Celebrities & fashion designers alike have been going crazy for braids! Braids are no longer strictly for young kids anymore. The fashion and entertainment industry has literally redefined the braid in order to update it for an older generation. One of the major trendsetters for this braid craze was Lauren Conrad herself. Nearly every time she stepped out on the red carpet or appeared on an episode of “The Hills”, her hair had some sort of braid technique utilized. Other celebrities sporting this new hairstyle trend include Rachel Bilson, Teresa Palmer, Blake Lively, Mary-Kate Olsen & more.
1. Classic – The classic braid that most of us wore growing up is still in fashion but with slight modifications. Pictured above on the top right is Teresa Palmer showing exactly what I mean. A true classic braid would go straight down your back, nothing too fancy. Recently, a lot of girls wanted to wear their braid to the side. This can be achieved using the technique shown on Teresa Palmer as well as several others depending on the length of your hair.
2. Fishtail - The fishtail is also a fairly common one you can see walking down the red carpet and in high fashion. The beauty of the fishtail braid is that it looks a lot more complicated than it actually is. The technique is simply the classic braid with a unique twist. Instead of braiding the same amount of hair each time like with the classic, the fishtail increases the amount of hair used in the braid each cycle leaving for a very chic and polished look. Pull a few stray hairs down next to your face and you will look like your hair was done by the pros.
3. Braided Up-do – One of the most common braided up-dos celebrities have been opting for this season is the single braid going over the top of your head. There may be other ways of completing this hairstyle but how I have always done it in the past was to start with two pigtails on opposite sides of your head. Braid the first one and secure it in place. Then braid the other over top and intertwine them at the end of the braid in order to give the illusion that there is only one single braid.
4. Thin Braids - Another common theme is to use thin braids to liven up a simple hairstyle. Rachel Bilson, Blake Lively, and Lauren Conrad all utilize thin braids when leaving their hair down and wavy. It is a simple way to create an even more beachy look alongside their beachy waves.
5. Front Braid - Lauren Conrad is pictured above with this hairstyle. This same hairstyle can be seen on Amanda Seyfried in her new movie, “Letters to Juliet”. This is such a simple hairstyle that almost anyone can pull off, no matter if you have short or long hair. For longer hair, another option would be to continue the braid all the way down the length of your hair like shown on Teresa Palmer on the far left.
This past week, I finally got around to finishing “Style” by Lauren Conrad. This one of the greatest books on styling I have ever read. After being filmed for days on end during her Laguna Beach & The Hills days, she never repeated an outfit. This book, will show you simple styling tricks that will help you to prolong the life of your clothes & develop your own personal style. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Lauren, although she can afford to buy nearly anything, still purchases tons of brands that are completely affordable for college students & fashionistas alike. Levi’s, TopShop & Steve Madden were all included in her style guide. Of course, Christian Louboutins, Chanel & several other designers made it into the book as well. Lauren also mentioned that she loves mixing vintage items into an outfit.
