April 12, 2015

Peek-a-Boo Tuxedo Braid | Creative Hairstyles

My “to-do” list of hairstyle tutorials is several pages long, and it doesn’t seem to get any shorter! The twins are adding more to the list, as are many of you readers… and we love it!

This Tuxedo Braid hairstyle has been on my list for about eight months now, it’s one that we’ve done from time to time on the girls after first seeing it online a few years ago.

Back then, Kamri started calling it the Tuxedo Braid, because the inside Dutch Braid looks like the ruffles of a vintage tuxedo, with the outer loose French Braid acting like the jacket of the tux. {The kids’ recognize blue tuxes like that from my in-law’s wedding photo.}

This braid has also been called a Peek-A-Boo Braid. I am not sure from where the style originated, but a couple of viewers have tagged us on FB or sent in emails, one of them, Gabi, with a photo for a much more relaxed version of this braid from Cosmopolitan’s website. We decided to bump it up the list and finally film a tutorial on it. Diane Kruger also wore it to the 2014 Fashion Awards show. While I like Cosmo’s interpretation, the version we’ve always done uses a higher hide of the Dutch Braid, just like a tux’s jacket.

To see your own photo recreations of this style featured in our CGH app, feel free to tag your photos on IG with: #CGHTuxedoBraid

I would definitely recommend doing this hairstyle on someone else first, just to get the hang of it. Making sure to center both braids can be difficult without a good set of bathroom mirrors, or eyes on the back of your head!

This style can be created wet or dry, loose or tight… it all depends on the look that you are going for. If you have thinner hair, be sure to use a good hairspray or spray wax to help hold in flyaway from the loose French Braid sections.

Items Needed: Brush, rat-tail comb, spray bottle, 2 ponytail holders, 1 small hair elastic, hairspray or spray wax {if desired}.

Time Requirement: 8-10 minutes

Skill Level: Medium

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Begin with the hair down and brushed, I prefer the hair to be straight for this hairstyle…
2. Next, part the hair beginning at the highest point of left eyebrow {about 1 inch off center}, parting it down from the forehead to base of the neck…
3. Then make a second part, same as the first, above the highest point of the right eyebrow all the way down to the base of the neck, giving you about a 2 inch center parted stripe down the middle of the head…
4. Secure the two outside sections of hair out of the way, into low ponytails while yo work on the center section.
5. With the newly parted center section of hair, begin a simple 3-strand Dutch Braid, and continue it all the way down to the nape of the neck and secure it there with a hair elastic {leave the remainder of that hair unbraided}…
6. Go back and pancake {tug on the elbows} the Dutch Braid so that it lays flatter and gives a fuller and flatter look {this braid will give the hairstyle the ruffled shirt look of a vintage tuxedo}…
7. Now, release the two low ponytails on either side of the head and pick up a small section of hair, on both sides of the part line, near the crown of the head…
8. Then divide those two strands into three sections and begin a loose French Braid {the loose version is also called a Mermaid Braid}…
9. You want this braid to be a loose braid so be sure to hold the strands softly in your hands, instead of tighly {It is easier to do if you braid the hair away from the head a bit, instead of right against the head}…
10. Pick up strands from either side of the head, to add into the French Braid as you work your way down, but, again, don’t pull them tightly {you want this to cover about the bottom half of the Dutch Braid, just like a tuxedo jacket would, but not the upper half}…
11. When you reach the nape of the neck, and have run out of hair to add in from the sides, you can leave the hair as is in a “half-up, half down” hairstyle, or continue on with a simple 3-strand braid…
12. Secure with an elastic, and add hairspray or spray wax {optional} to help hold the hair and control flyaways.

Please watch our step-by-step video tutorial for this braid by clicking below!

 

Hope you loved this post, and please leave a comment below telling us if you’ve watched our family’s Spring Break in Dubai vlog!

Happy Hairstyling!

BONUS VIDEO! The twins’ uploaded a cute Q&A video with their younger sister, Rylan, this week, and it is super funny! Rylan is a pure joy to have around, and her larger-than-life personality and humor make her a favorite for many viewers. Click below to see for yourself!