Jennifer Aniston's Braided Oscar Hair 2009
Lauren Conrad's French Braid Hairstyle Popular with Celebrities
Mar 2, 2009
Copying this celebrity hairstyle can disguise a bad hair day, or be a glamorous change to an overdone long, flowing hairstyle.
All Eyes on Jennifer Aniston
While the buzz surrounding Jennifer Aniston leading up to the Oscars was about perhaps bumping into her ex-husband Brad Pitt and his lady Angelina Jolie, the buzz hushed when Aniston revealed her Oscar look with her on-again off-again boyfriend John Mayer.
Aniston traditionally has kept to long, polished hair styles with the rare gaff of dreadlocks or thin ponytails. This year for the Oscars, Aniston kept her long, blonde hair in flattering waves but stepped out of the box a bit by adding the French braid hair band effect along the hairline. Andrea Lavinthal of Cosmopolitan magazine described Aniston’s hairstyle as one of the best at the Oscars.
LC the First to Wear French Braid Hair Band
Allure Magazine’s March 2009 edition credits Lauren Conrad of The Hills fame as the first to spark interest in this hairstyle. She originally wore it to an awards ceremony, but has also been seen shopping in Beverly Hills and Hollywood with a more casual version that is looser and less perfect.
Other Celebrities Love French Braids
Since Conrad’s first photo of her hair with a French braid hairband, other celebrities have copied the style as well and added their own twist.
Model and actress Molly Sims, from the television show Las Vegas, braided her hair along the hairline a little looser than what we saw from Jennifer Aniston at the Oscars, but Sims’ hair looks much thicker than Aniston’s. Sims also swept her long wavy hair to the side and gathered it all in a loose pony.
Hayden Panettiere from the hit-show Heroes, parted her bangs down the middle and braided on each side towards her ear, with ends disappearing into the underside of her long hair.
How to Get the French Braid Hair Band Style
One of the best things about this style is that hair does not have to be super long to achieve the hair band look along the hair line. Keep these tips in mind when trying this style at home:
- Hair should be at least 3” long
- Experienced French braiders can do this on their own. If new to braiding, have someone help so the braid can be tight enough to stay put.
- Work with damp—not wet—hair.
- The shorter the hair, the stronger the styling product will need to be.
- Use mousse for long hair, styling creams for short hair. Avoid pomades and gels as these will dry shiny.
- Apply a dollop of styling product to the hair to be braided.
- Start as low on the hairline and as far back towards the ear as desired. Some celebrity styles start behind one ear and reach around the other. Other styles start somewhere just off centre.
- If hair is thick, use only a small amount of hair in each section of the braid or it will be too thick to secure at the ends.
- Use a tiny elastic band to hold the ends, and either let it hide behind the hair at the back, or pin into the hairline underneath.
Try a variety of braids suggested by Suite101 writer Sarah Tennant, and find the style that is most flattering.
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