Back when I was in elementary school, one of the most popular hairstyles among little girls was the rope braid. Mothers, grandmothers (and even dads!) would twist their daughters' hair into tiny cord-like plaits and adorn them with ball hair ties and plastic hair barrettes -- only to find them returning home with wild hair after being chased on the playground. . The simplicity behind this look is a huge part of the reason why my mom would bother redoing it at night. But when I spotted my childhood hairdo backstage at Fendi's fall 2012 fashion show, I knew that stylist Sam McKnight was on to something.
To complement Karl Lagerfeld and Silvia Venturini Fendi’s collection full of opulent furs and luxe leather, McKnight and his team created rope braid pigtails with coiled headbands. The slick top (accomplished by using Frederick Fekkai COIFF Extra Control Styling Gel and Sebastian Shaper Fierce) and twisted braids made for a stunning contrast.
Inspired by McKnight's nomadic beauties, BellaSugar reporter Kirbie Johnson shows us in the video above how she reinterprets this edgy rope braid hairstyle into an easy, everyday look. Starting with day-old hair, she grabs a section of strands towards the front and brushes out any knots. Then she divides it into two parts before twisting each individual strand and securing the end with a clear elastic. Kirbie tucks the rope braid into her loose, long locks and pins back with a bobby pin.
What do you think about these rope braid hairstyles? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section.
Meanwhile, flip through these photographs of braids (albeit, some good and not-so-good) throughout history.
