As a child I remember loving the Nancy Drew series…nothing intrigued me more than a good mystery and following it out as the teen-aged sleuth Nancy solved it. The current mystery I have been trying to solve is about why every girl has been sporting a hair style known as the “top knot” these days. So I recently made an effort to make one of these things and two tired arms later, from combing my hair in an upwards direction, I finally understand.
In case you didn’t know, a top knot is a really, really high bun. The kind that is so high, the round “bun” part is actually on the top of your head, and all your hair is pulled upwards along the face. I had to ask myself why it has become so popular, and the go-to style for casual elegance and put-togetherness amongst women everywhere. Because for some reason, a regular lower bun is granny-like, and unglamourous, maybe even too cerebral? But the higher top knot is alluring, fashionable and fun. Why is this great divide happening between where on the head you gather the bun?
After some thought, here is what I think:
~ Top knots are like an instant face lift. Pulling the hair up, and out of your face has a gravity defying character that flatters and lightens up facial features such as the eyes, fore head and cheek temples. It pulls everything up a bit.
~putting a bun at the top the head is dramatic, and adds height to a person. It e-longens the face, making it seem slimmer and more delicate
~Because the bun part is on the top of the head, it doesn’t stick out in the back and doesn’t interfere with the line of the back of the head. It’s smooth all the way down to the neck and swan like.
The second part of this mystery? Why are top knots so hard to do in hair? I have thick, ultra straight hair that really wants to go down in direction. The idea of making it go up is foreign. My arms always get so tired combing my long hair in an upwards position, to wind into a bun. But a few things really help tame hair so that it will get into place for top knots:
-have slightly dirty hair, or hair that has not been washed, using dry shampoo helps. I find the added texture in your hair makes it grip as you are pushing it up.
-use french pins because they work, and do not pinch and pull hair the way bobby pins do. (French pins are awesome and so easy to use. Ask me if anyone needs a tutorial!)
-Forget hair donuts (those spongy, foam donut shaped bun fillers used to make top knots), they are way too unnatural looking and uniform, if you get them to work–not everyone has thick enough hair to cover the hair donuts!
Am I right about why there is all this rage over the top knot? What has been your go to hair style that never lets you down whenever you wear it?
Dreamy Reveries: a journal of make-up and fashion 