Plaits

For this lesson, Emma's lesson was covered by another hair lecturer Clare. Clare taught us a variety of techniques to braid hair including the normal french braid, the fishtail plait, inverted plait, a four strand plait, a lace braid and a rope plait. The lesson was really interesting and Clare allowed us to try the variety of techniques on both our dolls heads and each other.

The brilliance of plaits is that they can be incorporated into high fashion looks easily. Many catwalk shows and editorial campaigns have used plaited hairstyles to enhance their fashion looks. Just recently in SS15, a diverse range of braids were used for different catwalks. Michael Kors, Georgio Armani and Marco De Vincenzo were designers to name a few that incorporated braids into their fashion looks.

French plait demonstration by Clare Davies

Products/Equipment used:
-Brushes
-Doll head
-Elastic bands

Health and Safety:
-Ensure the work place is tidy and clean
-Ensure all equipment is clean and ready to use
-Ensure that when plaiting the hair, it is not too tight to harm the model

A French Plait

 

 To create this hair style, section the hair into a centre parting and clip one side out of the way. Starting from the other side, take a section of the hair from the front of the forehead, separate the hair into three sections and begin to braid normally, crossing an outer section over the centre and then crossing the other outer section over the new centre. To braid close to the head, as you are crossing an outer section over the centre section, incorporate a bit of hair from each side into the sections until the whole plait is finished. Secure with a rubber band and then pin the remaining hair to the head underneath.

French Plait

 

The plait above is created using the same technique above but instead of on one side of the head, I have used the same plaiting technique to create one plait down the centre of the head.

Fish Tail Braid

 

To create a fish tail braid, secure the hair into a ponytail using a rubber band. Brush the hair so that it is smooth and does not have any knots. Section the hair in two and bring an outer piece of hair from one section and cross it over to the inner section of the other piece of hair. Continue to do this one side after the other ensuring that your tension is good. Secure the bottom with a rubber band.

Four Strand Braid

 

To create a four strand braid, seperate a piece of  hair into four sections and plait like a normal three strand plait, incorporating the fourth section into the braid. When braiding, start with the outer section first, crossing it over the second section. Then cross the third section over the fourth and bring the fourth over the second. Continue this pattern down the length of the hair until you achieve the above braid. Secure with a rubber band.

 

Reverse French Plait (Dutch Style)

 

 This is a reverse French Plait. The difference between this type of braid and a normal French braid is that with this style, the braid sits on top of the head, rather than being on the inside. To create this braid, rather than crossing the sections over the top of the centre braid, you guide the hair underneath the centre section. Section the hair into three, starting with the section furthest away, bring it underneath the middle section, followed by the other side. Continue this pattern until the whole braid is complete. To braid the hair to the head, incorporate bits of hair from each side into the sections as you complete the braid. Tie the bottom with an elastic to hold the style in place.

Evaluation

What went well:

I really enjoyed this lesson because it allowed me to be creative and learn a variety of different braiding techniques. I found Clare very helpful in teaching me how to achieve different braids and I was happy with the ones that I created. I think the braid that surprised me by how simple it was, was in fact the fishtail braid. On appearance the braid looks as if it would be quite technical so I was surprised at how easy it was to achieve and I think this is why I found it my favourite. The braid I am most proud of is the reverse French braid as although the technique is simple, it is in fact rather fiddly and requires good dexterity. I think overall, I found this lesson to be quite a success as I was able to create all the braids I was shown quite successfully.

What I found difficult:

Although I was able to achieve each braid, there were some things that I found difficult. In particular, braiding close to the head and incorporating the hair from each side was quite difficult and required good tension. I think one of my biggest problems was that I took much bigger sections at a time than I should have and smaller sections would have created a much neater, well formed braid. The reverse braid and the four strand braid were particularly difficult and required many attempts on my part. I found the four strand braid difficult because holding all four sections of hair and crossing them over each other got quite confusing but once I had established the pattern, I was able to complete the braid successfully. The reverse braid was the hardest braid to achieve because I am so used to creating normal French braids and braiding the opposite way did require some getting used to. I asked another girl from the class to show me how to start it and then I was able to figure out how to complete the braid.

What I need to improve:

Although I am happy with my braids, I would like to improve them by making them more neat and detailed. The French braid in particular could have looked a lot more structured so this is something I would like to improve by taking smaller sections and holding the hair at the right tension. I would like to take these hairstyles further by incorporating them into a bridal style hair design and would also like to experiment creating different shapes in the hair.

Overall, I am really pleased with how this lesson went and enjoyed learning all the new plaiting techniques that Clare showed us.