Friday, August 24, 2012

Wedding Hair

When it comes to bridal hair, I am all for updos.
http://cherrymarry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/long-curly-wedding-hairstyles-with-veil.jpg
Not my favorite.
By frummie weddings, the bride usually hits the dance floor armed with sneakers and proceeds to boogie the night away, which often leads to sweat. Loose, styled waves become limp, clinging to the neck and face in damp, scraggly strands. 

Updos don't have to be harsh. 
http://www.thebudgetbabe.com/uploads/2010/201012/hairstyles-updos-taylorswift.jpg
Vs.
http://www.bestcelebrityhairstyles.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Taylor-Swift-updo.jpg
The top look on Taylor Swift is not as polished as the bottom, but it offers a romantic, evening vibe with less of an "updo" finish. 
http://s3.amazonaws.com/wedding_prod/photos/9a30b8f148ab8798b983ff09dbd1e4af_s
Via ProjectWedding.com
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxeY4V91V0KiKwP0OQH2YJ2gWrXrLyaPYImmrXeS5qj8Axg4rpP5OopM3X2spmBCjR7uMDdHTY0hwAS1Uqveh8DkXoKY12Z3gb1TID4MW6Vq6tnNfncZxlt66f2-vgxGpAFQ70fAxBJiwD/s400/wedding+haisrtyles+2010+messy+updos+4.jpg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkVOKyOHTUR0zQoxo6Q8JkSVm6Ez3mCBPF9RK7JSjEmLtZqZfampoZ5JQlnniyhPFCuS3NYQjYOKUBozAZ4DrMb3FfP_8_J_RW55eDF_kC8WCY931BCAbi_YejxT2qvRiy9a_RFEs8s9U/s1600/sexy-bridal-hair2.jpg
If you do opt for down hair, I beg you: No bottle curls.  It's too reminiscent of Little Bo Peep.

When it comes to youngsters by weddings, however, I find that loose hair is more flattering. Updos on kids with glasses are particularly painful. Loose hair styled in waves, with a flower clip holding back one side softens the harshness of glasses (I am anti-headband). 
http://www.fancypantsweddings.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/SullivanFG.jpg
fancypantsweddings,com
At a recent chassana, the tween-aged cousins of the kallah had their beautiful thick blonde hair blown wavy, without distracting oversized headbands or clips. They bounced on the dance floor looking perfectly natural and appropriate, not stunty.
http://www.haironthebrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/amanda-seyfried-blonde-hair-extensions.jpg
Children and teenagers look great in long hair. Adults . . . have to tread more carefully.

19 comments:

N said...

I do think that some people look better with up-dos and definitely when the dress is SO covered up and has a lot of material, the up-do looks better...BUT its your last chance to wear your hair down and if you love your hair...you want to wear it down.

Princess Lea said...

But it is also the last time one can have a really cool updo! Most wigs are long and flowy, so they're going to have that anyway still.

BrowniesAreDelicious said...

I disagree- I think it depends on facial structure. For gamine, soft featured Natalie Portman/ Audrey Hepburn people- go ahead. But if you have strong features (ie: a healthy shnoz, strong chin, etc- even a "softer" updo can make you look like Jay Lenno in drag- some people just need hair around their face to soften their features.

N said...

Wigs are not the same as your real hair...

If you have beautiful hair and you love it...its very different.

Princess Lea said...

In the cases of those with stronger features, too long hair can also be disconcerting - in the end the most universally flattering hair is a bob.

It can be styled more wavy, or edgy, or straight, but in the end one can never go wrong with short hair.

Princess Lea said...

ZP: B"H have good hair. Really good hair. Even my hair guy says so.

But I like the updos. So go figure.

I would love to be able to wear flary skirts, but I can't - my body type is not meant for it. When it comes to fashion, it is not always about what one would like, but rather what works.

I do not consider myself the master of the fashion universe, but there are plenty out there who still have to work the two.

wellspring said...


Totally depends on the face type. I am tall with long and narrow face (at least it was so in my wedding, i've filled out since...) and long neck. The updos I tried made me look too skinny, slightly aged, and weren't flattering at the least. I wore my hair down with minimum styling and it looked great. And I looked much younger than my 24 years - not a bad thing considering the groom looked terribly young due to being clean shaven...(I made him grow a bread IMMMEDIATELY after the wedding. His last shave was for the sheva brachot shabbat...)

Princess Lea said...

I'm also tall, with a longish face, and I hope a long neck. But whenever I wear my hair up in a pony people are like - Whoa! That looks good! as compared to when I wear it down.

The photos I linked show not such serious dos - hair that is more loose and "romantic," not so stiff, with flattering tendrils and such, which tend to have a softening, youthful effect.

Of course there are exceptions to most circumstances.

Anonymous said...

Coming late to the show here...the other argument in favor of updo's is that they look much more elegant (if done well...) at the end of the night then the straggly sweaty curls a lot of Kallahs have in the last pictures in the wedding album. A well done updo tends to look attractively disheveled in the last photo...even a well done "down-do" tends to look...not so refined and elegant.

Also, so long as you're staying away from certain accessories (the tiara in the 90's....) an updo tends to be much less "dated" than a down-do, because down-do's follow the hairstyle of the decade (big hair in the 80s...ironed 70's hair) whereas the classic chignon is forever!

Princess Lea said...

Well said!

Tiara - (blows raspberry). NO.

Wreath - I call them "crown of thorns"

My sister's hair in the late 90's was an updo, with the veil anchored on top of the bun. Her photos look as though they could have been taken last week!

Consider my mother's waist length sheitel in the 70's - shiver.

Anonymous said...

Oops...there's a caveat.

If your chosson's family has an astonishing collection of jewels, one being a "halo" tiara by Cartier, and his grandmother kindly offers to lend it to you, THEN (and really only then) you may wear a tiara.

Princess Lea said...

Meaning if you were the now Princess Kate? :D At least we know that ain't rhinestones, baby!

BrowniesAreDelicious said...

Silly to say that updos look less dated- LOL are you kidding me!? My sister got married in 1999-with a giant pile of curls on top of her head and a big shiny tiara- she had a perfectly straight- slightly longer than chin length- tendrils on each side of her face a 'la this- but with icky tendrils

http://www.hairfroce.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/prom-hairstyles-2011.jpg

It is SO dated! And as if giant bumps in updos don't scream mid 2000s? Face it- if you get married at any time no matter what your hairstyle of choice- you will look dated. Period.

BrowniesAreDelicious said...

And because i'm a big fat pain in the tuchus- let's take a look at some "timeless updos" from times past!

The 60s!
http://pinterest.com/pin/166914729909949246/

The 70s!
http://www.hairarchives.com/private/wedding/vinatagewedding.htm

The 80s!
http://wonderfulworldofhair.tripod.com/80upa/80upa.htm

The 90s!
http://newhairstylegallery.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Cute-Romantic-Updo-Hairstyle.jpg

In short? You're always gonna look dates. Period. Unless you're Grace Kelly. In which case you'll look gorgeous.

Princess Lea said...

Ah, and there we have it: Grace Kelly.

Why did GK look so great? Because it was SIMPLE.

http://blog.netrobe.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/blog.netrobe-1.jpeg

Her hair is timeless because she didn't have insane curls or twirls or confetti.

If someone selects a look which involves an hour's worth of curling iron and gel, of course her updo will look ridiculous. Trying too hard always looks ridiculous.

I just have to references my sister's 1990 yearbook as proof. My mother put her foot down - my sister was the only one who had a simple blowout. The rest . . . oy.

So, that's why not trying to hard usually looks okay. Slightly messy and casual hair will hopefully succeed, since one is not opting for a trend, but rather to underwhelm.

But those photos were awesome. In a sad way. Thank GOD is is no longer the 60s.

Rachel said...

I have a long neck and when I got my hair done professionally for my sister's wedding, the hair stylist said, "I will only do your hair for your wedding if you wear it in an updo!"

Seven years later I returned to her for my wedding and sure enough, an updo it was. But how very different from the updos 7 years ago! I loved that I was able to dance and not feel sweaty on my neck. My hair was totally together so I never had to push it aside. Updos rock!

Princess Lea said...

iRiR: In general I love my hair off my neck; it feels oppressive in too short a time. Ugh, sweat. Even when all fashvitzed, an updo can still look chic, loose tendrils and all!

Rachel said...

Is there a way I can email you a picture? I don't see any way of contacting you from this site.

Princess Lea said...

Ooh, photos! frumanista@gmail.com