Photo: Missy Sue on YouTube 

With the season of springtime parties officially upon us, the numerous occasions in the weeks ahead call for easy, breezy locks. Whether you’re a brunette or a blonde, we all know that long hair can easily become tangled and unmanageable during the rainy season of spring. Luckily, braided hairstyles can keep your locks under control, even as the impending rain and humidity threatens to destroy your perfect tresses. If you’re wondering how to try a stylish new twist on the classic half-up hairdo, try integrating a braid into your style. Here’s how to master the trend in a few easy steps.

1) Start off by neatly middle parting and combing your hair: First, carefully comb your long locks and create a centre part. Take a thin section of hair near one side of your face, and bring it over to the other side. Clip this segment in place.

2) Create a thin ponytail and start braiding: Once you have clipped your hair to one side, pull another thin segment of hair into a skinny side ponytail. Begin weaving your ponytail into a braid, by plaiting it with two surrounding sections of hair. Continue to clip to the other side, and use tiny clear elastics to grasp the hair.

3) Continue braiding around the back of the head: Once you have created the braid, keep on plaiting it until it wraps around the back of your head. Create a loosely woven braid, and use your fingers to further loosen and texturize the sections. The braid should loosely taper off, about halfway across your head, into a low ponytail. The look of slightly wavy strands can help to enhance your hairstyle, and create a subtle boho chic effect.