Crown Braid
This look is called a crown braid (or sometimes a halo braid), and it is exactly what the name suggests. The hair is braided in a way that wraps all the way around the head, sitting like a soft, woven crown on top.
This hairstyle looks both structured and soft at the same time. The braid itself is tight and well-defined, showing off every twist and loop of the hair. And yet, the overall impression it leaves is one of softness. A few small, loose strands have been allowed to fall gently around the face. This keeps the style from feeling too stiff.
The hair color plays a big role in making this hairstyle shine. The golden-brown catches the light beautifully, and the natural highlights in the hair give the braid a sense of depth, so that it almost seems to glow. It is the kind of hair color that looks especially gorgeous when twisted into a braid, because every turn of the plait picks up the light differently.
To understand why this hairstyle was so beloved in 1919, it helps to know a little about the world at the time. The First World War had just ended, and women had spent the previous several years stepping into new roles: working in factories and keeping families together while men were away. Hair reflected these changes. Updos like the crown braid were practical because they kept hair neatly out of the way.
The year 1919 sat right on the edge of a major shift in fashion. Within just a few years, the bob haircut would sweep the world, and women would begin cutting their hair shorter than ever before. But in 1919, long hair was still the norm, and skilled women knew exactly how to style it.
What is remarkable about the crown braid is that, after one hundred years, the hairstyle looks completely current. There is no element of it that feels outdated. The clean lines and the softness around the face are things that never go out of style.
©Hairfinder.com
See also: Vintage Hair