Shoulder Length hair... updos and styles?

[Pegasus Marsters]

I know I'm not alone in this, many of you are at shoulder and have gone past shoulder. I'm certain some of you have pictures of what you could do with your hair at this length and I wanna know. Come on, give me ideas! ^.^

Right now I can manage a ponytail, pigtails, peacock twist, half up ponytail, and a very dodgy french braid. I do have layers that get in the way though, haha.

I'm sure i'm not reaching my hairstyle potential... anyone got suggestions? :face:

[talula_fairie]

My favorite updo with shoulder length hair is to twist it into a french twist but intead of tucking the ends in, let them stick out a little. It's a messy but sexy and very easy way to wear your hair at that length. In fact, I liked it so much that I used to cut my hair whenever it would get too long for that style. Like that was how I decided weather or not I needed a trim.

[Mrs_Zombie]

well, Pegs, i think my hair is about the same length as your, judging by your pictures. Today i tried something out to see if it would work. I did a reverse french braid, i know there's a name for it but i forget, on either side of my part to the end of my length. Then i twisted each braid so it would hold all my crazy layers. Crossed them over to the other side and pinned them to my head, right above the other braid. Does that even make sense?

I had to use like 13 bobby pins to keep my hair in place, and even then it came apart after a couple of hours. I'm planning on trying it again tomorrow and will take pictures for you if you can't understand my instructions, which i'm pretty sure you can't. LOL

[Hypnotica]

Twirl strands of hair into a curl-thingy and secure with pretty claw clips. Like pin curls :) It is still one of my favourite do's.

[Tangles]

I like the messy "topknot" bun. It looks very girlish and sorority-ish (but in a good way). Half ups are always golden. Two braids! French braid tucked under is classy.

[KarenLynn]

Hypnotica's suggestion reminded me of something I used to do that worked until almost BSL if I remember correctly. I'd use a headband of some kind, frequently one of the zig-zag stretchy ones to pull it back, then flip the rest (already misted/damp/moussed) forward. Grabbing a bunch of hair, I'd smush it to my scalp and hold it with a small claw clip, then take another chunk and repeat until it was all piled up. It looked really nice, I think, especially if I covered the headband with something pretty. I have a stretchy beaded necklace I often used for that. However, there was a point where there was just too much hair to pile up, and it also became too much of a pain to detangle afterwards.

Depending on your thickness, you should soon be able to do a 'lazy French twist' too. I believe there's an article on the old board. If not, you can find it in the first post in my old photo journal. The pictures are embarrassingly crappy, or I'd repost it.

[bex487]

I have hair that's a bit longer than shoulder length. I love doing two french braids in the summer (great for the beach!). I also like half-updos where I kind of "pouf" the hair a bit and secure with a clip. The height at the crown looks nicer than just pulling it straight back. I also like taking just the front section of my hair and pinning it back, leaving the sides down.

[darl_in1]

My favorite updo with shoulder length hair is to twist it into a french twist but intead of tucking the ends in, let them stick out a little. It's a messy but sexy and very easy way to wear your hair at that length. In fact, I liked it so much that I used to cut my hair whenever it would get too long for that style. Like that was how I decided weather or not I needed a trim.

That's a peacock twist if I'm not mistaken...one of my favourites too!

[Periwinkle]

well, Pegs, i think my hair is about the same length as your, judging by your pictures. Today i tried something out to see if it would work. I did a reverse french braid, i know there's a name for it but i forget, on either side of my part to the end of my length. Then i twisted each braid so it would hold all my crazy layers. Crossed them over to the other side and pinned them to my head, right above the other braid. Does that even make sense?

I had to use like 13 bobby pins to keep my hair in place, and even then it came apart after a couple of hours. I'm planning on trying it again tomorrow and will take pictures for you if you can't understand my instructions, which i'm pretty sure you can't. LOL

Is Dutch braid the term you're looking for?

Have you investigated the hairstick twist? My hair is about BSL and it's just too long, so I guess it would work with shoulder-length hair. You could also investigate a messy sock bun (might look cool with your layers). The Gibson tuck might work but it might not be so good with your layers. You could also try rope braids and twist braids (you might find them easier than French braids). Furthermore, try pulling the top half of your hair back in a barrette: that looks nice, and you can always French braid that bit above it.

[Pegasus Marsters]

Is Dutch braid the term you're looking for?

Have you investigated the hairstick twist? My hair is about BSL and it's just too long, so I guess it would work with shoulder-length hair. You could also investigate a messy sock bun (might look cool with your layers). The Gibson tuck might work but it might not be so good with your layers. You could also try rope braids and twist braids (you might find them easier than French braids). Furthermore, try pulling the top half of your hair back in a barrette: that looks nice, and you can always French braid that bit above it.

Thickness kind of gets in the way with some things like this... my hair's rather thick so i need more length in order to do the same updos people with thinner shorter hair can do.

[wintersun99]

............

[Mrs_Zombie]

Is Dutch braid the term you're looking for?



Yes, i believe that's it! Thank you Periwinkle

[Mrs_Zombie]

Thickness kind of gets in the way with some things like this... my hair's rather thick so i need more length in order to do the same updos people with thinner shorter hair can do.

I feel your pain. That's why that hairstyle i told you might work for you. My ponytail is almost 6" thick, and that's not including my massive bangs.

[jojo]

I got a good one, which I used to do, its good on growing out fringes/bangs too.

Starting from behind the ears, section hair to inch think strands. then twist in a upwards mortion and clip down, leaving a little tail on the end. repeat this all the way round to behind the other ear.

You can also do this but doing upside down french/dutch braids too, it looks really pretty when its all done.

[lapushka]

Make a ponytail, don't pull it all the way through so you get this outside pocket of hair. Then push one hairstick diagonally through the bunched up hair pocket, take some scalp hair & go behind the elastic, come out the other way into the other side of the hair pocket. Do the same with the other side, and with another hairstick, and this is what you'll get. This is past shoulderlength hair though. It's my fake ponytail bun (I sent in a submission to LHC for an article on it quite some time ago). The hair that sticks out can be pushed underneath with some pins.

http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/2300/may20063thxc9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/4407/may20064thcv8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Rini]

Make a ponytail, don't pull it all the way through so you get this outside pocket of hair. Then push one hairstick diagonally through the bunched up hair pocket, take some scalp hair & go behind the elastic, come out the other way into the other side of the hair pocket. Do the same with the other side, and with another hairstick, and this is what you'll get. This is past shoulderlength hair though. It's my fake ponytail bun (I sent in a submission to LHC for an article on it quite some time ago). The hair that sticks out can be pushed underneath with some pins.

http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/2300/may20063thxc9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/4407/may20064thcv8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

I LOVE this idea!!! Is it an article yet?