With spring in full swing and the great outdoors calling, we’ve been thinking a lot about hairdos that combine style and functionality. Easily topping this list are braids. Whether it’s a simple three-strand, French, or a fishtail, a braid is an easy way to tame the wildest of hair on windy days and maintain a polished look throughout the day. Who better to turn to for inspiration than the iconic Disney characters that sport them?

Including everything from Anna and Elsa’s Scandinavian ‘dos to Rapunzel’s elaborate plait, we’ve prepared a collection featuring the best of the best. Scroll through the styles below and find your next favorite.

Anna and Elsa

We may as well start with the most obvious dynamic-braided-duo—Anna and Elsa from Frozen. With Anna sporting two simple braids and Elsa wearing her hair in an elegant textured French, these sisters have their plaited looks down pat.

Anna goes above and beyond with her coronation up-do, a milkmaid braid that twists (forgive the pun) her signature braided-look into a look fit for a party.

Jessie

Hat hair has always been an issue for me. Here, Jessie’s cowgirl hairstyle presents the perfect fix! Almost as iconic as her lasso, her braid—finished with a bright yellow bow that contrasts her red, yarn hair—keeps her hair in place throughout her many adventures.

Rapunzel

We mention this every time her hair comes up, but it bears repeating: Rapunzel’s blonde locks stretch 70 feet long! Any braid that can contain that mass of hair more than earns its place in a list of Disney’s best braids. The wildflowers take it to the next level by adding a touch of color as bright as Rapunzel herself.

Can we also take a moment to appreciate the young girls braids, too? On the left, the tallest child wears a Dutch braid, while the smallest on the right rocks four. It’s no wonder these girls were able to style Rapunzel’s hair with ease.

Cinderella

Cinderella proves you don’t need long hair to pull off a braided look, splitting her medium length hair into two small braids and tying each with a bow. Though she only sleeps in them—taking them apart moments after she wakes up—we’d happily wear this look all day, any day.

Pocahontas

It’s hard to decide what’s cooler: Pocahontas’ braid, or the fact that Meeko is the stylist responsible for it. We may not all have access to nimble-fingered raccoon buddies, but Pocahontas’ simple style is easy to replicate on your own and just what spring days full of running outdoors call for.

Gov. Ratcliffe

Last, but certainly not least, we present Governor Ratcliffe, a choice that may be controversial for a bevy of reasons. First, are those really braids? Second, can we justify including this villain immediately after the Princess that opposes him? We don’t know how to answer either of these questions. What we do know, however, is that those red bows are seriously channelling Cinderella’s aforementioned look and the parallel must be recognized.

What are your thoughts? Did we miss any of your favorites? Tell us in the comments and make sure to check out some of our favorite braid tutorials for extra inspiration.

Posted 4 years Ago