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Why You Should Be "Pancaking" All Your Braids This Holiday Season

When mussed up is a must 'do.

By Lauren Valenti

Dec 11, 2015

Lip, Cheek, Hairstyle, Eye, Chin, Forehead, Eyelash, Eyebrow, Style, Beauty,

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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.

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1 The Fuzzy Box Braids

<p>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.</p>

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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

<p>We deemed it <a href="http://www.marieclaire.com/beauty/news/a14930/amber-heard-braid/" target="_blank">The Fishtail to End All Fishtails</a> and not for nothing. There's a lot of mussed-up, herringbone-plaited magic going on in this flyaway-happy 'do.</p>

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We deemed it The Fishtail to End All Fishtails and not for nothing. There's a lot of mussed-up, herringbone-plaited magic going on in this flyaway-happy 'do.

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3 The Teeny-Tiny Braid

<p>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.</p>

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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

<p>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.</p>

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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

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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

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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

<p>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.</p>

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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

<p>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.</p>

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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

<p>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.</p>

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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

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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

<p>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.</p>

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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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Lauren Valenti Associate Web Editor I’m the associate web editor at Marie Claire.

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