One great thing about Black people’s hair is its versatility. That means you can switch up your style to celebrate fall. While you’re playing with your hair, though, it’s important to remember how to take care of it during the new season. 

5 Great Hairstyles for Fall

1. Double Buns

In this relatively simple hairstyle, you only need to part your hair in the middle and place the two resulting sections into puffy buns. It usually works well for those who have short to medium-length natural hair. 

2. Box Braids

If you’re more interested in protective styles then box braids are a good bet. You can also explore wigs and weaves to give your hair a break. You should make sure to take care of your hair while using these styles. 

3. Low Ponytails

Pulling your hair back into a sleek ponytail can give you a chic and professional look. Those looking to explore the fun side can use colorful hair ties or add colorful hair extensions. 

RELATED: Autumn Ready: 4 DIY Conditioners For Softer, Healthier Natural Hair

4. Front Twists

To achieve this style, you should section the front part of your hair, apply a curl cream, and twist, cornrow, or braid it. At the back, you can keep the style neat with a tight bun or let your hair free with a ponytail. 

5. Twist Outs

Twist-outs are a great way to embrace and show off your natural curls. For this style, you should twist sections of damp hair with a styling product and allow them to dry. When you undo these twists, you’ll enjoy defined and bouncy curls.

Fun Ways to Get Colorful

Another thing you might want to explore for fall is more color. If you’ve never done that before or have had a bad experience previously, you’ll be happy to know that there are safe ways to color your hair. You can spray on or add temporary or semi-permanent colors to your hair when it’s wet. Additionally, you can incorporate colored hair into braid styles or ponytails so that it doesn’t affect your natural hair at all. 

Shades of brown and orange usually scream ‘fall’ but you don’t have to limit yourself to those. Feel free to indulge in some deep shades of red, too. 

How to Take Care of Your Hair

The change in the season doesn’t just mean changing your hairstyles. It’s also a good idea to modify your haircare routine. For fall, you need to focus on keeping your hair moisturized. Doing this can include using moisturizing shampoos and conditioners for your regular hairwashing. You can also use a leave-in conditioner occasionally to ensure that your hair is taken care of daily. Using a leave-in conditioner or cream can be helpful with hairstyles where your hair will be loose instead of in a protective style. 

Deep conditioning monthly can also boost your hair’s moisture. Finally, heavier hair butters or oils can seal in moisture so your hair is protected. Deciding which products to use depends on your hair type so it’s a good idea to ask your stylist what will work best for you. 

If you’ve been wearing your hair out for a little, it’s not a bad idea to take a break with a protective style. These styles will help to keep your hair from drying out or being damaged by the cooling temperatures. Since a protective style might not work for everyone, consider wrapping your hair from time to time. A head wrap can protect your hair from the elements while being stylish. 

Hair stylists also recommend that you stay hydrated because this translates to healthy hair, too. You should ensure that you’re getting the eight glasses of water that you need. 

Fall is a time of change and it’s not just about the weather. You can make the most of the season by changing up your hairstyle and adjusting your routine so that your hair is always healthy. 

 

Brooklyn Stylist Turns Braids Into Fashion Week Showstoppers

Braids, beads, crimps and curls. Here's how one Brooklyn celebrity braider is getting ready for New York Fashion Week, which starts today.

Braids, beads, crimps and curls is the best way to describe the action that takes place at Braided, a Crown Heights hair salon specializing in braided hairstyles owned by celebrity braider Xia Charles. 

During a recent visit, the salon was filled with models as Charles and her stylists prepared for their New York Fashion Week showcase, The Darling Salon: Where Fashion + Hair Collide on Sept. 6 at Manhattan's Lume Studios.

The show is a collaboration between Darling Hair, a textured hair extension company, Hype Hair magazine and African Pride, a Black-led natural hair care line. The show features clothing designs from Joseph McRae and Hulu’s Dress My Tour winner, Keiandrea Daniels, also known as K. Daniels Designs. 

 The New York Fashion Week showcase, The Darling Salon: Where Fashion + Hair Collide runway show takes place on September 6 at Lume Studios in New York City

The fashion show includes 18 models, nine for each designer, according to Charles. Beforehand, Charles sat down with each designer to create a mood board for each of the looks. This way, the designers and hairstylists could know the theme and direction they wanted the styles to go. 

Some styles included traditional braiding techniques like cornrows and a three-strand braid, to braids that mimicked other hairstyles like finger waves. 

“I wanted to marry the hair with the clothes,” explained Charles, the founder of Braided and head stylist. 

“Of course, this is their time to shine, right? So, I didn't want to overshadow rather than to compliment it, [I] just [want] to marry the two. I don't want it to look like a hair show. I want braids to look like fashion because braids look like fashion,” she added.  

This isn’t Charles’ first NYFW showcase. In fact, alongside her various fashion week showcases, Charles has worked with popular icons like Cardi B and Beyoncé for the Black Is King visual album.  

She attributes her love for braiding to her family while growing up. At an early age, while living in Trinidad and Tobago, Charles would lay on her grandmother’s back to braid her hair— a skill she learned from her mother before she migrated to the United States. 

“Xia and Braided have really been very critical to introducing Darling Hair to the U.S.," explained Jazzmene Ford, senior brand manager at African Pride. “She's been a brand ambassador for Darling [since] we debuted it in America in 2021. She has been just a key part of pushing the brand messaging.” 

With the fashion show, Charles hoped that the stylists at her store, many of whom she trained, would get the opportunity to experiment with the diversity of braids and participate in the show. 

Many of her stylists have never participated in a fashion show before, which makes this moment even more special for Charles.  

“It's prideful,” Charles explained when asked about her stylists' progress. “A lot of them, how they start, they know how to braid it…but it's just like fine-tuning it. To see what they're doing now, with little guidance from me, I would say like they could show their creativity. It's just a prideful feeling." 

 

10 Protective Style Trends For Fall, From Baldie Braids To Wavy Bobs

With cooler weather comes the desire for change, including changes to our wardrobes, our manicures, and—of course—our hair. Historically, for those with natural hair, the transition from summer to fall has often meant changing from protective styles to wash-and-gos or silk presses. But protective styles aren’t exclusive to sun-drenched vacations to warmer locations. They can be worn long beyond summer. In fact, many protective styles are trending for fall 2024. After all, they make for a great way to experiment with hair color and texture.

To find out which protective styles to pair with our sweaters this autumn, we consulted three pro hairstylists: Larry Sims, Tippi Shorter, and Kari Williams, PhD. Read on to find out which braids, sew-ins, and weaves will be everywhere this season.

Meet Our Expert Braided Bobs

Arnold Jerocki/Getty Images

Braided bobs are bringing back the ’90s, and have been growing in popularity over the last few seasons. The bobs of today play with color, texture, and even ends (including burnt, loose, and puffy varieties). “I love the braided bob,” Shorter shares. “The previous trend was braids to the floor, but I think the baldie braids are giving new life to short looks with braids. Fall is always the time to cut off summer damage, so I see bobs becoming popular in hair, braids, and twists.”

Braided Baldie

Speaking of the braided baldie, this cornrow alternative has taken social media by storm, with variations that include everything from finger waves to hearts. However, when you try this trendy style, minding your scalp, hair, and edge health will be crucial to preventing hair loss. Williams says how you prep is critical to ensuring your hair and scalp remain healthy: For example, double cleansing and deep conditioning to make sure your hair is clean and nourished before tucking it away. She also recommends regularly oiling your scalp and the length of the braids to keep them moisturized.

Voluminous Layered Units

Voluminous hair has been making waves on red carpets and runways all year, with everyone from Beyoncé (we still haven’t forgotten the luxurious Super Bowl hair) to Zendaya giving us heightened hair with bouncy curls in every length. And according to Sims, this trend isn’t going anywhere. “Wigs with lots of volume and body will be on trend,” he says. “There is definitely an emphasis on richer, more textured styles during the cooler fall months. Layered wigs are always great because they create a versatile, vibrant look that complements the fall season."

He recommends a one-on-one visit with a stylist to tailor your unit. “To best complement your face shape and structure, getting a haircut on the wig can be beneficial,” he tells us. “Just like natural hair, a wig can be trimmed and styled to enhance your features. Cutting a wig before installing can create a more natural look… personalized for the individual wearing the wig.”

Bora Bora Braids

New Jersey-based master braider and hairstylist Omobolanle Ajao created the voluminous, long, curly braids coined “Bora Bora braids,” and we know they’ve been saved on many protective-style mood boards. If you’re not ready for the commitment of a sew-in but still want a braided protective style, Bora Bora braids strike the perfect balance. Additionally, this style allows you to experiment with blondes and reds without damaging your hair.

Human hair is the key to nailing this style—it helps the braids last longer, and you’ll care for the hair as you would your natural hair. Many question how to keep the curls intact sans tangles; Ajao recommended using a lightweight leave-in on Instagram. Flawless by Gabrielle Union’s Detangling Leave-In Conditioner Spray is infused with shea butter, Brazilian bacuri butter, and biotin. It nourishes, detangles, and strengthens, making it ideal for keeping the curls in this style knot-free and smooth.

Closure Sew-Ins

Sew-ins will be on-trend forever and always, thanks to their versatility and ability to act as a protective style. You can go long and curly, short with a crisp layered bob, or opt for a bust-down middle part in 20 inches. The possibilities are endless. While you can always go for a leave-out, a closure sew-in will be the way to go if you want to minimize manipulation (which can lead to breakage). A stylist can help you create a customized, tailor-made closure with bleached knots and a tweezed hairline.

Cornrows

With cornrows, you can play with patterns (hearts are still trending), size, length, and color. For sensitive scalps, synthetic hair can be irritating, so consider opting for plant-based hair with skin-loving ingredients. If you want to experiment with color, Rebundle offers Honey (blonde), Salt (gray), Spice (copper), and Ocean (blue) in addition to traditional browns and blacks. Nourie Hair, which also offers planted-based hair, has deep brown and black hair options.

Chin-Length Wavy Bobs

The chin-length bob is a fall staple. But let’s say you have long hair and don't want to commit to a cut or color. You can always opt for a wig. Kelly Rowland and Kerry Washington’s bobs are always on point, whether showcasing their gorgeous locks or rocking a unit, so use them as a guide—and don’t forget to connect with a stylist to get your bob cut for your face shape.

***

Color is a great way to breathe new life into a protective style—if you do it properly. “Human hair wigs and extensions really behave just like our hair,” Shorter explains. “Too much color, heat, and handling can lead to damage.” For this reason, Williams recommends using a deep conditioner, like Cécred’s Moisturizing Deep Conditioner, to restore moisture and softness to the wig fibers. “​​Additionally, always air-dry your wigs and store them properly on a wig stand to maintain their shape and texture,” she says.

To prevent overprocessing your wig with heat, Shorter recommends taking it off at night. This way, you can give your hair and scalp a breather while allowing your unit to keep its style.

Copper

“Fall is great because there are so many vibrant, rich colors to experiment with,” says Sims. A coppery red, which he says is typically a more auburn red, is one of his top picks. Why? “This look is amazing because it brings out the warmth in melanated skin, creating a beautiful contrast.” Because reds tend to fade, using a color-protecting shampoo and conditioner will be essential, as will regular visits to your stylist to maintain your hue.

Honey Blonde

Marc Piasecki/WireImage/Getty Images

If you were one of the many who went blonde this summer, you might feel obligated to go darker as the weather cools. But Shorter says you can still rock the hues in the fall—just add some depth. “For the blonde girlies that don’t want to go dark, adding some lowlights in a rich brown and a warmer gloss will be the way to go,” she tells us.

Chestnut Chocolate Brown

If coppers and blondes aren’t in your color wheelhouse, Sims says chestnut chocolate browns will also be popular this fall. “It’s super rich and very classic [and this] shade would look great on warm undertones,” he tells us. This deep hue adds subtle depth to dark hair—the change will be noticeable, but not overpowering. Popular Hairstyles | Trending hairstyles | Short hairstyles | Long hairstyles | Curly hairstyles | Braided hairstyles | Bob haircut | Pixie cut ideas | Easy hairstyles | Natural hairstyles | Summer hairstyles | Fall hairstyles | Wedding hairstyles | Prom hairstyles | Celebrity hairstyles | Retro hairstyles | Layered haircut | Shag haircut | Haircuts for round faces | Haircuts for oval faces | Haircuts for square faces | Short hairstyles | Long hairstyles | Curly hairstyles | Braided hairstyles | Bob haircut | Pixie cut ideas | Easy hairstyles | Natural hairstyles | Summer hairstyles | Fall hairstyles | Wedding hairstyles | Prom hairstyles | Celebrity hairstyles | Retro hairstyles | Layered haircut | Shag haircut | Haircuts for round faces | Haircuts for oval faces | Haircuts for square faces | Popular Hairstyles | Trending hairstyles |