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david
May 28th, 2011, 07:58 PM
Hey all, thought maybe you guys might be able to help.
I have a formal dinner event to go to with a friend and since its her night she has asked that I wear my hair "up" to fit the formality of the event. Obviously, being a guy I don't know what I should do, when she said 'up' I started thinking of a super fancy updo.lol. So im not too sure how to play this. Personally being slightly alternative im not too worried about a style being classed as 'feminine' since I believe its just a hairstyle. But, I dont want to attract any weird attention. My friend had suggested I just twist it up or something but i'm not too sure if my hair is to long for this and if this would be too much for a guy to do.

Any advice you guys can give me would be great. Thanks in advance :)

ALYSSA
May 28th, 2011, 08:09 PM
unfrotunatly i dont have any style advice for u on so sorry good luck! but i wanted to say your hair is absolutaly astonishing im sure no matter what you do it will look amazing!;)

selderon
May 28th, 2011, 08:24 PM
Hmmm.... What about a super sleek braid or a half-pony? They're not very intricate, but they put the spotlight on the beautiful condition of your hair and look neat.

ETA: Actually, I rather like the pics you posted today of your last updo. Something like that, but a bit tidier would look awesome. There's not much of the rest of you in the pics for context, but I get the feeling you could pull that off without looking the least bit girly.

MissManda
May 28th, 2011, 09:13 PM
I agree that the style you recently posted in your album. If you would like to do something different, perhaps a simple two-strand rope braid will do? It's very quick and easy to do but it seems to impress a lot of non-LHCers.

apynip
May 28th, 2011, 09:17 PM
Do you have a hair stick? if you do a figure 8 bun is fairly unisex.

Cinnamon bun held with a clip or hair stick.

any of these wouldn't be too bad.http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/blog.php?u=9542&blogcategoryid=926
I don't mind the androgynous look as long as the person is well kept so am thinking any of those would be completely fine for any formal look that your going for. :)

david
May 29th, 2011, 07:07 AM
Thanks for all the replies so far.


unfrotunatly i dont have any style advice for u on so sorry good luck! but i wanted to say your hair is absolutaly astonishing im sure no matter what you do it will look amazing!;)

Thank you, your very kind :)


Hmmm.... What about a super sleek braid or a half-pony? They're not very intricate, but they put the spotlight on the beautiful condition of your hair and look neat.

ETA: Actually, I rather like the pics you posted today of your last updo. Something like that, but a bit tidier would look awesome. There's not much of the rest of you in the pics for context, but I get the feeling you could pull that off without looking the least bit girly.

I agree that the style you recently posted in your album. If you would like to do something different, perhaps a simple two-strand rope braid will do? It's very quick and easy to do but it seems to impress a lot of non-LHCers.

Yeah, when I was first asked if I would go to the event with her I just thought that a tidy braid like a fishtail braid or something would do, but she has insisted I find a way to wear my hair up since its an uber formal event. Yeah, the pictures I posted were of a messy bun style. So maybe as you say something like that but tidier.


Do you have a hair stick? if you do a figure 8 bun is fairly unisex.

Cinnamon bun held with a clip or hair stick.

any of these wouldn't be too bad.http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/blog.php?u=9542&blogcategoryid=926
I don't mind the androgynous look as long as the person is well kept so am thinking any of those would be completely fine for any formal look that your going for. :)
Yes I have a few hair sticks.. I never thought of the figure 8 or cinnamon bun I must give them a try to see. I've never had the courage to wear hair sticks outside though.lol. Thanks for the link, some of these styles would work im sure, but maybe for this using pins to secure it rather than a stick. I not really going for an androgynous look its just that I'm pretty alternative and dont class hairstyles etc as being either male or female. But, the fact that my friend has insisted I wear my hair 'up' has I suppose made a slight androgynous edge to it.lol.

I would obviously like to find something that would be 'up' but not too girly however. Originally when she told me about it she had suggested and tried to do a french twist but she couldn't do it since she thought my hair was too long. But I was unsure if this would be too feminine or not?

lacefrost
May 29th, 2011, 07:23 AM
Just wanted to say your hair is gorgeous! Also, if you're worried about hair sticks, you could always get some that match your hair color so they blend in.

david
May 29th, 2011, 09:57 AM
Just wanted to say your hair is gorgeous! Also, if you're worried about hair sticks, you could always get some that match your hair color so they blend in.

Thank you... yeah, I'll have a hunt about and see what sticks I can get.

Gaelle27
May 29th, 2011, 10:02 AM
I'm I was going to sugest legolas braid...but since its have to be up.... I can only whish good luck!
:pegasus:

alyanna
May 29th, 2011, 10:09 AM
If it's a formal event with a more conservative vibe, I'd go for a braid. You've got a really nice Fishplait (is that what's it called ?) in your album. I'd use some condish or gel to slick the front and the nape a bit and keep fly-aways out of the way. I'd go for hair elastic that's the same color as your hair. I'd also get a close shave of facial hair if possible. You'd look super and slightly alternative without being too in-your-face for the mainstream.

I definitely wouldn't go for hairsticks, twists, buns or updos: they'd be feminine and weird for the general population. A low, sleek braid is your safest bet and I think the most conservative non-statement-making look.

You've got some great hair there! Good luck ;)

Sundial
May 29th, 2011, 10:14 AM
How about a plain cinnamon bun with spin pins since spin pins are pretty inconspicuous? I was going to suggest braided buns since you are good at braids but I don't know if that is too much :o

david
May 29th, 2011, 01:32 PM
If it's a formal event with a more conservative vibe, I'd go for a braid. You've got a really nice Fishplait (is that what's it called ?) in your album. I'd use some condish or gel to slick the front and the nape a bit and keep fly-aways out of the way. I'd go for hair elastic that's the same color as your hair. I'd also get a close shave of facial hair if possible. You'd look super and slightly alternative without being too in-your-face for the mainstream.

I definitely wouldn't go for hairsticks, twists, buns or updos: they'd be feminine and weird for the general population. A low, sleek braid is your safest bet and I think the most conservative non-statement-making look.

You've got some great hair there! Good luck ;)
Yes.. I as said this was originally how I suggested I should wear my hair when I was talking about the event with my friend. I thought a fishtail braid would've been pretty formal. You may have a point about them being feminine, that's what I said when she insisted on it being up. I have worn buns before to similar events however. This is a very formal dinner/awards thing and my friend is really insisting I wear it "up". Perhaps she is just wants to see what it would look like for a bit of fun.lol


How about a plain cinnamon bun with spin pins since spin pins are pretty inconspicuous? I was going to suggest braided buns since you are good at braids but I don't know if that is too much :o

hhmmm, could do that. I have worn a bun before to a similar event with pins. So it looked fairly cool. Haven't tried the spin pins yet. I'll try it braided to see what it looks like.

Basically my friend has booked the two of us into a hair salon on the day of the event. So I wanted to come armed with ideas before she just tells me what I'm doing.lol. I really think she has her heart set on a French twist idea but I'm not too sure if this would be way too much.lol

Sundial
May 29th, 2011, 09:36 PM
Spin pins practically disappear into your hair so the overall look is neat. French twist is kind of hard at your length and thickness, it might stick out too much in the back.

But hey! I remember that we have French Twist under one of the Hairstyle of the Month thread! And luxepiggy showed a method of doing French Twist which gets all her tailbone length hair into the updo. Go check it out! I think it will be useful for you

Macaroni
May 29th, 2011, 10:25 PM
Braid it from the nape and then take the braid and turn it under, and under and under :) until it's against your head, then spin pin the heck out of it. Similar to this but not on the side of your head, in the back.

http://weddinghairstylegallery.com/d/3047-1/Low+braid+updo+for+wedding+with+long+side+bang.PNG

Kathie
May 29th, 2011, 10:48 PM
I found this pic... and they said

"To complete the polished look, hairstylist extraordinaire and Redken creative consultant Guido slicked the hair back into a low bun using Velvet Gelatine 07 gel, then gave it a masculine spin by adding a deep side part and large, sideburn-like wisps by the ears. “The look is inspired by a French Twiggy,” said Guido. “It’s slightly tomboyish and very cool.” And a fascinating evolution from where it all began".


http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-srDjY5oFPwY/Ta7Up8m__uI/AAAAAAAAAFY/hpVGbTNPXug/s1600/ysl-fall-2011-3.jpg

I think it looks really cool! Perhaps you wont cut your side burns for it but the deep side part sounds good. Im not sure what sort of bun it is... it looks kind of like a lazy wrap.

luxepiggy
May 29th, 2011, 11:41 PM
I think this is a great look for a guy! A simple knot bun (^(oo)^)

I found this pic... and they said

"To complete the polished look, hairstylist extraordinaire and Redken creative consultant Guido slicked the hair back into a low bun using Velvet Gelatine 07 gel, then gave it a masculine spin by adding a deep side part and large, sideburn-like wisps by the ears. “The look is inspired by a French Twiggy,” said Guido. “It’s slightly tomboyish and very cool.” And a fascinating evolution from where it all began".


http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-srDjY5oFPwY/Ta7Up8m__uI/AAAAAAAAAFY/hpVGbTNPXug/s1600/ysl-fall-2011-3.jpg

I think it looks really cool! Perhaps you wont cut your side burns for it but the deep side part sounds good. Im not sure what sort of bun it is... it looks kind of like a lazy wrap.

Panth
May 30th, 2011, 04:06 AM
If it's a reasonably conservative environment, I'd vote a sleek plait (english, french, rope, fishtail, whatever) or a very plain bun (cinnabun, knot bun) with plain things to hold it up (invisible pins, like spin pins, or a short stick that blends in with your hair). A half-up plait would also look very nice.

As for Sundial's suggestion:


But hey! I remember that we have French Twist under one of the Hairstyle of the Month thread! And luxepiggy showed a method of doing French Twist which gets all her tailbone length hair into the updo. Go check it out! I think it will be useful for you

Hypnotica has lots of french twist variants on her youtube that work with longer hair. Cinnamonhair even has a variant on her youtube that works with knee-length hair.

DoubleCrowned
May 30th, 2011, 08:56 AM
I think that a braid is not formal looking at all. I'd go for something smooth and sleek that is tucked snugly at the nape of the neck, so that there is no hair down the back of the tuxedo, and does not show any ends. Any clip or pin should match the tux or the hair.

The Guido style that Kathie found would be stunning with a side part and your own sideburns.

Firefox7275
May 30th, 2011, 09:11 AM
I vote for no visible hair toys, a parting and gel to slick the front. :) Perhaps identify three plain styles of bun you can manage/ feel comfortable in, e-mail images to your friend and ask her to make the final decision? If you don't think your hair will take a French twist maybe do a trial run and show her the result?

Gabriel
May 30th, 2011, 09:57 AM
There's a hairstyle I see in movies worn by long haired men in suits/uniforms and it's called a club hairstyle I think. It's like a folded ponytail secured at the nape. I always think it looks really nice.

Here's a thread with more details and how to:
"Clubbed" hair (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=44564&highlight=clubbed+hair)

Mrspuddinhead
May 30th, 2011, 11:10 AM
Hi David. Beautiful hair. Talk about serious hair envy!! Any way if you check out a woman on YouTube by the name of Torrin Paige she has a video called Hawser braid. It is quite manly yet looks very nice. I'm not sure if that is what you are looking for but I thought I might suggest it anyway. Hope that helps. Good luck!!

Wavelength
May 30th, 2011, 11:24 AM
Hmm, why not try the braid, but just tuck the ends up underneath along the nape? You can do this pretty easily with a French braid. Most of the tail can get tucked under, and you're left with a flat, neat hairstyle that's still "up".

selderon
May 31st, 2011, 08:50 AM
How's the hair planning coming?

david
May 31st, 2011, 10:34 AM
Hey all,
Thanks so much for your kind comments and suggestions. Some great suggestions here. I'm still weighing up options and trying things and bouncing ideas back and forth with my friend. As I said She has booked the two of us in a hair salon on the day of the event (next friday) but I wanted to try and get ideas of my own before my friend and the hairstylist decide amongst themselves, who knows what I'll end up with. lol

I like the ideas Macaroni and Kathie came up with. I think that knot idea would not be out of place or overly feminine.



Spin pins practically disappear into your hair so the overall look is neat. French twist is kind of hard at your length and thickness, it might stick out too much in the back.

Yeah, I have no idea how to do one on myself and my friend tried and couldnt handle the length of hair.lol. A french twist was the first style she suggested to me so I think she will be shooting for this idea. But I dont know if it would be considered to feminine or not. I suppose its really just all the hair coiled up on itself so it couldnt be that bad.lol



If it's a reasonably conservative environment, I'd vote a sleek plait (english, french, rope, fishtail, whatever) or a very plain bun (cinnabun, knot bun) with plain things to hold it up (invisible pins, like spin pins, or a short stick that blends in with your hair). A half-up plait would also look very nice.

Yes these are the first ideas I came up with, I thought a nice tidy plait would do the job. But my friend seems to want my hair 'up' and out of the way.

But the suggestions here so far have been awesome and its helped me get some perspective before I just let my friend decide what I should do.lol

spitfire511
May 31st, 2011, 10:46 AM
Just wanted to toss out another "you have gorgeous hair!" comment :D

I second spin pins and I also like the idea of 'clubbed hair' or the knot. Whatever you do, just make sure you come back and post us pics after!

Anje
May 31st, 2011, 10:52 AM
I like folded braids, or even a folded ponytail secured in the same way, and it doesn't strike me as particularly feminine. Just find something suitably subdued to secure it. (I'm thinking a black Ficcarissimo would be perfect, but obtaining one might be highly expensive in Ireland.)

TheStorm
May 31st, 2011, 10:59 AM
My boyfriend wears buns quite often, mainly quick ones to keep it out of the way but does sometimes put it up neatly when we go out for dinner or something formal, from my experiance I'd say whether or not a style looks feminine is more down to your build and overall look than the style your wearing (within reason) if you have a fairly masculine build you should be able to pull off most updo's without anyone questioning it.

One of my favorites on him is a rope braid, twisted into a bun and held with either bobby pins or hairsticks. Really simple to do too.

If you want accessories in your hair he uses broaches, if you scout round you can find them with dragons, scorpions etc that are not at all feminine. he'll sometimes wear a black, dark blue or purple ribbon tied in a bow around a simple braided bun held with bobby pins.

sweetestpoison
May 31st, 2011, 03:28 PM
I don't know if this has been suggested yet, but i think that simple English Braids look great on guys and are pretty simple to do. If you want more intricacy you could try doing a herringbone french braid with some accent braids in the front or not depending on what you like. If you want a bun type hair style the firgure 8 secured with bobby pins is pretty unisex and interesting to look at.

selderon
May 31st, 2011, 03:48 PM
David, I seriously doubt any of the suggested styles would look too feminine on you. I can't imagine you being mistaken for a girl.

DoubleCrowned
May 31st, 2011, 05:59 PM
...
Yeah, I have no idea how to do one on myself and my friend tried and couldnt handle the length of hair.lol. A french twist was the first style she suggested to me so I think she will be shooting for this idea. But I dont know if it would be considered to feminine or not. I suppose its really just all the hair coiled up on itself so it couldnt be that bad.lol

...
Yes these are the first ideas I came up with, I thought a nice tidy plait would do the job. But my friend seems to want my hair 'up' and out of the way.

I can't quite envision a French twist on a guy because of the way it thickens toward the crown actually changing the profile shape of the head. However, I wonder if it is possible to invert the French twist so that the hair is pulled into a twist but finishes near the nape, where the excess would be folded into a little club.

Kathie
May 31st, 2011, 08:43 PM
I like the ideas Macaroni and Kathie came up with. I think that knot idea would not be out of place or overly feminine.


I'm glad you liked it! What ever you decide to do make sure you post pics :D

david
June 4th, 2011, 08:55 AM
Hey all, thanks again for all the kind compliments and suggestions. Just to update the event happens next week but my friend booked us into the salon for a few trial runs before next week. So she wanted to see what my hair looked like in a french twist. So I just let them work away. It took ages to do and included lots of back-combing which I wasnt overly happy about. So it ended up my hair was huge by the end of the back-combing. So after that the stylist twisted my hair up and left a sweeping fringe idea at the front which was plaited (braided) and coiled up into the twist heres a picture:

http://www.chrisloganmusic.co.uk/frenchtwist.jpg

As you can see it looks massive and it felt very heavy on my head. Not to mention the fact there was 40 odd hair pins used, which took ages to get out. I thought this style was a bit too much and I felt I couldn't pull it off but it was good to try. My friend insisted I keep it in the rest of the night since we decided to go out and grab some dinner and catch a film. At the end of the night it was good to get some relief from the weight.lol... So I suggested we go for something slightly more subtle giving the ideas I had gotten from here.


I like folded braids, or even a folded ponytail secured in the same way, and it doesn't strike me as particularly feminine. Just find something suitably subdued to secure it. (I'm thinking a black Ficcarissimo would be perfect, but obtaining one might be highly expensive in Ireland.)

Yeah, I would love to get a Ficcarissimo, I was looking at them recently actually and they are really expensive to with shipping. But I would love to get one.


My boyfriend wears buns quite often, mainly quick ones to keep it out of the way but does sometimes put it up neatly when we go out for dinner or something formal, from my experiance I'd say whether or not a style looks feminine is more down to your build and overall look than the style your wearing (within reason) if you have a fairly masculine build you should be able to pull off most updo's without anyone questioning it.

One of my favorites on him is a rope braid, twisted into a bun and held with either bobby pins or hairsticks. Really simple to do too.

If you want accessories in your hair he uses broaches, if you scout round you can find them with dragons, scorpions etc that are not at all feminine. he'll sometimes wear a black, dark blue or purple ribbon tied in a bow around a simple braided bun held with bobby pins.

Awesome. Its great you help him out with various styles etc. I may end up going for something like a simple bun. Im quite skinny and short so I get mistaken allot.lol. But I take it as a compliment.lol.

Kathie
June 4th, 2011, 02:24 PM
Its impressive to see all your hair hidden away in the French twist! But I agree, I think you could get away with something else, there are a lot of pins poking out of there.

OneCurlyMan
June 5th, 2011, 12:57 AM
Try to put it in a bun, that is what I do, although my hair is not as long as yours.

The important thing for men with long hair when going to a formal setting is that the hair does not touch the shoulders and back. Basically, hair should not be below collar length. At least that is my case as a long hair in a corporate environment although for other formalities (e.g events), you are probably good to go with a ponytail that doesn't move around.

C.H.
June 5th, 2011, 04:47 AM
One of my favorites on him is a rope braid, twisted into a bun and held with either bobby pins or hairsticks. Really simple to do too.

If you want accessories in your hair he uses broaches, if you scout round you can find them with dragons, scorpions etc that are not at all feminine. he'll sometimes wear a black, dark blue or purple ribbon tied in a bow around a simple braided bun held with bobby pins.

I love to see pictures of these styles if you have any.

|Xei
June 5th, 2011, 06:22 AM
When you mentioned that you're slightly alternative, I thought of this hairstyle: http://youtu.be/QabDXMsguBc (Warning: small amounts of teasing, heat styling)

Though I don't know how appropriate it might be for the event you're attending, since it does sound like it will be very formal. Either way, I was hoping you might find it helpful in some way.

I know there's some teasing done in this video, but I've done this style myself before, and the teasing isn't really necessary. You could achieve the same volume by pulling the hair a bit to make it puff up before pinning. As for the heat styling, you could probably replace it with any heat-less curling method.

Kristamommyx3
June 5th, 2011, 07:04 AM
I live in a pretty conservative circle, and I can tell you that the low sleek knot bun posted a little bit back screams formal and proper. It's regal and masculine, but still shows off your glorious hair. If I were bringing you to a formal event with me in my parents' group of friends, this would be the most accepted choice IMO. :)

Kristamommyx3
June 5th, 2011, 07:14 AM
Agreed! Also, it should be mentioned that as a whole, men in a formal conservative environment typically follow the protocol of simple, clean shaven, classic and neat. Anything that looks too fussy raises eyebrows. If you wore a French twist to one of my husband's company parties, that would be all anyone remembered about that night. The low knot bun is much less conspicuous and says that you "know how to behave properly". Lol. Stuffy, but it's true. ;)




Try to put it in a bun, that is what I do, although my hair is not as long as yours.

The important thing for men with long hair when going to a formal setting is that the hair does not touch the shoulders and back. Basically, hair should not be below collar length. At least that is my case as a long hair in a corporate environment although for other formalities (e.g events), you are probably good to go with a ponytail that doesn't move around.

DoubleCrowned
June 6th, 2011, 07:49 AM
Certain clothing is worn fit an occasion; the shoes and accessories have to match the style of the clothing. Likewise, the hair must fit in order to appear in place.

Words I think of to define the look of a tuxedo are formal, traditional. proper polished, close-fitting, sleek, flawless, and crisp. If there are details, they are subtle and strictly defined my tradition, like the rows of pressed pleats in the shirt.

If the man's hair is to match the formal look, then, it seems to me that the above adjectives should also fit the hairstyle. Every hair should be firmly contained, lined up, polished, and fitting the natural curves of the head. The style should look traditional--side part, I'd guess; the sides pulled back from the face; nothing laying on the tux; ears exposed.

I can see why your friend thought a French Twist would be the solution. However, the French twist the stylist did was teased, so rather than close-fitting, sleek, crisp and polished; the style was fluffy, soft, and contained. The teasing and the placement of the hair in a French twist change the shape of the head as well. Using the line of thought above, I can see the French twist the stylist did for you with a fitted brocade jacket coupled with a loose, blousing shirt. (I had a bit of fun matching men's hair styles with clothing once I started thinking this way, and even realized why I look out of place in some of the clothing I wear!)

I think Kathie's find or a club style can fit the description for formal if they are done correctly. One thing that attracted me to one Kathie found was the product in the hair that gave it a sleek, patent leather look. The club styles are indisputably traditional.

This is a fascinating challenge. I think it is really neat that you are exploring different possibilities for men's hairstyles.

Sunsailing
June 16th, 2011, 01:25 PM
What did you end up doing?

IanB
June 16th, 2011, 02:29 PM
Do you know what, you have such outstanding hair, I would go as you are. You will certainly make your mark and be the most remembered person at the event. Fantastic!