Style: The Top Knot

Lauren, what are you wearing? 

Oh, you mean my lipstick? It's Revlon's lip butter in 'lollipop'. 

No, on your head. 

My headband? Oh, it's from Modcloth. They sent it to me as a free gift when I ordered my graduation dress!

No, your hair. What did you do to your hair?

Oh.

You mean the top knot.

Yes, I slipped. For more than a year now, I've been moaning about how dumb the hairstyle called "top knot" looks. I hated it. I think it was the execution: either too little hair piled into a too-small bun, sumo style, or too much hair teased and wrapped into a birds' nest, à la Lanvin. But this... I can't enough enough of it.


This wired headband was thrown in with my package from ModCloth and I knew immediately how it was supposed to be worn, but I was hesitant. I can't usually pull my hair back from my face because it makes my forehead look huge, so I'm not hugely into styling my hair. I love messy buns, but when it gets too high, my hair looks small and pathetic and I can't work with it. Additionally, I'm not crazy about the pattern. But this headband makes my dirty hair look somehow better, a little bit kitschy and a little bit housewife, and I love it. 


A quick how to: 


1. Pull your hair all onto the top of your head, and form a very loose bun with a single hairband. Ignore how stupid it looks.


2. Pin the loose bits of hair into the bun to give it a better shape. Ignore how stupid it looks.


3. Wrap the headband around your head and twist the ends together to make a bow shape. Admire how vintage and not-stupid it looks.


I'm still not sure when I'll pluck up the courage to wear this style out, but I'll be sure to keep it in the back of my mind for the hot summer months. An American flag print for Independence Day? I think so.