You know how in movies, someone can just throw their hair up without trying and end up with a messy bun that somehow looks put together? Like those buns you see on Pinterest that look perfectly imperfect? They may be called messy buns, but the messiness looks so pristine, for lack of a better word, that it’s hard to believe they weren’t carefully styled. A perfect example is the messy updo Katie Holmes was just spotted with.
On August 14, Holmes, dressed in an all-black outfit, was walking through the streets of New York City. Her brunette hair was piled atop the crown of her head to form a disheveled bun. No tendrils of hair fell out to the front or sides, but it didn’t look like her hair was slicked down or even brushed, either.
Getty Images
From some angles, her hair almost resembled a lopsided bow. From the side, you can see her ends poking out at the back of her bun. A few lone pieces of hair were also left out at the nape of her neck.
Hairstylist Chris Appleton, who works with Kim Kardashian, Dua Lipa, Jennifer Lopez, and many others, has given tips on how to create a messy bun in just two steps. In 2022, he posted a video tutorial of his method. It’s rather simple: you split your ponytail into two pieces, tie them together twice, and pin down the leftover ends (you know, if your hair is long enough).