It might seem counterintuitive to muss up the braid(s) you just spent time weaving to perfection, but these days, it's all about cool-girl texture. And the only way to get it is by pancaking AKA pulling at your braids along the edges for a wispier, looser plait. Equal parts edgy and bohemian, it gives every style a little more oomph. So as you plot your holiday party 'dos, let these pancaked styles be your inspo.
1
The Fuzzy Box Braids
Being the notorious free spirit she is, Kravitz roughed up her waist-length box braids for some not-too-polished fuzz, which went amazingly well with her sleek red carpet attire.
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2
The Bohemian Fishtail Braid
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3
The Teeny-Tiny Braid
With piecy waves framing her face, Charli XCX gave her teeny-tiny side plait a messy remix by pulling out wisps for an intentionally imperfect look.
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4
The Piecey Loose Braid
Looking as if it's going to fall apart at any minute just adds to the cool-girl appeal of this barely-there plait. This laissez-faire look can be achieved simply by beginning the braid below the nape.
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5
The Mohawk Braid
Whitney Port hardly seems the mohawk type, but her ultra-flat, pancaked plaits put a hippy-dippy spin on the notoriusly punkish look.
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6
The Adorned French Braids
As Rita Ora demonstrates, a subtle pancake effect will allow for twinkly adornments to be placed all over the plaits for a more festive feel.
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7
The Braided Updo
For this braided updo, Kloss side parted her buttery brunette strands, flattened out her plaits, and made sure she had plenty of wisps for good (pancaked) measure.
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8
The Undone Fishtail
Drew Barrymore's fishtail may have boasted a retro swoop, but it's totally bohemian thanks to a heavy-handed pancaking job, which yielded undone results.
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9
The Pixie Braid
Proving that the pancaking technique can be just as useful to pixie-haired ladies, Ruby Rose demonstrates with an expertly-weaved side plait to offset her slick back.
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10
The Knotted Braids
With her curly texture, Janelle Monáe added even more volume to her statement braids by pancaking her twists.
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11
The Loosened Crown Braid
Leave it to Vanessa Hudgens to make a crown braid look even more laid back. To ensure it didn't look to regal, she pancaked her thick plait and spangled it with sparkly pins.
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