By Betty Among
Hairstyles the world over has without a doubt undergone a dramatic evolution over years. In fact, some of the look like they might belong in the faraway future. Interestingly (and and perhaps rather thankfully), the really weird one in terms of extravagance, flamboyance and colour, have not yet quite made it onto the bridal scene.
Plaited styles are another unconventional way to do bridals hair. The favoured style is the minute braids, only plaited a little way off the scalp, leaving the ends straight, giving the stylist more options to work with on the day.
Braids can be left long to style into a chignon or to achieve a more flowing cascading hairstyle. They can also be cut short into any length of bob.
The easiest braids to style are the ones plaited with human hair, but there are also synthetic styles out there that will hold a number of styles pretty well.
Braided styles, like dreadlocks, will make the transition from wedding day hair to honeymoon hair smoothly, without any unsightly messes that tend to resemble a bird’s nest. This is common with hair which has been weaved and bonded with extensions.
Short natural hair
I once tended to be a bride-to-be who wore her hair short. The very first time we met, what struck me about her was her considerable height (which helped her carry her distinctly pear shaped body beautifully), and her incredibly stunning face. I also remember thinking that no hairstyle would suit her better than the one she wore. Fast forward to the actual wedding day many months later; and there I was standing in front of a bride almost in tears. I had gone by to deliver some last minute items and was shocked to find the natural hair ‘gone’, and in its place a jet black, dead –straight human hair piece that had been fashioned into a short fringe with a lot of detail going on at the back. The
Look was not her at all and took away from her great beauty. I knew it, she knew it, but alas! It was too late to do anything about it because it had been bonded and heat-sealed onto her own hair! It turned out well-meaning older relative had convinced this bride that no bride kept natural hair on her wedding day. Needles to say, the bride’s day was off to a bad start…
When choosing your hairstyle for your wedding day, the trick that will ensure you look radiant and beautiful is to stay as close to your ‘regular’ style as possible. Only consider adding a bit of ‘glam’. For instance you could texturize your short natural hair, just to give it abit of polished sophistication. Add a trendy fascinator for that extra pizzazz.
When you are completely comfortable with your hair, make-up and everything that completes your entire look, it will show in the way you carry yourself and without knowing it, you will exude a radiance that no bride should be without on her special day.
Dreadlocks
That is not to say that wedding day hair has not also had a few non-traditional changes of its own. After what seemed like ages of seeing straight wedding hair styled into one up-do or another, I was pleasantly surprised to see a lovely bride with beautifully styled dreadlocks featured on the cover of every magazine.
Many times, dreadlocks have been frowned upon in our conservative cultural society, and even now, they enjoy a love-hate relationship with most people.
But the number of young ‘corporate’ women wearing their hair in dreadlocks (whether genuinely-grown or cleverly crafted), is on the rise; so much so that whereas before, a brie either chose to conceal with a wig or more drastically, cut off her dreadlocks, for fear of ‘offending’ the in-laws and other elders; today’s bride will wear her dreadlocked hair with pride on her special day.
