Cut & Style · Sub-chapter 13

How to braid, twist and pin it up — properly.

Not a cut — a decision you remake every morning. The full library of braids, buns, ponytails and twist-outs, sorted by how much time you have and how much your hair will actually hold.

56 how-to's · Updated 1 May 2026 · Avg. 5 min per piece · Edited by Nelly · Beauty & Style Director

Editor's note

A braid is the one hairstyle that survives every trend cycle, because it isn't a trend — it's structure. The difference between a braid that lasts a workday and one that unravels by lunch is almost never the pattern; it's the tension, the sectioning, and whether the hair was prepped to grip. The same is true of a bun that sits versus one that slides, or a ponytail that stays sleek versus one that puffs by 3pm. Below: every braid, twist, bun and ponytail we've published — grouped by family, sorted by effort.

Braid & updo families

Three-strand braids — French, Dutch, fishtail, rope. The foundation.
Box braids & protective — knotless, triangle, crochet, faux locs. Weeks of wear.
Buns & chignons — low, ballerina, donut, sock. The fastest polish.
Ponytails — sleek, slicked-back, side-swept, half-up.
Twist styles — flat twists, twist-outs, rope twists. Heat-free definition.
Statement updos — braided crown, French twist, milkmaid, twisted updo.