While flower crowns have been popular for the last few years, at weddings and music festivals alike, decorative flowers in general are having a recent heyday of their own. You might have seen them on the runway as high fashion appliqués, or in retro streetwear. One place they seem especially at home, however, is in hairstyles.
Flowers and foliage have made the leap from wedding aisles and runways into everyday street fashion. And while it can be easy to associate floral styles with long locks, there are a million trendy ways to wear flowers in short hair, too. From big blooms tucked into buns to teeny ones woven into braids, below we’ll go over how to wear flowers in your hair in five of the trendiest ways.
The Basics: Picking and Preparing your Decorative Flowers
No matter your style or length, pick a sturdy flower – something that won’t wilt, with a stem thick enough for a bobby pin to grab onto. Keep your stem an inch or so long so that you will have a good length to tuck into and secure to your hair. If you’re worried about the pins being visible through your hair, try painting them and the stem with nail polish.
If you use real flowers, placing the cut stems in water overnight while letting them chill in the refrigerator makes the buds look extra fresh and crisp the next day.
There is a quick, general rule of thumb for how to wear flowers in your hair: keep the flowers low – at or around your ears – unless you are intentionally going for a “crown” effect. For a more “out of nature” look, add some greens to surround your bulb instead of just a standalone bloom.
Some Bloom with Your Bun
Putting a flower on top of a bun isn’t exactly groundbreaking territory: eight-year-olds in dance classes have been doing it for decades. An adult way to rock this style is by working the flowers under the bun to avoid a costume-y vibe, instead adding a subtle, chic surprise.
Play up the colors in your outfit, like a monochromatic color scheme that matches a top and shoes. Use a fragrant flower, like the classic gardenia made famous by Billie Holiday, to make your accessory perform double duty as a perfume! A pro tip for how to wear in your short hair: try two mini buns on either side of your head at the very top crown, and keep the flowers on the miniature side!
Braided Beauty
Plaits and plants are a match made in heaven. Brides have been incorporating the two for a long time, but with smaller florals, this look could easily accompany you on a date night or night out. Choose simple, elegant buds like baby’s breath, as the hairstyle itself is already so formal.
There is a multitude of different styles of braid, from fishtails to the French braid to the up-do, and each is an opportunity to explore your own creativity. With a braid, you can place the flower essentially anywhere (think: behind the ear, along the braid, at the bottom).
If you’re wondering how to wear this flower style with short hair, try picking the longest pieces at the front of your face and braiding them into teeny, tiny braids accented by a flower or greenery.
The Half Up-Do
A “half up-do” is exactly what it sounds like: half of an up-do. This pretty style encapsulates all of our favorite parts of the up-do and matches it against long, luscious curls.
Tuck your petals in alongside the back crown of your head, where you will gather and pin the upper bulk of your hair. Use smaller blooms to showcase careful braiding and pin work, or big blooms to make them the focal point of the style. Use all greenery for a serious Greek goddess vibe!
This look can be achieved with short hair utilizing bobby pins, pulling select pieces away from the face.
Plants Plus Ponytails
Ponytails, much like braids, can be worn a myriad of different ways – high, low, to the side if you so desire. Medium-to-big flowers complement a ponytail best, but keep proportion in mind: scale the flower against the size of your head to make sure it isn’t oversized. Wear the flower either behind your ear or underneath the ponytail and crowning upwards for optimum sophistication.
The Crown
Finally, the most popular on this list is the flower crown. A staple for weddings and festivals, this decorative flower piece has been used as an accessory for centuries, especially during the summer in Scandinavia.
If you want something festive, go big with big, brightly colored blooms, and a crown that sits around the middle of your head. For something more subtle, go with smaller blooms, creating a thinner crown, and place it at your upper crown, towards the back of your head.
At The Bouqs Co., the only thing we love more than fresh flowers delivered to our door is a good DIY project! So now that you know how to wear flowers in your hair, don’t hesitate to get crafty with your designs to create looks that match your unique style – and, of course, make use of some of the most gorgeous flowers nature has to offer!
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