Ciara Looks Vacation-Ready With Chic Stitch Braids

a black woman with short, black hair photographed wearing black on a red carpet — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Ciara is still proving that she's the ultimate hair chameleon. A few weeks ago, she attended the Vanity Fair Oscar Party wearing a sleek pixie cut wig with a side part and blunt bang, and shortly after that, she attended a gala in New York City wearing long, black mermaid waves. Now she's switching things up once again with braided style that I'm already considering asking my stylist for the next time I go on vacation.

On Monday, the Level Up singer shared an Instagram video where she's seen lip syncing to one of her songs and showing off her new hair. The style features large, straight-back stitch braids with mini stitch braids that feed into each other placed in between. "When she get them fresh rows..she ain’t got time," she wrote in the caption.

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With spring officially here and the weather beginning to heat up on the East coast, it seems like every celebrity is finally bringing back the protective vacation hairstyles they plan on wearing this season. Before Ciara showed off her stitch braids, Kerry Washington attended a press event in New York City for her new Apple TV+ series earlier this month wearing boho-style French braids with honey blonde extensions. Zazie Beetz was also seen on the press circuit recently wearing long, wavy box braids with burgundy-colored extensions courtesy of celebrity hairstylist Lacy Redway.

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Protective styles like box braids and cornrows can be worn all year round, and when they're not installed too often or too tight, they can offer the perfect solution for anyone hoping to spend a few weeks wearing a different hairstyle that tucks their ends away and keeps manipulation to a minimum. If you're thinking of starting off spring with a protective style similar to Ciara's stitch braids, read ahead for some styling and maintenance tips.

Shine 'n Jam

Setting Mousse Honey Extra Hold

A setting mousse will hold your braids in place for longer and reduce the amount of flyaways you might experience as your hair grows out.

Dove

Derma Scalp Dandruff Relief 3-In-1 Barrier Repair Serum

Sometimes braids and braiding hair can cause the scalp to become dry and irritated. If that's the case, a few drops of this serum will help with itchiness.

Shea Moisture

Instant Scalp Refresh Anti-Dandruff Spray With Salicylic Acid

SheaMoisture's scalp spray also fights itchiness and dandruff, but it comes in a less-messy spray bottle.

KISS Products

Edge Fixer Gel

Styling your baby hairs isn't always necessary, but if you choose to, use a strong product that won't cause breakage or damage.

Annie International

l Double-Sided Edge Brush and Hair Brush

Since your baby hairs are a lot more delicate, you should be using a soft tool (like this mini edge brush) to style them.

Danielle Jackson is the senior beauty writer at Marie Claire. She has nearly a decade of experience covering beauty, lifestyle, and entertainment and was previously the senior beauty editor at Women's Health, where she thoughtfully covered topics related to skincare, haircare, aesthetics, and wellness. Before that, she spent three years as an assistant beauty editor at PS, and in the years since, her work has appeared in titles like Vogue, InStyle, Glamour, and more. Danielle graduated from the University of Georgia with a BA in English, and has lived in Brooklyn for almost ten years. When she's not writing, you can find her reading romance novels and talking about sunscreen. You can find her on Instagram @danielleknecole.