From The Beauty Closet

The Braid Debate

9 years ago by

The Braid Debate

We need your vote in the Studio Braid Debate.

Garance loves a really romantic braid, something softer and less severe – but I kind of love the idea of a no-nonsense, all-business braid. One that keeps every strand in place if you happen to be running around all day, like this one we saw backstage at Proenza Schouler that was inspired by the glamorous but busy downtown New York woman.

I completely agree with G that a little looser and more feminine is prettier, but I tend to opt for one like this, which is ideal for thick, prone-to-grease hair like mine. Its no-fuss sensibility is more practical. But maybe a braid is less about pragmatism and more about the beauty of it? What do you think?

See, this one designed by Anthony Turner for Bumble and bumble is all about simplicity – no brush was even used, just finger-combed hair tightly woven. How about you? Are you more enticed by the intricate styles, ones that transport you… A more aspirational look? Or a sporty and totally practical variation?

19 comments

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  • Braids and their style are really something situational and – in my opinion – have a lot to do with your overall style and appearance – romantic, strict or like a honest little maid (I can’t find a decent translation for the German word “bieder” – which is what I mean)
    I used to wear braids either way when I needed to keep my hair in check (work, climbing…), when I was too lazy/busy to wash them or when I wanted to have waves the next day~ for a (yearned for) romantic braid à la Garance I never had enough hair ;)

  • I like braids especially when my hair is being particularly unmanageable. :]

    // ? itsCarmen.com ?

  • The fact that I already “look young,” a braid makes me look even more immature

    http://lifeandcity.tumblr.com

  • For a long time, I was an all business braid. Now I am crushing over the wild and crazy loose braid. Maybe it’s because my hair is finally long enough that I can pull this off.

    <a href="http://themagnoliagirls.blogspot.com/&quot;

  • I am a fan on Lara Croft games so I really love this type of braid, makes me feel strong and sexy, haha! :D
    It gives a sporty vibe, looks modern and cool to me. Sometimes I bring it to the office and sometimes to the discotheque, it can be perfect for both.

  • braids are great–in fact i wear them almost daily–either the business braids sleekly done in different shapes around my head, or the looser variety when i have a party or something…
    i NEVER wear my mid-back length blondish hair down–too much of a pain and gets in the way of my farm chores and studio work.
    when i had short hair, (which is often, i change my hair up a lot), the minute it gets a couple of inches long, i start to braid it around my head–it works fine if you start with wet hair :) and looks better than that ”in-between” length hair as it grows out..

  • I have stick straight hair with no grip whatsoever, and lots of it – which means braids are usually out of the question. Even the tightest of braids with the stickiest product will slip out as the day goes on!

    If I got to choose, I’d much rather go for a more undone, romantic braid…probably because I’ve never seen myself in one!

  • Love and wear braids – as small side ones on other side of my part, to hold back the many stubborn, uneven, slow-growing (people seem to call them baby hair… I just call them very slow growing) stray strands off my face. I leave the back loose for evenings when my hair behaves, or bunned loosely at the nape.

    Daytime, I always have those little side braids and the back tied up like in the photo above, or plaited quickly into another braid and looped into a bun, from which bits and pieces invariably fall. I don’t mind the bits falling around at the back – just not in my face (feels like spiders/insects brushing against my skin).

    My hair is shoulder-blade length (I cut it myself) and dead straight (slippery as a snake in butter), and not anywhere nearly as super-abundant (as I would love – and prayed for years as a child) as I’d like it to be. It’s still long enough to ponytail-and-braid like above, but I still really need those little side braids to harness my flyaway, as I don’t like hair product, and my hair ends up looking like a poor imitation of Farah Fawcett’s billowing side-head-wings, as I used to call them.

  • Plutôt d’accord avec Garance, je la préfère un peu lâche, moins rigide.
    Peut-être est-ce très français :) (on a du mal avec l’autorité)

    Amélie
    https://charlesrayandcoco.com

  • My mom put my wild, curly mixed race hair in this braid for the first 10 years that I went to school. I’m allergic. These days I do looser braids at night when I want to stretch my natural curls for the next day, and to keep the mane out of tangle trouble.

  • Je préfère ta version bien serrée que la version lâchée et floue. La tresse c’est la coiffure parfaite des bad hair days et tu peux plaquer un maximum pour un rendu finalement assez sophistiqué. Une veste de blazer et un jean et c’est plié !
    Baci, Ali
    http://www.alidifirenze.fr

  • My vote goes to the clean, practical braid :)

  • J’ai le même avis que Garance je préfère la tresse lâche, dans une vision un peu romantique, nonchalamment coiffé je trouve ça plus joli.
    C’est peut être français comme truc, le “naturel” qui ne l’est pas, et surtout faut pas que ce soit trop discipliné ;)
    La bise !

  • I like all kinds of braids. What I don’t like is when people say that making a loose, messy braid is super easy. Try it with fine, stick straight hair like mine. So, stop making me feel bad, people who claim such things! All in all, I think it has a lot to do with hair texture. Pigtails are generally almost impossible to pull off as an adult, though.

  • Every time I see a braid I think of my youth. When I was younger I had unruly curly hair and my mother’s solution was a braid. Braids are wonderful!

  • GoldenGirl September, 24 2015, 1:09 / Reply

    Je suis pour ma part TRAUMATISÉE par la tresse / nattes et autres synonymes du genre. Car oui, ce fut ma “coiffure” durant mes années de primaire & collège … et lycée tant qu’on y est … (un peu tardif oui mon coming out capillaire) … oui parce que j’ai les cheveux BOUCLÉS / impossible à contrôler … donc quand tu n’assumes pas (encore) le volume … tu tresses (le chignon aussi peut servir comme parfaite arme de camouflage) … mais c’est moche une tresse à cheveux bouclés … so ” Please please pleaaase Garance Garance Garance, let me get what I want this time” , fais nous un article sur les cheveux BOUCLÉS ! Por favoooor !! J’ai vraiment l’impression que même pour m’habiller je ne peux pas adopter le même style que “the others” (aux cheveux raides …) et sans pour autant les lisser (j’adooore mes boucles!) So la tresse … trendy … Romantique bohème oui (mais avec les cheveux raiiides) / strict oui aussi dans un esprit minimaliste- normecore (tjrs avec des cheveux raiiiides) sinon gare au virage poupée sortie d’un manga japonais. Mais bon … c’est juste un avis ;)

  • Looser is better. Not only does it look better, but it is better for your hair. You shouldn’t have your hair pull so tight on the scalp, it will cause you to loose your hair! Ask any stylist.

  • My sister are crazy for those braids, it suits here but not me that much, I’m more for loose, not on top braids, I photographed her here http://www.fashionparadoxes.com/2015/02/28/on-top/

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