Today marks the start of a new series of posts we're planning over the coming months, on a subject we haven't touched so far, though one that is VERY important to the bride on the big day (and women everywhere every day) - the wedding hairdo.
I know how hard it is to figure out what kind of hairstyle you want to go for on the most important day of your life (no pressure) and even harder to describe exactly what you want to your hairdresser. Pictures are vital - no matter how well you think you're describing what you want, there is no way the poor hairdresser can get inside your head and see what you're seeing so bring as many pictures as you can find. That's the main purpose of this series, to give you the ideas and the imagery to help make your dream hairstyle a reality.
Today we're starting with a bridal hair classic: the Loose Chignon.
The Chignon is essentially the french way of describing what we usually call a bun. Typically worn at the nape of the neck, the hair is curled into a knot and pinned in place. It can be loose or tight, usually with a side parting from the front, often with long fringe or pieces of hair left loose around the face.
Really there are just a couple of things you need to decide, the first is are you going sleek at the knot like Charlize Theron (below) or loose and a bit messier like Vanessa Hudgens (below left) or Michelle Williams (below right).
The second thing to think about is what you are going to do with the way your hair falls at your face: are you going sleek with pieces of hair pinned back like Eva Longoria (above), loose and smooth like Isla Fisher (above right) or loose and curly like Michelle Williams (immediately above).
This should depend on a couple of considerations: your face shape and what suits you best; how annoyed will you get with bits of hair falling around your face; and much you mess with your hair and how limp it gets. Personally I like my hair around my face, but it needs lots of product to not lose 2 hours curling tong work within about 10 seconds. It's best to be practical about these things, no point in having a hairstyle that drives you mad or that you end up tucking behind your ears!
Chignons are a beautifully elegant hairstyle, which suit all face shapes, so it's the perfect choice for brides it's really just a case of figuring how it suits you best and finding lots and lots of pictures of that...
