As host to a rather large amount of hair, I’ve had my fair share of coiffure conundrums over the years. Whether I was eschewing the dreaded ringlet for my senior prom, or wrangling my mop into a behemothic beehive for my wedding, I did my best to bypass the typical, opting instead for something more unique. So, when a request rolled in from a ModCloth Style Ambassador seeking formal up-do ideas for thick hair, I leapt at the opportunity to solve her hairstyle headache!
Whether you’re prepping for prom, flying to Fashion Week, or simply seeking a new way to tame your mane, the three thick-hair-friendly styles below not only all use the same tools, but can be easily crafted to suit any occasion. The kicker? Each one can also be altered to suit ladies with manes of lesser proportions!
The Braided Bun
For this braided bun, inspired by this post from The Beauty Department, you’ll need: hair elastics and bobby pins that match your hair color.
1. Section your hair off into five braids: three in the back, two in the front. Secure each braid with an elastic at the end.
2. Starting with the back, take the first braid and twist into a flat bun against your head, anchoring with bobby pins as you go.
3. Wrap the next braid against the first, being sure to tuck the elastic out of sight. Secure with more bobby pins.
4. Repeat Step 3 with the third braid.
5. Finally, take the two front braids and wrap them around your nearly completed bun, being sure to hide the elastics and securing each braid with plenty more bobby pins. Finish off with a shot of hairspray to set the style.
The Asymmetrical Twist
The side-swoop bun can be as polished or imperfect as you want it to be, just gather a rat tail comb, teasing brush, hair elastic, and bobby pins.
1. Using your rat tail comb, section off a portion of hair at the crown of your head.
2. Holding your hair with one hand, take your teasing brush and gently tease the sectioned off portion of hair.
3. Release your teased hair and — with your brush — gently blend it back with the rest, making sure not to flatten the body you’ve created. Now, gather it into a low side-ponytail.
4. Start twisting your hair away from you.
5. Twist your hair into a bun, tucking the ends under when you finish.
6. Grab those bobby pins and start pinning everything in place.
7. Depending on how polished you want your bun to be, pin until you can’t pin any more!
The Grand Bouffant
Feeling inspired by our latest stylebook? Try a bouffant! Achieving a bouffant that holds is seriously simple — just grab your rat tail comb, teasing brush, bobby pins, and hairspray!
1. Using your rat tail comb, section off two portions of hair: the front-most section, and the crown. Get the front portion out of the way by pushing it forward, Cousin It-style, or gathering it into an elastic.
2. Next, lightly tease the section at your crown.
3. Twist that section into a small bun, securing with bobby pins.
4. You may have to play around with placement, depending on where you wish your bouffant to be.
5. Now, take the front portion of hair and, using your teasing brush, tease like crazy!
6. Once the front portion is teased, lay it over your bun and, using your rat tail comb, tame any fly-aways and blend the sides.
7. Now, being sure to keep your bun covered, gather your teased hair and push up until you’ve achieved your desired bouffant height.
8. Pin in place using your bobby pins. From here, you can leave the back down, gather it into a ponytail, or take cue from our styl book and sport some vintage-inspired pigtails!
Do you have a style that’s perfect for thick hair? Let us know in the comments below, or show us on our Instagram (@ModCloth) or Facebook pages!
29 loves 
I love the last look. It can be hard getting a good pouf and this is the best trick I have every seen. Hmmm…wondering if I can tweak it a little to make an Adele inspired ponytail???
Oh wow! I love the Grand Bouffant!! I have short hair – a bob w/ short side-swept bangs, but I think I can try some teasing to get a similar big hair look. Does anyone have any tips?
I have short hair, too. Here’s a way to get a front bouffant.
1. Brush your bangs back.
2. Hold them straight up in the air. (It needs to be a pretty good-sized bunch)
3. Brush with a teasing brush at the roots.
4. Twist the ends
5. Bobby pin down.
6. Push gently forward, and spray with finishing spray.
(If you want, you can use a pretty barrete in the place of the bobby pins.)
Good luck!
What about styles for curly thick hair?
Basically the same thing, but straighten out your hair before attempting. Or, try a curly ponytail. Classic, timeless, and chic!
I agree! Please show us some great styles for natural curly hair! (And no, “straighten your hair first” doesn’t make it a style for curly girls.) Maybe get Trop Rouge or another curly blogger to write something?
I have curly hair, and I’ve found braided styles to work very well. The first one is definitely something curlies can do without straightening! The bun works too, without the teasing.
That said, I second the request for styles done on curly hair! I like these sorts of features :)
I agree – straighten hair first, is not a suggestion for curly hair style :)
Ditto, that would be so helpful!
Yes, please! Straightening my hair takes hours. I’d love some suggestions for styles for us curlies!
I agree, if someone has thick curly hair, “straighten first” isn’t an option. Once you got done straightening who has the time or patience to then style it a second time! Natural curly hair is beautiful but no hair magazines or online sites give us new ideas, they only show the curly hair done by a curling iron.
I have thick hair that borders between wavy and curly. I went ahead and tried the braided bun style and it worked perfectly! I just styled while my hair was still wet for maximum control. No straightening required!
Hmm, I will have to try that then. Thanks.
well if you kind of double the hair style and leace remainging hair for some harder things iooks the same but usaully if you have thivker hair you cna still do most har dues but just a little thicker
The work involved in staightning thick hair is not worth trying to restyle after. It would take an honest hour plus if you have long hair. :(
I agree with all the responses in this thread. Hey MODCLOTH why not be a pioneer of this sort of thing by showing hair how-tos for curly to VERY curly haired ladies. No blow dryers or flat irons allowed. Curly haired ladies need to be reminded just how unique, gorgeous, sexy AND easy to maintain our natural curls really are.
amen girl! curly heads are almost ignored and it sucks! I want to maintain my natural curl and not kill my hair by straightening it every day just because its whats ‘in’
Gorgeous! Love the bouffant. I was reading an article about Downton Abbey in Vogue, and it said ladies back in the day would collect the hair from their hairbrushes and stuff it underneath their hair for ultimate volume! I like your mini bun method better :)
Sarah from http://tulleandtrinkets.com/
These are so pretty! Would love to see some styles for thin hair too!
I agree! I would love some styles for thin hair!
Oh my, I believe my whole hair is thinner than one of your braided strands in the first look! Depressing…would you (Modcloth) share something similar for really really thin hair? That would be great.
Oh my word, I feel EXACTLY the same way…..LOL
I thought the same exact thing when I saw all her braids! ALL my hair is the size of 1 of her braids :( Boo
I agree! Styles for thin hair would be fantastic! (Please?!?)
I have such long, thick hair and would really love to try the braided look, I just wish it were in video form :/
These are great! I was going to say that I loved the braided pun best, but really, I can’t make up my mind.
So amazing!!! What beautiful hair and lovely styles.
http://shannonhearts.blogspot.com/
This is a godsend, although my hair is ridiculously curly, so trying to tame it to do these hairstyles will be hard. However I am glad there is finally an article on making awesome hairstyles for thick hair!
Thanks for these! Lots of fun ideas!
Ah! Such a good tutorial! I am a lady of very thick locks, and though I wouldn’t wish it any other way, sometimes certain hairstyles just don’t translate very well. I’m also an every day bouffant kinda gal, so I’m sure the bun under the hair method will save me lots of brushtime (and just generally be better for my hair)! Thanks so much, Julie!
Lovely post! Awesome to recognize us ladies with thick hair. I second the above comment asking for hairstyles for curly hair.
I have short hair, so I can’t do the first 2 looks, but I love the bouffant! Can’t wait to try it!
have you tried it yet I have sholder length hair just curious if it worked
My mom has really thick, short hair. I can’t wait to try the bouffant on her- glad to hear it works.
Love! Sometimes having thick hair is such a hassel and can honestly have you in tears just trying to complete a ponytail with a poof. This truly helped and was very much needed!
I love the last one! such a clever way to do it.
These are lovely! Makes me want to grow out my hair! But it’s such a hassle when you have so much hair that keeping it short is the best for me! Please make a post for thick short hair styles!! Pretty please!! :D would love to see some romantically inspired styles great for V-day!!
Lisa, try a french braid that starts at the base of your neck up, then half way but it in a bun…haven’t done it yet, but it seems like it would work great :)
It’s always hard to find styles that work with thick hair–thanks for sharing!!
Wow, very cool! It looks so simple. I can’t wait to grow my hair out to try these! Thanks for sharing!
This is such a cool idea! I am going to try it tomorrow… Hey, any ideas for really fine, thin hair… I don’t have much I can do with my hair, but would LOVE ideas!!! my hair falls just below my shoulders, and I have bangs…
I would love ideas for fine hair too! Even though mine is pretty short.
they are so cute!!!!
Love these ideas, and I think they might work for my super-curly, but thin hair. I know it sounds weird, but I’m actually dealing with this really curly and thin hair that gets tangled no matter what. I actually did try to straighten it, but it looks so lifeless and no volume at all. When it’s curly I look like I have the thickest hair ever lol. Anyway, any of you ladies have the same problem or am I going extinct here? :)))
I also love the dress she’s wearing. Lace with an exposed zipper, very pretty.
Yaay Julie! You really have the most beautiful hair too. <3
Braids must be the best way to go for us thick haired girlies. I saw a pic not long ago about starting a french braid on the bottom side of your head up and then stopping half way and doing a bun… Haven’t done it yet…Would work great I assume :)
How do you keep it pinned back with bobby pins? Its hard for me for some reason haha :)
Love those hair styles! I am so going to try them all!!
Very excited to see some tutorials for thick hair….BUT am a little worried as my hair is WAY thicker than her’s almost double, hoping I can still get it to look halfway decent. She has such beautiful hair
LOVE THIS. I’m a big fan of updo’s, because I refuse to cut my locks. I also want to try thisbun: http://thefullmoxie.com/2012/04/30/average-girl-attempts-celebrity-hairstyle-should-you/ It looks so pretty and easy!
I’ve got long thick yet layered curly/wavy hair (depending on how long it’s been since I washed it last). My go to is the ballerina bun. I don’t even use bobby pins or hairspray when I do it because I can wrap it around so many times that it’s possible to just clip the end with a small claw clip. But I know the only reason I can manage the claw clip at the end is because of the layers. One thing is for sure, with thick hair you want to keep the ballerina bun lower and not on the top of your head!
Good luck!
Third one is too cool
Very cool. Need to try it. Looking for a Sophia loren hair tutorial? Where oh where?
I am officially a fan of yours. This is so simple, yet such elegant hairstyles. Love em. :)
this is amazing!!!!!!
i wanted to learn this bumpet!!! <3
Any tips for extremely naturally curly hair and this look? Seems the front of the bouffant goes every which way with curly hair =(
large amount of hair, I’ve had my fair share of coiffure conundrums over the years. Whether I was eschewing the dreaded ringlet for my senior prom, or wrangling my mop into a behemothic beehive for my wedding
Fantastic idea, but my hair is too short! XD I havn’t felt that way in a while! Maybe once it hits the top of my waist I can do this style.
The multiple braids is a good trick!
Beautiful!!! Very nice hairstyles especially with Christmas around the corner!
For thick hair ladies with curly of wavy hair the straighting before styling does not always work..i know from experience. This is how I do the Grand Bouffet.
1.Brush out your hair
2.Grab the section of hair you want to be big
3.Pull that up in the air
4.Spray hair spray
5.Grab a brush and brush down from ends to roots
6.Put it down
7.Fix it how you want it.
8.Grab the big part and put it in a half ponytail position
9.Pull it up until you get your satisfyed biggness
10.Pin that down with bobby pins
11.Spray with hairspray
12.leave your curly or wavy hair down…embrace it.
(:
I did the fancy braid bun, and you can also wear it for casual, not just fancy. Hot!!
I’m so excited about the bouffant! I’ve got a short style & am trying to grow out my bangs which get in my way sometimes. I also have a lot of hair, so I was able to make a small bun & using my bangs make a small bouffant! Thank you so much!
hey this is Tamra’s daughter i just have to say how cute these hairstyles are cant wait to do try them out.
Woww
Sweet! I wish you would do one on short hair, though, I have thick hair, but it’s short, so it’s hard to find things to do with it, and unless you really look, and quite a bit, there’s not much you can find online.
Thank ou for the lovely braided bun. I wore it to a bday party today and it was a réal success. It was perfect for my thick long haïr :-) thnxxx
Love the asymmetrical twist! :) My hair is getting longer and hopefully will be ready by the end of summer into the holiday season.
I have long, thick, curly hair. The braids work fabulously! I have an extreme dislike of hair spray- i don’t own any- so i had to use about 20 bobby-pins.