It always seems that around this time of year – when the wind starts to bite your ears and the plummeting temperature stings your throat – people start to get lazy in the way they dress, do their hair and present themselves on campus.
It is a busy time of season not solely accredited to the holidays, but to semester-end projects, presentations, final exams and getting a head-start on applying for summer internships. So while Fashionistas like me embrace the harsh winter weather for the sake of layering waffle-knit sweaters with flannels shirts, corduroys and knee-high boots, some students around campus prefer to spend the months of November and December in sweat suites. This makes my job of scouting out Fashionistas on campus extra challenging and when I see someone with a perfect manicure or a hairstyle right off the runway I LITERALLY chase them down.
On this day I got so excited standing behind this sweet Fashionista in line for my daily coffee fix that I nearly trampled her. Now I must always be staring at the floor because the first thing I noticed about this Fashionista – as well as the majority of Fashionistas I photograph – was her shoes. In this case boots that looked so cozy and warm I wanted to steal them right off her feet. But of course, in true Fashionista-creeping manner I scanned up from the boots to see the beautifully-messy, chocolate brown braid that was gracefully draped over her shoulder.
Far from a traditional braid, this ‘do was swept to the side and braided half-way down with the rest of her tresses hanging in a loose ponytail. The stray pieces around her face were pinned back to keep her hair out of the way while she worked on her final semester sculpture project that day.
Today the braids seen on the runway are more edgy and messy rather than clean and preppy and it-models at fashion week have been taking designers’ interpretations of the braid off the runway and to the streets, attracting a frenzy of street style photographers. Needless to say, the braid is an ever-changing trend that we have seen done before and bound to spot again.
Expert Tip From Cassie: Another way to style a braid is simply twist it up into a bun and pin it to secure your new do. The braid is a perfect way to throw your hair up on a bad hairday; the less you fuss with a braid the better it tends to come out.