Chic with Chignon
French fashion had always been associated with romanticism and passion. In the fashion world, French styles are always highly regarded. Unsurprisingly, a lot of brides first check the trends in France when it comes to couture and styling. For some, wearing something that exudes the romantic flair of the French makes the wedding more dreamy and classy.
Hairstyles are not spared. French twists may always have been the basic “want” among brides in dressing up their locks. Various Hollywood celebs, however, managed to redirect the demand of women for French hair dos as they grace the red carpet donning varied style of chignons.
A chignon is a do that looks like a bun, but is worn low (usually) on the back of the head. Traditionally, a chignon is situated at the nape paralleling the origin of the word – chignon du cou. In France, this means “nape of the neck.”
Not long after women of high power and class introduced this camera-worthy hairstyle, a lot of brides style their manes with a chignon that can make them look effortlessly elegant and sophisticated.
The easiest way to make a chignon is to pull the hair into a low ponytail and twist the locks up into a bun. Secure the hair with bobby pins and put on hair accessories like pearls or flowers (may be at the top or at the side of the bun).
Traditionally, chignon ‘dos are made to resemble a figure eight. Adventurous modern hairstylists, however, managed to add an extra oomph to the classic wedding hairstyle by coming up with different heights of the bun, along with added twists of the hair locks.
A side chignon, for example, gives a little extra flirty appeal to the style. Brides can surely look dashing on the aisle by doing few easy steps:
- Curl the hair with curling iron. Be sure to spray the locks before curling. Hair from the side of the head should be curled away from the face, along with the top and back sections.
- Pin each ringlet to the scalp after each curling and let the hair cool down.
- Tease the hair at the crown or at the side of the head where the chignon will be worn. This would be effective in adding volume. The teased hair should also be the base where the bobby pins will hold onto, to make the style sturdy.
- Bring the hair to one side of the head and secure with two pins, forming an X. This way, the pins are secured.
- Pick small sections and form big, round rings. Secure each lock with a pin. Be sure to let the hair loosen a bit to give it more texture.
- If you are satisfied, put on a hairspray and decorate the do with chignon accessories – a white lily or big rose for garden weddings or jewelled hair embellishments for indoors ceremonies.
The chignon is usually worn by those with long thick hair, but brides with short manes may opt to wear extensions to don this classic ‘do.