Help on how to copy this style?

[Rivanariko]

My best friend is getting married this summer (YAY!) and we're trying to come up with ideas for her hair. She has waist length, 2b iii C blondish brown hair which is very pretty. (I love her hair, and am very jealous of her thickness) We found this picture and she LOVES the style, but neither of us have any idea how to replicate it, so I'm appealing to the genius of LHC to help us. I'm guessing the model probably has shorter hair than she does... but that's nothing new to any of us!

http://wedding-bigsize.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/wedding-hair-claws-4.jpg
The picture we're looking at is the top right. It looks like some sort of strange form of a french braid and a twist, but I really don't even know where to start.

TIA!! :cheese:

[spidermom]

Wow - that's really lovely. It looks like it's based on more of a 2-strand twist (rope braid) than a french braid to me. I'm not sure I could replicate it, though. I might try something on my daughter later.

[papera]

Yeah, it does look like a French rope braid with very thick partings - good that your friend has thick hair :D

It may be that the braid was tucked underneath like a French tuck, or somehow the rope braids were twisted in a bun while adding more hair if that makes sense ... or the braids were woven? :hmm:

[Wavelength]

Uh... *turns head to one side and peers*

I got nothin'. If it's based on a braid then it must be a fairly loose one. There's enough wispies hanging out of it that I wouldn't be surprised if it involved tons of hairspray to keep it from falling apart. (Which is fine if your friend doesn't mind using hair product.)

I can definitely see why she likes it!

ETA: Perhaps it's a three-strand French-style rope braid that's built assymetrically, then rolled into a bun or French twist and pinned? That's the only way I can imagine this working.

[Rivanariko]

She has no problem with product, though she doesn't particularly want the whole thing shellacked, if you know what I mean. ;) The three strand french-style rope braid might be it... We'll play with it later (I'm on vacation at her house, playing with wedding planning) and see what we come up with. Promise I'll post anything we discover, because this one really has me intrigued!

[PixxieStix]

To me it looks like there are seven "twists" total, taking the three at the top (sort of like a french braid), putting the right top over the middle and left top, then crossing another left twist over that, then the next right twist over that, wrapping up those five "ends" into a french twist/bun, pinning them in place, and then making two more twists with the remaining hair and wrapping the left one over the bun and tucking/pinning in the ends, then doing it again with the remaining hair on the right side. That's just how I imagine doing it though.

[Wavelength]

She has no problem with product, though she doesn't particularly want the whole thing shellacked, if you know what I mean. ;) The three strand french-style rope braid might be it... We'll play with it later (I'm on vacation at her house, playing with wedding planning) and see what we come up with. Promise I'll post anything we discover, because this one really has me intrigued!

Yes, please post! I'm also intrigued! :D

[xoxophelia]

I think I can see how it was done. Part of what makes it look confusing is the highlights in the hair compared the darker natural color. Product wise your would maybe want either a small touch of oil and some mouse or styling wax. Some salt water could also give you that look.

It looks like it is made up of 9 main loose twists. The product and natural wave helps to give the hair it's structure so that the twists are not too tight.

Step one: Section hair so that there is an upside down U shaped part in the back of the head. With all the hair inside the U part, form a small miniature cinnabun so that you have a slightly oblong bun pointing upwards. The hair on the sides and top of the head should not be in this small bun.

Step two:
Twist first section from either the center middle of the head or from one side of a hair part. Bring the twist back and then secure around base bun in back of head.

Step three:
Form two twists on each side of the center twist and bring them back so they crisscross above the original bun (right over left). Bring the twists around the bottom of the base bun and continue to wrap around crisscrossing if you can (if you can only manage to wrap the hair around I don't think it would make a huge difference).

Step four:
Form the next two twists to each side and bring them back so the crisscross, right over left, below previous two twists. Again wrap the length around so the ends are concealed underneath.

Repeat.

Give it a try and see if it works. That is what is looks like to me but I could be wrong.

[Littlewing13]

I think I can see how it was done. Part of what makes it look confusing is the highlights in the hair compared the darker natural color. Product wise your would maybe want either a small touch of oil and some mouse or styling wax. Some salt water could also give you that look.

It looks like it is made up of 9 main loose twists. The product and natural wave helps to give the hair it's structure so that the twists are not too tight.

Step one: Section hair so that there is an upside down U shaped part in the back of the head. With all the hair inside the U part, form a small miniature cinnabun so that you have a slightly oblong bun pointing upwards. The hair on the sides and top of the head should not be in this small bun.

Step two:
Twist first section from either the center middle of the head or from one side of a hair part. Bring the twist back and then secure around base bun in back of head.

Step three:
Form two twists on each side of the center twist and bring them back so they crisscross above the original bun (right over left). Bring the twists around the bottom of the base bun and continue to wrap around crisscrossing if you can (if you can only manage to wrap the hair around I don't think it would make a huge difference).

Step four:
Form the next two twists to each side and bring them back so the crisscross, right over left, below previous two twists. Again wrap the length around so the ends are concealed underneath.

Repeat.

Give it a try and see if it works. That is what is looks like to me but I could be wrong.

This is pretty much how I would do it too.

[Rivanariko]

Ohh, thanks for the ideas ladies! We should have some time to play with it today, hopefully we can figure it out!

[heidi w.]

Bride season is just about upon us, and all the hairstyling salons should be gearing up for the season. I would take the picture to a qualified hairstylist and have them replicate the look in practice, and then make an appointment, depending on the outcome, for doing this updo in advance of wedding photo sessions and the wedding itself. This is a somewhat complex updo and requires very sure hands and knowledge of what one is doing to make it come out acceptable enough for wedding photos that need to last a long time. To me, a wedding photo is a photo moment that lasts forever, so I would go for a style that I can afford.

I would want timeless photos. I'm not against friend's doing each other's hair, but you don't want a kind of a messy sort of thing to end up being IT. Unless one has a friend that is really good with hair, then I'd let that person do me a favor.

It's possible that style won't look as good on your friend as it appears in this photo? That does happen, and that is why I'm suggesting a practice session to ensure that the head looks good in profile, in the neckline of the dress itself.

One aims to not have a beautiful dress or beautiful hair. One wants to look beautiful, not hear, that's a lovely dress on you. You want an overall look that is beautiful, when all the parts are put together.

heidi w.

[sumidha]

Maybe something kind of like this? http://thebeautydepartment.com/2011/06/pin-it-up-girl/

[MandyBeth]

Looks like it's a Dutch lace role braid on a diagonal, with ropes added in at random for a normal braid.

I'll get J to let me practice on her later.