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EveryHairstyle

Buns and updos

The jooda, chignon, beehive, topknot and the French twist. 13 hairstyles on EveryHairstyle so far.

An updo lifts long hair off the neck and fixes it on the head: a bun, a chignon, a French twist, a topknot or a beehive. Updos are practical, keeping hair out of the way in heat and at work, and formal, being the classic choice for weddings and ceremonies. In many cultures putting the hair up marked a girl becoming a woman, or a man becoming an adult.

Building an updo

Most updos start from a ponytail, which anchors the hair. The hair is then twisted, coiled, braided or rolled and pinned in place with hairpins and grips. Backcombing adds height, as in the bouffant and the beehive, and rollers or tongs add curl to the loose pieces. A smooth chignon may take ten minutes; a bridal updo with braids, flowers and ornaments can take more than an hour.

Updos around the world

The jooda of South Asia, wreathed in jasmine, the samurai's chonmage, the Korean sangtu of married men and the chignon fixed with a binyeo pin of married Korean women are all forms of the updo, as is the joora that holds a Sikh's uncut hair. In 18th-century Europe updos reached their greatest height with the pouf. The beehive, created in Chicago in 1960, was the most famous updo of the 1960s.

Famous updo hairstyles

BunHair coiled into a knotChignonThe low knot at the napeFrench twistA vertical roll pinned at the backBeehiveThe tall dome of the 1960sChonmageThe Japanese topknotSangtuThe topknot of married Korean menLiangbatouThe tall headdress of Manchu women

Further reading

Hair typeStraight hairWavy hairCurly hairCoily and kinky hairFine hairThick hairAny hair
Worn byMostly womenMostly menAnyoneChildrenBrides and weddingsFaith and religious ordersUniform and workSubcultures and music
OrderBest knownA to ZOldest firstNewest firstBy length
🇨🇳 ChinaChinese hairpin Traditional Chinese hair ornaments used to secure buns and signify status.Adorned · Any hair WorldBun A hairstyle where hair is gathered and coiled into a circular shape on the head.Updo · Any hair 🇯🇵 JapanChonmage Traditional Japanese topknot worn by men, historically by samurai and now by sumo wrestlers.Updo · Straight hair · 1603 WorldChignon A knotted hairstyle worn at the nape or back of the head.Updo · Any hair 🇫🇷 France and 2 morePompadour High-volume hair swept up and back from the forehead.Updo · Any hair · 1950 🇩🇪 GermanySuebian knot A historical male bun worn by the Suebi and other Germanic tribes to signal status and identity.Updo · Straight hair 🇰🇷 South KoreaSangtu Traditional Korean topknot worn by married men.Updo · Any hair · 57 EuropeRoman hairstyles Ancient Roman hair fashions reflecting status and identityUpdo · Any hair

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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