Monday Bunday!

Not that I pay that much attention to fashion shows (until someone does one featuring sweatpants, in which case they should put me in the front row next to Anna Wintour), but I couldn't help but notice that a lot of the runway shows during recent fashion weeks have featured models sporting messy buns in their hair. I must be ahead of my time, this has been one of my "signature looks" ever since I took ballet when  I was nine and could never figure out how to get the straggly bits to stay put (sadly, my jetés and pliés were just as sloppy, but that's a story for another day). I've worked on my technique since then, and I'm pretty sure I've mastered the art of creating a bun that looks pulled together, but not too polished, with just the right dash of laissez-faire attitude. It's equally appropriate for a night on the town or a night spent polishing your floors. And it goes particularly well with sweatpants.

Here are my step-by-step instructions for creating a loose bun that looks like you just threw it together (which, in fact, is kind of how you do it). I couldn't bring myself to force a friend to pose for these pictures, so please excuse the weird faces I apparently make when bunning myself. Good thing ballet prepared me to be comfortable with public humiliation.

Step 1: Figure out where you want your bun to be, and pull your hair back into a ponytail, and secure with a rubber band. I generally try to make my hair as smooth as possible during this step, and then mess it up later.








Step 2: Twist the ponytail from the base to the top, and coil the hair around the base of the ponytail. Don't worry if a lot of the hair is sticking out of the twist (like mine)- that's what makes the bun look so easy and breezy, and whatnot.








Step 3: Use large bobby pins to secure the bun in place. It helps make it hold if you are able to slide one side of the pin under part of the rubber band. You can use smaller pins or hairspray to tuck in stray hair pieces. Then, if you want loose strands at the back of your neck, or in front of your ears, pull them out. Tada!









Try a high bun, a low side bun, or add a headband for a Brigitte Bardot look while you are washing your dog or doing the dishes.

top photo credit: via Bella Sugar