The indubitable truths of bob haircuts [1] are this: the style was, by and large, the biggest hair trend of 2019 [2]; practically any hair type and texture can pull it off; and it is notoriously, if not infuriatingly, difficult to style [3] in an updo if you don't know what the hell you're doing.
Exhibit A: me. Beyond the beach waves I do (admittedly well) every day, I know little about "styling" my hair. (Mostly because my mum resigned me to a life of bowl and mullet haircuts [4], both of which require little fuss because, yeah, there's not much room for improvement there.) When I got a bob haircut [5] last month, then, my options became even more monotonous. Throwing it up in a ponytail to wash my face at night now feels like a feat in and of itself, so being charged with making a real hairstyle look good without a fairy godmother on my shoulder sounded impossible.
But as the year reaches its end, I'm ready for a change — and like Kaia Gerber, Dua Lipa, and Amandla Stenberg have so effortlessly demonstrated [6], it is possible to execute a cute updo with a bob . . . you just have to learn a few tricks. To help make the magic happen, I asked celebrity hairstylist and Herbal Essences [7] brand ambassador Bridget Brager [8] to recreate her favourite everyday braided topknot in step-by-step form — so even the most helpless bob inhabitants like me can look like a star.
Top Knot Hairstyle Inspiration: Kaia Gerber
The hairstyle of choice — a bob top knot — is easy to create with a bob haircut for one simple reason: it only involves the upper portion of the hair. I love the casual vibe Kaia Gerber frequently steps out with, but since my hair is a smidge longer, I wanted to add an extra element: a centre braid. Check out the step-by-step, below.
Step 1: Diffuse Dry Your Hair
If you're starting with damp hair, one trick Brager swears by for people with fine hair like me is to diffuse-dry versus a regular blowout. First, she applied the aloe-infused Herbal Essences Mango & Aloe Curl Crème (unfortunately unavailable in the UK) to damp ends to help hold the style. Then, using the hairstylist (and editor) approved Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer [9] (£299), she scrunched the hair into the diffuser attachment while my head was flipped in a forward motion. "This helps bring out your natural texture," she said.
Step 2: Plait Your Centre Part
The plaited centre part [10] was all the rage this past Summer, but it's equally trendy come Winter because it keeps all that hair static from scarves and sweaters out of your face. To get this look, split your hair down the centre of your head and separate into three 1-inch sections to create a loose, traditional three-pronged braid. "For people with darker hair, this braid looks almost invisible but gives it a nice texture without having to do too much," Brager said.
Step 4: Create the Top Knot Bun
To create the "haphazard bun situation," as Brager called it, hold the ends from the half-pony and, with three fingers, loosely twist it into a bun. Pin with four hair grips in a zig zag — one in each of the four corners of the bun (the top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right). Leave a one- to two-inch section of the ponytail ends out and tug it to the side. "That'll take the look from glam to casual," she said.
Top Knot Hairstyle on a Bob Haircut
Top Knot Hairstyle on a Bob Haircut
