How do you go about knowing what your goal is if you know what you want braided?

[Bedhead]

Hi Everyone! :)

I'm trying to figure out what my goal in length is. I know where I want it when I have my hair in my Maxwell House Moment 'do (a single ultra loose braid hanging lankly from the top of my head), but not when down. All I know is I think it would be amazing if I had another 6" to the braid, but what would that translate to in length? Since I'm newly discovering the world of braids, I think this will result in many other wonderful creations too.

Any ideas how to figure this out?

[florenonite]

It depends a lot on the thickness of your hair and how tightly you braid, but I think as a very rough guide braids eat up 1/4 to 1/3 of the length of your hair.

[elbow chic]

Got a picture of this do? My google skills are falling short.

Kind of depends on how thick your hair is, too.

[ravenreed]

How much does your hair length change when braided? For instance, my hair is classic length when loose and TBL when braided. (ETA: I have layers so I have a fairly long tassel) I have no idea how to figure out the shrinkage rate there, but it isn't much. I know that some curlies actually have longer hair when braided. I need about 4 more inches of braid to get to my goal of wrapping my braid completely around my head, and I figure I it will be just over four inches of length over all. HTH!

[Hollyfire3]

How much does your hair length change when braided? For instance, my hair is classic length when loose and TBL when braided. (ETA: I have layers so I have a fairly long tassel) I have no idea how to figure out the shrinkage rate there, but it isn't much. I know that some curlies actually have longer hair when braided. I need about 4 more inches of braid to get to my goal of wrapping my braid completely around my head, and I figure I it will be just over four inches of length over all. HTH!

Your lucky! My hair is nearly BSL but is just past shoulder (not even APL) when braided! I want a BSL braid but I think it might take AT LEAST HL hair..darn it, anyway, no clue how to calculate it sorry.

[ravenreed]

Yeah, that is a lot of shrinkage! :( ETA: Perhaps as it gets longer, the shrinkage rate will diminish? One can hope!


Your lucky! My hair is nearly BSL but is just past shoulder (not even APL) when braided! I want a BSL braid but I think it might take AT LEAST HL hair..darn it, anyway, no clue how to calculate it sorry.

[Hollyfire3]

Yeah, that is a lot of shrinkage! :(

It sure is sadly!:(
But at least my braids are thick right? But I saw your album and your hair is pretty darn thick too, sure your not an iii?

[Bedhead]

I have a picture, but I'm unable to load it at this time, unfortunately. :(

But it's just an english braid, braided when I hang my head up side down. The braid is loose enough that it doubles my regular braid width, and is all soft looking.

Hmmm. Maybe if I do a quick loose like that but normal english braid just down my back then figure out the shrinkage??? I don't lose much with it tightly braided, less than an inch I think.

[ravenreed]

I had a HUGE shed last year after a surgery. It isn't nearly as thick as it was. Pony circumference is currently 3.5 inches. It has thickened up a bit as new hair is coming back in. For a while, it was down below 3 inches.


It sure is sadly!:(
But at least my braids are thick right? But I saw your album and your hair is pretty darn thick too, sure your not an iii?

[Bedhead]

I'm back. I just did a comparison with a really loose braid and I lost 2.5". That translates into a lot of growth needed.

Wow! Ravenreed, that's a huge difference. I'm glad it's coming back for you!

[Hollyfire3]

I had a HUGE shed last year after a surgery. It isn't nearly as thick as it was. Pony circumference is currently 3.5 inches. It has thickened up a bit as new hair is coming back in. For a while, it was down below 3 inches.

Aww, I'm glad its coming back and I hope it comes all back. :)

[katsrevenge]

Well, if it helps any... my 32ish long hair (with taper and left over layers) braids to 26ish inches if I braid all the way down tight.

So, from hip/brushing tailbone to below BSL.

[ravenreed]

Thanks for the good wishes! Yeah, unfortunately, I get massive sheds very easily, so I am sort of used to it by now. It is harder now that my hair is longer because the growing out phase is such a pain. Until the new hairs hit shoulder length, things looked very strange. Now they get swept up with what every I am doing so I don't worry about them much.

[auburntressed]

This is a good question, as my hair goals are also based in braids. I have the idea in my head that I'll need classic length to do what I want to do with my braids, so I have that as a goal. But it's just an estimate, and I'm flexible.

Right now, my braid is waist length. My hair loose is past hip but not to tailbone yet. What I want is a braid that I can wrap fully around my head from a single braid and a braid that is long enough to brush my lap when I am sitting in my office chair at work. If classic turns out to not be long enough for that, well then that would be a little frustrating. But I'll just suck it up and grow longer.

[ravenreed]

I am short waisted. I am at classic, but cannot wrap my braid around my head yet. That may be different depending on how long classic is for you.


This is a good question, as my hair goals are also based in braids. I have the idea in my head that I'll need classic length to do what I want to do with my braids, so I have that as a goal. But it's just an estimate, and I'm flexible.

Right now, my braid is waist length. My hair loose is past hip but not to tailbone yet. What I want is a braid that I can wrap fully around my head from a single braid and a braid that is long enough to brush my lap when I am sitting in my office chair at work. If classic turns out to not be long enough for that, well then that would be a little frustrating. But I'll just suck it up and grow longer.

[Bedhead]

Well, if it helps any... my 32ish long hair (with taper and left over layers) braids to 26ish inches if I braid all the way down tight.

So, from hip/brushing tailbone to below BSL.

Yes, that is helpful, thank you, especially since you just might be my hair twin, once my baby hairs grow out. And your hip measurement is pretty much the same as mine too (32.5), so yes, this certainly gives me a lot to go on. :cheese:


This is a good question, as my hair goals are also based in braids. I have the idea in my head that I'll need classic length to do what I want to do with my braids, so I have that as a goal. But it's just an estimate, and I'm flexible.

Right now, my braid is waist length. My hair loose is past hip but not to tailbone yet. What I want is a braid that I can wrap fully around my head from a single braid and a braid that is long enough to brush my lap when I am sitting in my office chair at work. If classic turns out to not be long enough for that, well then that would be a little frustrating. But I'll just suck it up and grow longer.

I think flexibility is key here. I didn't realise I would need such long hair to get what I'm looking for, so I'm a bit overwhelmed now. Maybe I need to just focus on the health of my hair for now and one day I might open my eyes to some much longer hair?

[Shepherdess]

Thickness does have a lot to do with how long the braid will turn out and how tight it is braided. My hair is almost thigh length I think (very thick), so it is approximately tailbone length when braided (maybe a tad longer).

[Madora]

If you're referring to the beautiful coronet braid of Mrs. Olsen, the famous "Maxwell House Good to the Last Drop" lady, who had an accent, then you can kind of achieve the crown braid two ways:

1 ... a loose crown braid around the head which would call for hair at least waist length

2...if you mean a plain braid around the head, then you'd need hair about 47 inches long...if you wanted the single braid to look nice and even. If your hair is tapered, you can do it with 40 inch hair but it wouldn't look as perfect as having an even braid all around the head.

As I remember, Virginia Gregg's wig also had a gentle "pouf" around the front, making the style very soft and elegant. I always enjoyed her commercials...just loved that crown of braided glory!

[Vanille_]

I feel like my braids take up a lot especially if I braid to the side. If I braid to the side, I feel like my hair is so much shorter.

The last one doesn't show the end, but it shows where the rubber band is and the rest is not much farther down due to my layers.

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z252/onexmorexgirl/Hair/DSC02360-1-1-1.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z252/onexmorexgirl/Hair/DSC02362-1.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z252/onexmorexgirl/Hair/DSC02383-1.jpg

[Johanna]

I want to be able to wrap my braid around my neck and drape it over the other shoulder. So far I can wrap it around my neck and have it touch at the other end. Got a ways to go yet. After asking in the knee + thread I have a ways to go yet.

[Bedhead]

Thickness does have a lot to do with how long the braid will turn out and how tight it is braided. My hair is almost thigh length I think (very thick), so it is approximately tailbone length when braided (maybe a tad longer).
So the thicker the hair, the shorter the braid will turn out? Does that mean when all my baby hairs grow in (there's a lot), my braid will be slightly shorter...? That's not fair! :p


If you're referring to the beautiful coronet braid of Mrs. Olsen, the famous "Maxwell House Good to the Last Drop" lady, who had an accent, then you can kind of achieve the crown braid two ways:

1 ... a loose crown braid around the head which would call for hair at least waist length

2...if you mean a plain braid around the head, then you'd need hair about 47 inches long...if you wanted the single braid to look nice and even. If your hair is tapered, you can do it with 40 inch hair but it wouldn't look as perfect as having an even braid all around the head.

As I remember, Virginia Gregg's wig also had a gentle "pouf" around the front, making the style very soft and elegant. I always enjoyed her commercials...just loved that crown of braided glory!

He he... no. I just named my simple yet elegant floppy english braid from the very top of my head my Maxwell House Moment 'do, because if I drank coffee and had that moment, this would be the perfect hair to express it all (in my mind). ;)

It would be similar to an upside down French braid going up the back of the head and letting the length of the braid flop back down the back, but without doing the French braiding and just doing the length of english braid, and letting it flop to the back. When I do it with my head upside down it results in a lot of elegant puff to the rest of my hair. And for some reason, when I do this, my braid is also twice as thick as a loose braid when I do a simple English braid from the nape of my neck, even loose, so I can't really compare the two.

So no wrapping of my hair, just flopping and hanging.
Thanks! :)


I feel like my braids take up a lot especially if I braid to the side. If I braid to the side, I feel like my hair is so much shorter.

The last one doesn't show the end, but it shows where the rubber band is and the rest is not much farther down due to my layers.

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z252/onexmorexgirl/Hair/DSC02360-1-1-1.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z252/onexmorexgirl/Hair/DSC02362-1.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z252/onexmorexgirl/Hair/DSC02383-1.jpg

Vanille, I just love your hair! :o
It doesn't look like you have layers or lose a lot of length, not compared to these other women who say they are losing what seems to be close to a full foot of hair when they braid.

Thanks for posting the pics. It nice to have a visual (I wish I could post mine). :)


I want to be able to wrap my braid around my neck and drape it over the other shoulder. So far I can wrap it around my neck and have it touch at the other end. Got a ways to go yet. After asking in the knee + thread I have a ways to go yet.
You might have a ways to go, but you might have the length I'm looking for to do what I want. Good luck on your quest! :cheese: