The topknot trend seems like it's going to be sticking around for a while, and it's not hard to see why. The style is easy enough for everyday wear, keeps your neck cool, and can transition to a casual night out with just the addition of some bold makeup. But like all styles that look like they're not hard to do (hello, beachy waves), the topknot can be a little tricky to master. For a simple step-by-step to get this chic yet undone bun, just keep reading.
Give your hairstyle a trendy boost this season with a braided topknot, much like the one Nina Dobrev was spotted wearing earlier this year. The style, which starts as a reverse French braid at the nape and flows up to the crown in a voluminous topknot, only looks difficult to re-create. In fact, this easy updo is best when you're not striving for total perfection. On Kirbie: Club Monaco top.
Over the past few seasons, topknots have taken on just about every texture and structure imaginable. The latest incarnation of this go-to look, however, is long and skinny, jutting out high and straight from atop the wearer's head. Think: the I Dream of Jeannie cylindrical ponytail meets Cindy Lou Who's cone-like updo. But this spooled shape somehow slants more cutting-edge than cartoonish.
This is in part to its simplicity. Celebrity fans Shirley Manson and Kelly Osbourne, who have both been spotted out in the spindly style multiple times, opted for extremely slicked-back versions. Nicole Richie, on the other hand, went for a softer, less-severe interpretation of the trend. Whether you wear it with face-framing fringe or doused in gel, be ready to turn plenty of heads with this one.
Stunning on the red carpet is one of Diane Kruger's best moves, and at the premiere of Inescapable at the Toronto Film Festival, she upped the ante. Her tight, yet somehow wispy topknot was both glamorous and edgy. Celebrity hairstylist Kylee Heath, who styled Diane's hair for the premiere, explained that her inspiration was Valentino's Fall 2012 couture show. "We wanted to modernize the look a bit with a soft edge," she said.
To achieve the runway-inspired style, Heath started with a cocktail of Oscar Blandi Volumizing Spray ($19) on Diane's ends and Kérastase Mousse Volumactive ($41) on her roots. After she blew out Diane's hair, she pulled it up into a high ponytail. The trick to this sleek bun is that Heath broke the ponytail into three sections, wrapping them around the base one at a time, securing with pins. She finished with a mist of Frederic Fekkai Sheer Hold Hair Spray ($39). "I chose to leave the hairs around the hairline soft and not slick," she said. "This made the look more red carpet and less runway." And also insanely easy to replicate at home.
We're happy to present this story from our friends at Allure:
This season, we've seen many variations of the topknot (messy, huge and orb-like, braided), but the one I'm spotting over and over again is the version that's scariest to try and hardest to pull off: the superhigh, superknobby bun that Kate Bosworth and Shirley Manson have worn in recent weeks. Even Julianne Hough went for it at the Rock of Ages premiere, loosening it up for a more flattering silhouette. The great thing about the look is that it's made for Summer: it's out of your face, off your neck, and if you use the right combination of products, then there is no chance of frizz. What more can you ask for when it's so hot that you actually start contemplating a buzz cut? Oh, right — some tips to ensure you don't look like a post-face-lift pinhead:
A topknot may not be a new kid on the block, but because the look is so versatile, this tried and true style has become the go-to look on red carpets everywhere. While the classic slicked-back ballerina bun may have initially been the inspiration for this style, each of these five celebrities took a twist on tradition, and the results paid off. Click through to check out five Hollywood topknot styles you'll want to try.
