Whether headed to the supermarket, the gym, on a date or to a wedding, adding a braid to your hair can add stylish and even sensible flair.
Although the typical three-strand braid has been around for thousands of years, new braiding trends have made it a go-to hairstyle for young and old.
"We always see braiding," said Merrell University clinic supervisor and Inspired Salon cosmetologist Krista Bonnot. "We're seeing them more in the everyday."
Braids are so popular even men can wear them - celebrity Jared Leto rocked a man braid at this year's Golden Globes - and they're an easy way to create a fun look without a lot of effort.
Go-to braids
Rather than pulling all their hair back into a French braid, Loft stylists Ashley Woods and Laura Schwindel said they're seeing women braid their fringe, form a waterfall braid or create what's known as the fishtail braid.
Braiding fringe keeps hair out of your face, and can be used to style unruly bangs quickly. A waterfall braid is created using three strands but strategically dropping pieces as you go, creating the waterfall effect. By dropping the strand and picking up the next piece near it, the hair cascades downward from the braid.
A fishtail braid uses two strands, taking a piece from the back of one strand and crossing it over the top of the opposite strand.
Fresh twists
The most recent popular braided looks are less polished and more natural looking. Brandy Brockes of Marshall & Company Salon calls them "structured messy braids."
Head-band braids, braids using five strands instead of three and braiding pieces back into a messy ponytail are also popular.
"The five-strand braid creates a thick, flat, bohemian-chic look," Brockes said.
To create a five-strand braid, the hair is divided into five sections. The stylist then takes the outermost section from one side, crossing it over the closest section, and then under the next, leaving the rest in the middle. Doing the same thing on the other side, again bringing the piece to rest in the middle and repeating the steps from one side to the other, creates the thicker, more detailed braid.
Bonnot said her students have been styling what she calls a "ladder braid."
"They're really easy but look intricate," she noted.
The ladder braid is a simple three-strand braid, but once the stylist reaches the bottom of the hair, she holds onto the center strand and starts "pushing it back toward the scalp ... it creates almost a ladder effect," Bonnot explained.
Anything goes
Since braids can be used to create both casual and dressy looks, local stylists said their clients are wearing them everywhere.
"They're literally the one-stop shop for lazy hair days, formal hair days, you name it," Bonnot said.
Woods and Schwindel said braids really can be worn for any occasion. Brockes agreed, noting they'll be seen from the grocery store to formal galas. Bonnot said she's seen a lot of simple, slightly messy fishtail braids worn for school dances and other braids worn in the professional world.
A simple braiding technique is being used to create a curly up-do, without the traditional curls. By loosening up the loops as you braid two pigtails, you can easily pin them up using bobby pins for a formal look.