A timeless, romantic, and effortlessly elegant style, half updos add style to any look, no matter what the length or texture of your hair.
Historically Beautiful
You've seen them in paintings and sketches going back to the medieval era when they were worn by unmarried women: a half updo showed that a woman was grown up yet still available. As an extra bonus, it also kept the neck a bit warmer. The classically romantic look of the half updo, so popular in pre-Raphaelite paintings, usually involves cascading curls spilling down the back under a pile of curls knotted just below the crown of the head. Add a few flowers or jewels and you have the ultimate romantic young heroine. All you need now is the prince.
The Simple Elegance of Half Updos
Half updos, especially when accessorized with barrettes or fabric flowers, look lovely and sophisticated. It's a nice payoff for a hairstyle that's overall quite easy to pull together. At its most basic, you just pull the top of your hair into a low ponytail, wind it up and secure it, and style the hair left hanging as you like. Of course, to look really perfect, it will take a bit more effort, but once you have the hang of it, you can vary it for style every day of the week, not just special occasions.
Half Up Hair for Prom
Prom is a perfect occasion for a formal look when you'd like your hair pulled back from your face but still want to show off its length and prettiness. Your options are boundless. You can go straight or curly, wavy or gently tousled.
While you can learn to style prom hairdos yourself, you should still consult with a stylist as to what look will suit you best, both for your face and your dress. Most girls prefer to take no chances and have their hair done on the big day. However, it's all up to you.
To do your own simple updo, make sure you have a lot of good styling product. Wash your hair and blow dry gently with a large brush, whether you are aiming for a straight or curly look. You will style later, using a ceramic straightener for smoothing or a curling iron for either waves or curls. You can also create waves using your fingers, but this does take a lot of practice.
If you want a bit of height, back comb the top chunks of your hair towards the crown and smooth them over the top before you pull the desired amount into a low ponytail. Secure the tail with a decorative hair accessory and some extra bobby pins. Finish off the whole look with a good spray so that it will stay in place even with some heavy dancing.
Quick and Messy
Messy doesn't mean sloppy, just a bit more casual chic. You can do quick half updos simply by pulling the top sections of your hair into a barrette or ponytail holder and letting them all hang down. If you like, pull a few strands down around your face and curl them for a swept away, sensual look.
A Medieval Style
Adding braids will always give you a bit more timelessness and quick sophistication. If you like the look of French braids but don't know how to do them, or are in a hurry, you can create the appearance by pulling back chunks of hair on either side of your head, catching them in a decorative barrette, and then braiding the rest of the hair. Add thin braids in the hair hanging loose. If you really want to play up the romance, run multi-colored ribbons through the braids.
As you get good at half updos, you'll soon find yourself wearing a different style every day of the week!
