This section is brought to us by Karen Shelton from The Hair Boutique. These styles are for women in the work place. I hope that you ladies enjoy and use the following styles, but men should also try to learn at least one style from this page to perform on your special lady and or female friends.

Business Looks For Long Hair
by
Karen Shelton
Copyright - Hair Boutique 1998

http://www.hairboutique.com

There are certain key steps that a long haired woman can take to assure that she looks professional by day, but keeps her long locks by night and weekends.

Here are some ideas that will help you achieve a great business look without resorting to the scissors:

1.  Women with longer hair can actually wear their hair down as long as they take extra care to make sure their hair is carefully trimmed and styled for work.

The key to wearing long hair down is to make sure hair looks neat, well cared for and stylish.  One of the tricks for keeping long ends clean and crisp looking, as well as to guarantee continued hair growth, is removing all split ends with scheduled trims.  Hair beveling on the ends will give a smooth polished look.  Long haired women tend to encounter business image problems when they wear their hair in a messy, out of control look or if the ends are split, uneven or different lengths.

2.  The appropriate business hairdo can be planned in advance.

If a big meeting with outside clients are scheduled, a woman with long hair can plan to wear her most professional look.  A busy professional long haired woman can never go wrong with the classic French seam.  Any woman with shoulder-length locks or longer can easily and quickly learn to master
the French seam. The seam or twist, can be softened up with full, feathered bangs.  It can also be made more professional with straight sleek bangs combed to the side.  This hairdo works perfectly for any type of business suit or dress.  For detailed instructions on creating a French twist refer to the book Beautiful Braids by Patricia Coen and Joe Maxwell.
 

3.  Slicked Back buns are easy, very professional and versatile.

1998 is a great time for long hair in the business world.  This is because the bun is very popular.  One of the hottest buns right now is the slicked back bun.  This bun is easy to create and will give you a very professional style.  This bun can work with shorter, layered bangs that can be slicked back or conservatively spiked up to create more versatility.
 

4.  Ultra-long locks can look no-nonsense in a chignon.

When a strong business look is desired and the slicked back bun doesn't appeal to you, a crown level chignon looks very official.  All it requires is a little coordination and practice to achieve.  Gather hair at the crown and form a moderately tight ponytail.  Beware of extremely tight ponytails that may cause unhealthy stress to your hair.
 

5.  Combine long locks with shorter bangs and fringe.

You can keep your ultra-long hair length while giving the appearance of a shorter look by having your stylist graduate the bangs and a small portion of the two front sides of your hair.  This will provide extra softness and shape. The graduated hair would start and the bangs and gently flow into the total length of the hair.  This would allow you to have longer sides when wearing your hair up.
 

6.  Wear a two-strand overlap.

This is a classy, understated braided design that is very suitable for any business situation.  The finished look allows you to tuck the braid under in a soft, but business bun effect.  For casual wear, after business, you can
untuck the end of the braid from the bun and wear it down. This style requires shoulder length or longer hair and photos and detailed instructions can be found in Braids:  Easy Step-by-Step Hairstyles published by Creative Ideas.
 

7.  Wear a two-strand twisted rope braid.

The two-strand twisted rope is a little different than the two-strand overlap, but it accomplishes a similar business look.  This braid is a classic-looking braid variations that is based on two strands instead of
three.  Each strand is independently twisted and then the two strands are twisted together. This double twist produces a rounded appearance resembling a rope.  The beauty of this hairstyle is that is keeps longer
hair looking very neat and orderly, which is perfect for business.  For photos and instructions, refer to the book: Braids:  Easy Step-by-Step Hairstyles published by Creative Ideas.
 

8. A simple wrapped bun will work in emergencies.

If you find yourself in a situation where business requires you to wear your hair up in an emergency, you can also do a simple wrapped bun.  Always keep hair spray and pins available for a quick hair makeover.
 

Summary

Long hair does not have to be sacrificed for the right business look.  There are many ways that long hair can be worn both down and up and still look professional, clean and neat.  Before thinking about cutting, try some of the various styles that have been recommended.  Many are easy to do and look great with a business attire.

Thanks Karen for a great article!

If you want to contact Karen you can reach her from  The Hair Boutique