and thickness than a french twist. For bun variations, the orchid bun and the nautilus bun both work well for professional settings if you've got an unobtrusive (either close to your hair color, a very dark wood, or black) hair stick or fork.

Alvrodul
July 24th, 2010, 07:01 PM
Hiya,

I've decided to wear my hair up until the end of the calendar year, hoping to get some nice growth.

Trouble is, in my job I need to have a fairly conservative hairstyle (I work in a law centre). So I can't really have the sparkly clips and big hair sticks I like to wear on the weekends.

For work-appropriate updos, I've just been doing a low bun which gets old fast. I've tried a French twist, but I can never get it to stay up.

Any other suggestions?
Ketylos would be a good choice - for me, they will hold my hair securely all day. Choose a color that blends with your hair, or possibly a color that matches your outfit.
I expect that undecorated hairpins (http://www.etsy.com/listing/50201406/quattro-hair-accessories-starlites-u?ref=sr_gallery_14&ga_search_query=quattro&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=&order=&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title) from Quattro or hair screws (http://www.etsy.com/listing/52128739/hair-screws-combo-package-no16-and-no10?ref=sr_gallery_2&ga_search_query=hair+screw&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=&order=&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title), would also be a good choice, since they should be just about invisible when in your hair. I don't have experience with those yet, so I can't give a personal enorsement, but there are a couple of packages on their way to me now... ;)

Simple, elegant hair toys should work, IMO, just avoid glittery things and eye-catching colors.

Speckla
July 24th, 2010, 07:03 PM
Flexi8 is a great accessory that can be worn in many ways. They hold a french twist, peacock twist, make plain buns very pretty without being too showy because they're beautiful in their simplistic styles/designs.

Jessica Trapp
July 24th, 2010, 07:22 PM
I think that French twists look very professional.

:flower:

masterofmidgets
July 24th, 2010, 07:23 PM
I do sock buns a lot when I have interviews or presentations and want to look formal or more adult - I think they are sleek and together looking, and they hold firmly enough that you don't have to keep fiddling. And if you use neutral/hair-colored elastics and hair pins, they are very unobtrusive.

GRU
July 24th, 2010, 07:26 PM
I second the Spin Pins recommendation.

Also, any hairstick that isn't "flashy" or overly-long looks conservative enough for the office too, IMO.