Braiding 101

Allure Magazine

Catherine Q. O'Neill, Allure magazine

Braiding isn't exactly an Olympic sport. But like an athlete, you need to master the fundamentals before you can excel at the game. At Barrett's Braids in the John Barrett Salon at New York City's Bergdorf Goodman, hairstylists are required to ace the following techniques:

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Fishtail Braid
1. Divide the hair you want to braid into two, not three, equal parts.

2. Pull a quarter-inch piece of hair from the outside of the left section and cross it over to the right section. Do the same on the right, bringing a piece to the left. When you return to the left section, add a small piece of hair before you cross to the right.

3. Repeat this process on both sides until all the hair is gathered into two sections. Tie the ends with an elastic.

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French Braid
1. Take a handful of hair and divide it into three equal parts.

2. Begin braiding: Cross the right piece over the center, then the left piece over the center. Before repeating the crossover motion, pick up a bit of hair from the right side of the head, add it to the right section, and lay them over the center piece together.

3. Continue doing this on both sides until you've finished the braid. Tie with an elastic.

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Inside Out
1. Gather a section of hair and separate it into three parts.

2. Use the French-braid technique, only instead of laying the sections over each other, pull them under each other. Add small sections of hair from both sides of the hairline as you braid.

3. A prominent braid will form on top of the head (this is what distinguishes it from a traditional French braid). Finish the braid, and tie with an elastic.

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