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“As simple as a bun sounds, the details are what really make it,” says the hairstylist James Pecis. A bun can be casually put together or precisely constructed, piled high or pinned low with no-nonsense finesse. We spoke to three experts who know how to tailor the style to any mood — Devon Teuscher, a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre; Pecis, who runs the brand Blu & Green and will oversee the hair at the Thom Browne runway show this week; and the actress and Pattern Beauty founder Tracee Ellis Ross, whose textured topknots have long been a signature look.
James Pecis, 44, hairstylist
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An updo with stragglers is not my thing. I’m very meticulous. First I section my hair with Pattern’s clips. I split the bottom section in two and use my paddle brush on both sides; I repeat that on the middle and top sections. I practically soak my hair with Pattern’s Leave-In Conditioner, so the top layer almost looks wet. Then I comb it all back, using my hands, and apply a nice dollop of our styling cream to make it smooth, smooth, smooth. I take a fresh hair tie and go around four times so it’s extra tight around my ponytail. And I brush just the front hairs with our edge tool, so everything’s aligned.
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I have three variations of my bun. The topknot is my favorite for driving, for working out, for facials — because if I lie down on a table, a back bun affects the angle of my neck. My low bun is slicked back or middle parted. I call my main version my ballet bun because I follow the line up from my ear. With each of these, I braid the ponytail first before wrapping it around. For a red carpet, I’ll secure the bun with Pattern’s hairpins, which are modeled after my mom’s pins. I usually use three: one on either side and one at the base. Otherwise, I just tuck the end of the braid under the ponytail holder. I don’t know if it looks perfect from behind, but what I can see looks fine to me!
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These interviews have been edited and condensed.
