When scrolling through bridal hair looks, it's easy to pin the top contenders into two camps — up or down — and then proceed to agonise over which vibe most represents you. Am I a boho bride? A classic bride? A sexy bride? A minimal bride? You can take an online quiz (or 10) to figure out where you land, or you can find your sweet spot somewhere in the middle with a half-up hairstyle that manages to look romantic and modern all at once.
A far cry from the messy, clipped-up versions of the '90s, Hollywood's biggest stylists are proving that half-up hair can be deliberate and chic — and practically made for a walk down the aisle. For one, the style ensures your hair is off your face for better pictures, but it still looks romantic and free flowing. It also begs for bling in the form of sparkling hair accessories, veils, and tiaras.
To augment our ever-growing Pinterest board of half-up looks that toe the line of pretty and cool, we talked to celebrity hairstylists Bridget Brager and Vernon François. They share their tips on how to score a half-up look fit for a bride, ahead.
Pinned Straight Back
For the Chanel runway presentation at Paris Fashion Week — the late Karl Lagerfeld's final collection — editorial hairstylist Sam McKnight gave the models a loose, half-up French-girl style, secured at the back with a diamond Chanel barrette or silk ribbon.
"Sparkly hair slides, ribbons, brooches and camellias adorned the simple, clean healthy hair," McKnight wrote beside his work. Dreamy bridal beauty may not have been the objective, but it serves as our inspiration all the same.
Sleek & Straight
Kate Bosworth's style is perfect for balancing a dress with beading and other details, says Brager. “It has a point of interest, but is simple, sleek, and delicate,” she says. The key to nailing such a clean and coiffed look (which hairstylist Adir Abergel also created for Charlize Theron at the Golden Globes) is in the prep work.
To start, rake some mousse from roots to ends, then blow dry your hair straight. Mist your hair with heat protectant spray and straighten it with a flatiron before smoothing a dime-sized drop of oil from the mid-lengths to ends for shine. Then, grab a triangular section of hair from below each temple and pull it straight back and secure it with a small, clear elastic in the middle of the head.
Sleek does not have to mean flat. Stylist Lacy Redway created this shiny, voluminous look for actress Kiki Layne as a way to show off her gorgeous natural texture. "I wanted to keep it authentic to Kiki's natural 4c hair texture when blown-out, pre flat ironing," the stylist shared on Instagram. To finish the look, she added Jennifer Behr hair pins, positioned vertically to give "the illusion they were floating above the ponytail," she wrote.
Photo: John Shearer/Getty Images.To create a stellar NYE look for Lucy Hale, hairstylist Kristen Ess started with straightened hair, but added volume to the look by lifting only the hair above the temples into a bun. She adorned the style with star-spangled pins, placing them haphazardly to add to the cool factor.
Twists, Braids, and Buns
"For me, one of the main things to take into consideration when creating bridal looks with braids is balance and height," says François. "With Lupita’s hair, I wanted it to look quite chic and modern. So I started my flat twist just off her centre parting and stopped in the centre of her head. The back was pinned to allow the hair to fall naturally."
For brides, François suggests swapping out the brighter cord for pastel or white (unless that's your vibe) — or placing flowers or delicate accessories throughout.
Photo: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images.
Planning on wearing locs or braids for your wedding? Take a cue from hairstylist Larry Sims, who created this ethereal look for Sasha Lane. The hair above her temples is pulled back, then braided down the centre of her head. Then comes the incredible bling: If you think the wired headbands look cool, check out the back of her hair, which features sparkling star barrettes and silver and gold wire placed strategically throughout.
Photo: Presley Ann/Getty Images.To create this free-flowing look on Halle Barry, hairstylist Castillo started by twisting the top half of her hair into two buns, then loosely braided the hair down to the tips. We love the rings, but you could also swap them for tiny wildflowers or sprigs of Queen Anne's lace, depending on the bridal look you're going for.
Undone Half-Up
If you want to add lightness to a formal or close-fitting gown, Brager suggests balancing the look with hair that feels undone and effortless. For Poppy Delevingne, Brager rough-dryed her hair before massaging a golf ball-size of Herbal Essences Set Me Up Mousse into her roots and brushing it down the lengths of the hair. (Brager is an ambassador for the brand.) “Since her hair is coloured, I skipped the ends, where there’s enough natural texture,” she says.
Next, Brager scrunched her hair to bring out her natural waves, then enhanced them with a flatiron. After adding a centre part, she raked the sides back and secured them with a tiny elastic for a half updo that looks pulled together, but still low-key.
Can you say Bardot? Jessica Williams' take on half-up hair, created by hairstylist Takisha Sturdivant-Drew, draws inspo from the French icon's signature style, thanks to a bump of volume at the crown and an effortless fringe. When tapped for a bridal look, it gives the illusion of a fully-flowing hairstyle while minimising unnecessary bulk on the sides of the head.
Brager notes that half-back, bedhead beach waves are perfect for rushed styling jobs and second day hair. But here, hairstylist Ashley Rubell proves the style can look purposeful and appropriate for a trip down the aisle, too, thanks to halo braids and the addition of gilded hair pins.
Pinned-Back Waves
It looks as if Banks' hair could be swept into a full pony here, but Brager assures us otherwise. "What makes this half-up style different and more romantic is the texture — her natural is bumped up a bit — and where it’s placed at the nape of the neck," she says.
To create the singer-songwriter's soft, feminine style — a great choice for low or high necklines — Brager enhanced her natural texture by blowing her hair dry with a diffuser while her head was flipped upside down, then hitting it with a mist of volume spray. Next, she curled sections using a ¾ inch curling iron and tugged on the ends to create waves with a lived-in feel. She twisted the hair from each side of her head into an imperfect half chignon and left a few loose waves around the face for a romantic look that would be perfect for a beach or lakeside ceremony.
Photo: Broadimage/REX/Shutterstock.Who knew a looped half pony could be so elegant? Stylist Cash Lawless created a party-ready take for entrepreneur Alice Abdel-Aziz by creating a clean loop perched between soft waves. The finishing touch that kicks it to cool-girl status: two mini bar clips secured on either side.
By pinning the hair back on one side of the head only (and using a killer piece of jewellery to do so), GlamSquad artistic director and hairstylist Giovanni Vaccaro gives half-up bridal hair an ethereal vibe that doesn't feel princess-y. His starting point? Natural curls diffused with a blow dryer.
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