When I polled about changing looks for family visits, there were tons of comments asking to see this hairstyle that my parents hate so much. Since my mom's also an avid Bella reader, she begged me to share the backstory so I've scanned in a photo from Dec. 2000 for you to see for yourself. Basically, I'd often come home for college's Christmas break like this because I couldn't deal with the blow drying or flat ironing during finals and I wouldn't bother to "do" my hair before the flight either. You see, since my father didn't like it, I knew he'd pay for a blowout once I got home (enter my ulterior motives, wink, wink). If you're thinking of recreating this style (later made more mainstream by Niobe in The Matrix Reloaded), get the tips when you read more.

  1. Starting with wet hair (leave-in conditioner optional), make a part parallel to your hairline from ear to ear. Pull the remaining large section of your hair to the side – you'll focus on the front part.
  2. Using a comb, make several parts perpendicular to the original part creating sections of hair. Twist each small ponytail until it coils on itself and secure with an elastic. This should leave several "knots" in a row.
  3. Divide the remaining section by making another parallel part, then perpendicular parts, and twist (i.e., repeat steps one and two) until all your hair is secured.

The difficulty of creating this style depends on how perfect you'll want the parts to be (I prefer a more free-form, zigzag pattern). At this time, my hair was a couple inches below my shoulders, but I've done it on a pal whose hair barely reached her chin. It can work with long or short hair; you'll just need to make more twists (and spend more time) to keep a smaller, consistent size the longer the hair is. While it's not a look I'd recommend for everyday, it is a great option for camping, hiking or other trips where grooming opportunities are limited.