Things I love about winter: boots, coats, hats, Christmas lights, steak (somehow, red meat tastes even better in cold weather), sidewalk cafes with heaters, and tamales. Definitely tamales.
Things I despise about winter: drafty houses (mine). MY HAIR!

Winter wreaks havoc on my otherwise moderately well-behaved hair. It’s the static. Mixed metaphors aside, my hair is a friggin’ lint trap for static. I can’t straighten it, I can’t wear it wavy. My only recourse, which I’ve been using for more than a decade, is The Messy Bun. Well, this season I rediscovered a more creative and infinitely chicer way to keep my crazy hair away from everybody’s eyes: The Braid. Now, before you whine, “But Katie, little kids wear braids!” let me at least make a case.

Sweet Side Braid

On days—even in milder seasons—when my hair simply won’t be tamed (read: bangs channeling There’s Something About Mary), I turn to The Side Braid. Long-haired ladies, make a dramatic part in your hair—about a centimeter past the arch of your brow—and gather your locks over to the opposite shoulder. Begin your braid at the nape of your neck, and end it two to three inches from the tips of your hair. This prevents most shorter layers from haphazardly sticking out. Secure braid with a band the color of your hair. Check out Rebecca Romijn’s easy red-carpet ‘do, and for extra prettiness, clip a small bejeweled hairpin or barrette over the arch of the eyebrow on the opposite side of hair part.

Bohemian Chic

In my opinion, few women in Hollywood can throw together a cooler outfit (sans stylist) than Sienna Miller. Take a cue from her braid-as-headband look for hair that says nature-lover-meets-city-girl. To rock it, comb hair back so that there’s no part. Take a 1” to 1.5” section of hair from the back of your left ear. Braid it, lift, and lay it the desired distance from your forehead (I like about 1” or 1.5”); bobby pin into place. Repeat on the right side, and cross the new braid over the one already pinned. Secure both braids with more bobby pins behind the ears. Leave hair loose and wild behind the braids for Alicia Keys’s sexiness, or pile into my old friend, The Messy Bun, as Sienna does. Give the braids extra gloss with a little shine serum or, in a pinch, hand lotion. Add dangly earrings in earthy stones or colors to play up the look.

Office Elegant

For a beautiful and office-appropriate braid, look no further than The Four-Strand Braid. Run a paddle brush through dry hair, and then smooth on some shine cream. Pull hair away from face into a ponytail at the nape of your neck. Separate into four sections of equal thickness, and braid as you regularly would. Admittedly, your fingers will feel a little unwieldy at first. Secure the braid about an inch from the ends, and tie on a ribbon in a rich color or texture. So easy, and you’ll be receiving compliments all day from people who can’t put their fingers on why your braid looks so unique. Stud earrings polish the look.

Short and Sassy

Okay, I just wanted the (semi) alliteration, because this look is just as cute on long-haired girls. Draw hair into a side part; use the arch of your eyebrow as a cue. Take a 1” section of hair in the front, and make a French braid, ending the braid at your temple. Bobby pin into place. The braid should be about 4” long. Leave the rest of your hair loose and sleek, like Lauren Conrad’s signature strands, or keep braiding and pull hair back into a low, modern chignon like Jessica Alba does. Two minutes, tops.

Sooo… Convinced?