Braid and Curls

Combining two very different hair textures - the tight braid and the soft, large, loose curls - this look feels both structured and playful, serious and young. It is a style that would have suited a woman on the cusp of something: perhaps a wedding or a debut into a higher social circle.

The braid is a work of art in itself. Running across the top of the head from one side to the other, it has been worked tightly enough to hold its shape but not so tightly that it loses its natural beauty. This kind of braided crown had roots going back centuries but was experiencing a particular moment of popularity in the mid-1910s as women began to seek styles that felt both romantic and practical.

Below and around the braid, the rest of the hair has been set in loose curls that fill out the sides and back of the style. These curls are more relaxed than the tight ringlets of the earlier styles, and they have a liveliness to them that suggests youth and energy. They are pinned into a low, full updo at the back, with just enough movement to keep the style from looking stiff.

Romantic 1910s updo with a braid and curls

The strawberry-blonde color of the hair is full of warm gold and copper tones that seem to glow from within. The ivory and black dress with its extravagant lace collar is a dramatic companion to the hair.

At the front, the hairstyle creates a charming, almost innocent impression. The face is framed by the curve of the braid at the top and the soft curls at the sides, creating a gentle, rounded shape that was considered very becoming for a young woman. The eyes are made more vivid by the warm tones of the hair.

In 1915, the world was at war, and the impact was beginning to be felt everywhere, including in fashion. Women were taking on new roles, dressing with greater practicality, and thinking about their appearance in new ways. A hairstyle like this one represents a bridge between the old world and the new: it keeps the beauty and femininity of earlier fashions while nodding toward something simpler.

This is a style that endures beautifully. The braided crown in particular is as fashionable today as it was in 1915, and the combination of braid and curls continues to appear on red carpets and at weddings around the world.

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See also: Vintage Hair