When I was young...younger than I am now anyway, I used to have this theory that I couldn't do my hair the same way two days in a row. Accordingly, I came up with all sorts of interesting ways to do my hair. The other day I was contemplating this and wondering how many ways there were that I did my hair.
1. The ponytail.
The most versatile of hairstyle (and easiest) the ponytail can be done several ways. High pony, low pony, loose pony and even half up in a pony, the rest hanging loose. The pony wasn't often among my repertoire of hairstyles as a teenager, but it certainly is one of my favorites as a mom. Throw my hair up in a pony and I'm out the door in record time.
2. The pigtails - similar to the pony, it just takes dividing the hair into two equal (or not so equal) sections and secure with a ponytail holder. I actually just used this technique recently although it's been a while since pigtails were in style for a grown adult. On some adults, it looks very adorable. On me it looked very forced and like I was trying to be a teeny-bopper again. Not a good look for me now and probably wasn't as a teenager, I just didn't know it back then.
3. The banana clip. Now I must admit that I used to really, really, really LOVE this hairstyle. It made me feel happy even if it did take the better part of an hour to get my thick mane pulled up into the thing. Just when I would think it was perfect, the bottom part would come apart and I'd have start all over again! Sadly, I no longer own any banana clips and I'm pretty sure they don't sell them...or else I shouldn't buy them even if they did.
4. The braid - Now I used to do the loose braid regularly - one braid for normal days, 2 braids on thanksgiving (I still do this most years, it's tradition). However, the french braid was one I never mastered - ever. But I did love it when I had someone who wanted to french braid my hair for me. My mom would do it for me on occasion and even as an adult, I've had the french braid put in by a good friend of mine! I do love a good french braid, I just wish I could actually do it. Now, I should probably make this another category, but there is also the upside down braid. This is where I tilt my head totally upside down, start at the nape of my neck, and braid upside down.
5. Barrettes - Barrettes could be used in many ways - in place of a ponytail holder or in conjunction with one or solo. My favorite way to use barrettes was one on either side of my head, with my hair pulled back in wing-like fashion. Now I do occasionally use this style, however, I try to make sure it's slicked down a bit before I apply the barrettes then spray well to keep from fly away hair.
6. Curls - I love (still) to take the curling iron and just curl every strand of my hair. I don't leave it in ringlets, I pick through it with my fingers after spraying it down and let it fan out.
7. The side part - putting more than half my hair over so that one side was endowed with hair and the other was almost bald is quite a statement. I've used this one - for a while, it was my exclusive hairstyle - but it's been at least um....2 years since I've done it....
8. The way too many ponytail holder do - I must say, I thought this style was very creative and I used it overly much in college. I would start with a little bit of hair at top and put in a pony. Then I would gather a bit more and put a pony a little further down. Then I would gather even more and stick in another pony. I think my record was 8 ponytail holders. Extra points for being able to find all the same color holders or at least coordinating ones with the outfit I was wearing. Yes, I know that this style is not flattering on a married woman. Don't worry, I haven't tried it in years....
And then there are combs (yes I used those), the ringlets, the scrunchie, the huge clip and probably dozens more that I can't even think of now, but alas, I should actually do something other than blog today. So I hope you enjoyed your trip down memory lane. Which of these or others did/do you use for your own hair or for your daughters for those of you who have them?
Comments (19)
They still sell banana clips! I bought one last summer at Walgreens :)
ok, I have no idea what a banana clip is, maybe I'm not old enough,lol. I used most of the styles you mentioned (most of my childhood years were spent in a ponytail of some sort)! We also used to do fish-braids. You split the braid in just 2 sections and take very small sections, back and forth to the different sides (kinda hard to explain).
I am terrible with coming up with hairstyles. I just can't be bothered! most days I have it in a headband, ponytail or parted slightly. That's it. It's in a ponytail right now. Ugh.
My sister was famous for #8 which was a contributing factor in my decision to NEVER let her touch my hair. I thought she looked silly, but it was all the rage at the time. Another popular one when I was a little kid was to put all your hair up in one pony and then put as many more ponies or scrunchies as humanly possible on that one pony. Ick! When my hair is long enough all I ever do is put it in a ponytail. My hair is unruly and I'm lazy. I suppose I better find something else to do with it since I need to grow it back out for my wedding.
they still have banana clips, but they aren't as cute and varied as they used to be. it's usually the boring medium sized ones with the black, brown, and clear (or white) clips.
My favorite was to put my hair up in a purple banana clip and then use a large purple hair bow at the top (to cover the top part of the clip). But Jenna- that was in grade school! hehehe
Congrats by the way
@marthamayfaulkner@xanga - Thanks! Yeah, I used banana clips in high school and dare I say, even some in college. But no more! :)
That little girl is sooo cute! *Kidnaps*
I hate banana clips and scrunchies. I would like to see your description of number 8! Got a photo to share? It would be cruel to describe it, and not show us what you mean!
@xsteph_ox@xanga - I don't think I have a photo, but I could try to get one. It would just require me actually doing my hair like that again which I didn't imagine would ever happen.
@alaskamommy@xanga - Haha. Do you still have long hair?
I had a bowl cut for most of my childhood. No pretty curls for me :(
Haha! That was TOTALLY a trip down memory lane for me! I had 2 very favorites that I did most. I had a huge clippie that I took half of my hair up and then made a big "poof" in the front. Then with the bangs hanging down, I curled some up and the other under....my dad referred to this as the "window fan" hairdo as it was like I stood in front of a fan and then sprayed forever until it stuck! The other favorite was the two combs on both sides of my head. I always LOVED that.....now with my 5 year old I do pride myself in how well I do her hair and it is NEVER the same way two days in a row! But, I have grown a lot since then. I do LOTS of braid-do's. Today was a braid through the bangs ending in a french braid in the back. Looked lovely and very original :) Thanks for your fun post!
@xsteph_ox@xanga - yes, it's about midway down my back. Every time I cut it really short, I regret it because it's so much easier when it's long - it all can just go in a ponytail!
I needed new hairstyle ideas and this actually helps...one of my favoritebraid ways is when you braid you hair in the back and then you flip it up half way and bobby pin it. It is really pretty....I love it <3 thanks for the awesome post!
@alaskamommy@xanga - Wow. I'm never sure what length to keep my hair either. I'm hoping to grow it at the moment, but we'll see!
I was a toddler/preschooler in the 80's, so I always had a ton of barrettes in my hair. My mom loved doing my hair! We had quite the extensive barrette collection in my house--lots of shapes, sizes, and colors.
By the early 90's, I had the big poof of bangs in the front. The woman who styled my hair would go through my bangs with a razor, curl them backwards with a curling iron, give them one swoop with the brush to poof them, then spray the heck out of them. I shudder to think of it now, but that was considered popular back then...
I never wore pigtails very often, but I did wear ponytails a lot. And remember the Topsy-Turvy? I definitely had that, too! French braids made an occasional appearance, but only when my brother's godmother did my hair.
In high school the 'messy bun' was in, so I often did a 'messy bun' with half of my hair in back and left the rest down. It required a lot of bobby pins, but it worked!
Nowadays I generally just comb my hair and go, or throw it up into a pony. I'm very glad I wasn't a teenager or adult woman in the 80's--I'm way too low-maintenance (read: lazy) to worry about perming, teasing, and spraying 10 cans of Aquanet on my hair!
Oh, I almost forgot the Claw Clips. I loved those things. So easy to throw your hair up out of the way. I even had mini Claw Clips that I wore as barrettes on each side of my head for my 8th grade yearbook picture. Hey, it was 1998...
@IrishCream41@xanga - I totally remember the topsy-turvy! I loved doing that! And yes, foofy bangs were totally in style in the '80's!
my parents chopped it off into a pageboy that I looked adorable in and had little/no maintenance required. I just recently chopped all my hair off again. (It was down past my shoulders) It is so much easier to keep your hair short. Screw braids/pigtails/etc.