Rope bun

Today I'm excited to share a hair tutorial that's perfect for traveling! When your hair is messy and sea-salty, twist it back into this nautical-inspired rope bun. Perfect for the beach, exploring around town or heading to dinner. My hair-genius friend Caroline shares the steps below, and the fabulous Jamie Beck took photos...
"I love this style when I want to keep my hair off my neck, but don't want to do the regular ol' topknot that I usually wear. It's great for summer weddings, too!" -- Caroline

1-2. Gather hair into a low ponytail on one side of your head.

3. Divide the ponytail into two equal sections.

4. Twist both sections of hair AWAY from your face (in a counter-clockwise direction).

5-6. Take the back section and bring it IN FRONT of the other section and repeat. Keep bringing the section that is in the back over and in front of the other section. This is how you make a rope braid. (You basically want to twist the sections in one direction, then wrap them around each other in the opposite direction.)

7. Tie the end of the rope braid with a rubber band. (You can stop here if you want, and just have a cute side rope ponytail!)

8. Wrap the braid in a circle around the top elastic until it becomes a bun, and pin the bun with bobby pins to secure. Don't forget to tuck the tail of the rope braid behind the bun to hide it.
Gorgeous! Thanks again, Caroline and Jamie. xoxo

Thoughts? Would you wear this? Will you be wearing it on summer adventures?

P.S. Ten more hair tutorials, and the secret to pretty hair when traveling.

(Photos by Jamie Beck for Cup of Jo. In the how-to photos, Caroline is wearing vintage jeans (similar ones here) and a polka-dot sweater from Cardigan--Cardigan is having a huge sample sale right now, and Cup of Jo readers get an extra 10% off with the code CUPOFJO. (Thanks, Cardigan!) In the outdoor shots, Caroline is wearing a striped top that's also from Cardigan, a men's jacket (similar one here) and shiny black loafers. Her jewelry is from her own line, Brvtvs, and will be available soon.)