The Cool Braid Culture

I have always loved cool braids. Women who wear cool braids are like warrior princesses. They ride horses through sun-lit meadows and wield a mean sword hand. Since their hair is tied back in a cool braid, they can do pretty much anything.

Here in San Nicolas, these women are everywhere. Women of all ages have long black shiny hair that hangs down their backs, though they usually pin it up in a bun or cool braid. I had been noticing all of these unusual braids around town – the likes of which I had never seen before – so a couple of months ago I asked my friend Rosalind's mom to teach me how to do these braids. She told me that sometimes, she just invents new braids for fun. Here are a few braids I learned from her.

The Fish-Tail

I already knew this braid, but it is one of my favorites.

1. Divide all of the person's hair into two equal sections.
2. Take a small bit from the outside of the right section and cross it over to join the left section.
3. Take a small bit from the outside of the left section and cross it over to join the right section.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 as the braid gets longer.

The Zig-Zag Braid

This braid uses the inside-out French braid.

1. Starting from the right side of the head, gather up a small chunk of hair. Divide it into three pieces and start with a normal inside-out braid: put the right piece under the middle piece, the left piece under the middle piece, and then the right piece under the middle piece.

2. Gather up a bit more hair from the left side of the braid and add it to the left piece of hair (like you would in a normal French braid). Put this bigger strand under the middle piece.

3. Take the right strand and put it under the middle strand, without gathering more hair.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3, as the braid angles to the left. When you want to switch directions, instead of gathering hair from the left side, gather hair from the right side to add to the braid and don't add hair to the left side. The braid will angle to the right.

5. Repeat these steps, as the braid zig-zags back and forth across the head.

The Spiral Braid

This also uses the inside-out French braid.

1. Using a comb, part the hair so that you are using a donut-shaped section of hair on the outside of the person's head. Pin up the middle donut-hole section so it is out of your way.

2. Starting above the left ear, take a chunk of hair that is the width of the donut and begin a normal inside-out braid (described in step 1 of the zig-zag braid).

3. Gather and add some hair to the left section, putting it under the middle section. Put the right section under the middle part without adding any more hair.

4. In this braid, you never gather and add any hair to the right section. As you continue repeating step 3, the braid will continue down the head and then up towards the right ear.

5. When you reach the end of the donut-shaped section of hair, carefully undo the middle bit of hair that you had pinned up and create a smaller donut with that hair, pinning up a smaller middle part.

6. Continue the spiral until you've used all of the free hair. Then continue to form a normal inside-out braid and tie it off at the bottom or bobby-pin the rest of the spiral to the head.

Here are a few other cool braids that I haven't yet learned how to do: