Back to School Hairstyle for Girls

Easy French Braid-like Hairstyle 

using Hair Ties --

A Back To School Favorite

Hair Ornaments have been used for centuries, with various levels of success!

Borrowing from these classics, below are instructions for an updated, whimsical style that always gets favorable comments, wherever we go...

French Braids are beautiful on girls, but for most (dads especially) they take a good deal of time and  practice before they look camera-ready.

My work around? Hair Ties...

Sephora hair ties are a staple in all of our bathrooms. 

Hair ties can be purchased in most chain drug stores and also at Old Navy.  But the Sephora nude ties (above) are my favorite, are the best quality and are perfect for autumnal ensembles. Check them out here:

http://www.sephora.com/in-nude-hair-ties-P393119?skuId=1652577

These styles (green) are on sale now (over 40% off), check them out:

http://www.sephora.com/ribbon-hair-ties-P291417?skuId=1429406

Grouped together, hair ties make playful, youthful pony tails (above and below).

Hair ties, spread out on the pony tail, look frolicsome, as well:

But my unbeatable use of the Hair Tie is the 

Modified French Braid

And here is one of the many reasons why:  Last night, we went to a restaurant in New Canaan, Connecticut and the woman seated at the next table asked how I did my daughter's hair.  Since she  was so enthusiastic about the look, seemingly ready for me to do it to her hair, I quickly promised that I would post the instructions on TheNattyDad, pronto!

More than any other hairstyle that I use on my daughter, I get the most comments on this style. It's easy, it holds and it makes an impressive, yet tasteful statement.

So here they are:

Section off the front forehead of hair and twist the first hair tie into this small section of hair. Be sure to get all the stray bangs (see below).

Next, pull the temple hair back into the crown of the head and pull it into the already tied first hair tie grouping. Place another hair tie into this group of hair (below):

Brush the side sections (near the ear) into the center and combine it into the two tied 

sections above it:

Keep pulling more hair into the tie until you have reached the end:

What makes this style unique is that, with each new tie, a wavey, graceful, almost 1940s coiffe is produced.  This wave can be made more feathery and dramatic by slightly pulling out some hair from each tie. 

This hairstyle holds all day long, even for active girls -- like my daughter. 

Another reason this style is ideal -- hair ties are less likely to break the hair. 

Placing an elastic in the same place everyday tends to cause breakage at that point, resulting in small hair pieces falling into the face.  Positioning hair ties throughout the hair not only looks colorful and gives a wavey shape, but it evens out the stressed points in the hair, keeping it more healthy, with less breakage. 

Above is another easy Back to School hairstyle. I did an illustrated tutorial on this last year, 

check it out:

http://www.thenattydad.com/2014/06/hairstyles-for-children.html

 Below is a link to a charming NY Times article, a Dad Braiding 101 of sorts, pointing out the growing necessity for men to learn how to take care of their daughter's hair:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/09/fashion/showing-dad-the-ropes-about-braids.html?_r=0

After many (too many) weeks of summer
I say -- Let the school year begin!