How to Twist a Side Braid for Men

We’ve demonstrated nearly a dozen braids for men, including viking braids, the French braid, the Dutch braid and more. These are all pretty fancy, but here we introduce a simple, stylish and highly functional braid that’s easy to pull off: the side braid.

Before jumping into the tutorial, here are a few scenarios where you’ll find the side braid useful.

Three common long hair problems on the golf course: 1) wearing your hair down on a breezy day, you’re addressing your ball, and your hair blows into your eyes mid-swing, obscuring your vision and ruining your shot.

2) Same scenario, but your hair blows up to your mouth and you inhale it deep into your lower trachea, obstructing your breathing, inducing panic, and also ruining your shot.

3) Wearing your hair in a braid on the back of your head, and the violence of your swing causes said braid to whip around your neck and smack you in the eyeball.

Believe them or not, all three have happened to me personally. The side braid eliminates each problem.

Long hair can pose a problem when you’re wearing a jacket with a collar, or even a flannel button-up or dress shirt.

Cascading down the back of your head and neck, long hair tends to get caught up in the collar, kinking, tangling, and a pain to deal with. The side braid is a perfect solution, keeping your hair neatly off the collar and out of the road.

Extreme cold temperatures can dry out and damage your hair. The side braid doesn’t just keep your hair out of your jacket collar, but allows you to wrap it around and wear it on your chest. Close to your body and inside your jacket, your side braid is warm and protected, mitigating exposure to the elements.

Wearing a beanie with long hair is a great look, but can also cause problems. Over the course of a day, the hair under your beanie can start to get tangled, mussed up and unruly. The side braid, however, will keep your hair tight and orderly under that soft lid.