Rhyme&Reason: The J.Crew Hairdo

To most, J.Crew is synonymous with the effortless, layered style that sporty, preppy, feminine, and slightly edgy girls can wear. For me, J.Crew is my uniform. When in doubt, I shop at J.Crew and I put on J.Crew.

The J.Crew style guides are like beautiful editorial magazines filled with new styles, exotic destinations, and gorgeous models (my J.Crew fave = Mona Johannesson). I'm always excited when a new style guide comes out because it means it's time for me to run down the street and browse my neighborhood J.Crew.

The J.Crew style guides also have one more treasure... the polished, thrown up, wind-blown, beachy undown hair buns. So, a big thank you to Into The Gloss for calling J.Crew's style director Gayle Spannaus to get the scoop on how to perfect the "nape knot" and the "top knot" at home. Gayle fancies the nape knot and the top knot because she says "they are sexy without being overtly bombshell. They're feminine, not fussy. And they embody that undone done thing that J.Crew is known for. It's hair that can juxtapose something polished, but we aren't afraid to put it with a pair of denim cut-offs and a fatigue jacket, either. To make it even better, Gayle exclaims that "Anyone, and any hair texture, can do it."

Here is how Gayle says to get the look: "You want texture - so if your'e hair isn't naturally beachy, start with it damp, add a bit of salt spray to your roots - we're using Lavett & Chin's Original Sea Salt Texturizing Mist - and run your'e fingers through your hair. The salt spray is going to hold your hair together while it's up. You can even add tousled separation to a blow out with salt spray, but the less brush and comb use, the better."

"For a top knot or a bun in the middle of your head, flip your head over to put it into a ponytail. You never want that droopy, matronly hair at the nape of your neck. To achieve a sexy 'tomboy bun,' keep the hair under your ponytail tight. So while you've got your head flipped, push your hair up, up, up. If you need to, spray a little sea salt onto your hand, and then push your hair into the elastic. Once secured, twist your hair around the ponytail and secure it with bobby pins."

"The same thing will apply to the nape knot. Finger comb your sea-sprayed hair back into a loose pony. Then pull the ponytail halfway through the elastic."

"Either way, a good trick for taking weight out of a really thick bun is to hold your hair like Pebbles from The Flintstones, splitting the ponytail in two, and then wrap one half of the ponytail clockwise around itself, and the other half counterclockwise. This way big, huge, massive hair won't all go in one direction."

"To give it a J.Crew spin, pull a couple of pieces of hair loose from your bun and from the front of your hair with your fingers. That's where the femininity comes from. Secure the few random dome pieces with bobby pins - that will keep it from falling flat."

There you have it. I hope this serves as a little beginning of the week inspiration! When in doubt, go with J.Crew.