9 Chic Hairstyles for Graduation

college graduation

Graduation could be considered to be one of the most memorable moments in a person’s life. It’s a moment where the day is focused on all your achievements you’ve accomplished over many years of hard work and dedication. With all the final exams and last minute assignments done, you’ve probably had a moment to relax before you start job hunting. It’s probably now dawned on you that graduation is only around the corner and you need to come up with a plan for your hair, fast!

Picking the perfect graduation hairstyle can be more daunting than one would think. There are so many things to think about with many different factors to consider. The biggest issue of all is to create the perfect hairstyle that can fit nicely under the graduation cap. I’ve been tossing up for the last few months on whether or not to grow out my hair for graduation or go for short pixie cut. I’m not sure if I should go for a sophisticated new colour or rebel with something out-there. No matter the hair length, I’ve got you covered with a few hairstyles that you can rock for some ultimate graduation pics!

Short Hair Styles for Graduation

If you have short hair you’re probably thinking that your options are limited. Great news is that there are heaps of styles and colours out there just waiting for you to try! First you just need to decide if you want to go for more unique style or something a little more conservative that may suit a professional career. Behold, I present to you the pixie-cut, the bob and shaved rebel look.

The Pixie Cut

The pixie cut is a great graduation hairstyle as it’s so simple and fast to do! This saves you so much time on the day. You won’t constantly need to be worrying about how your hair looks in photos because it will stay perfectly placed throughout the day!

Short Bob

Bobs look super professional in any field you chose to go in, which makes for a perfect graduation hairstyle. This style is just long enough have curled or straightened so you can make it your own. You even have the option to add bangs to this style, although I’m completely in love with this Jennifer Lawrence Bob! Best way to show off your transition into the real world.

Shaved Sides

This hairstyle for graduation would probably be the most fun. Ruby Rose rocks this hairstyle with the shaved sides. You have the option to make this style as rebellious as you wanted for your last day of schooling EVER! You could brighten it up with some fun colours or maybe consider some funky patterns just to mix things up a little.

Mid-Length Hair Styles for Graduation

Mid-length hair gives you endless options with hundreds of variations on styles. Some of the more common graduation hairstyles do include the curled and straight, but you can make it a little different by pinning some to the side or even rocking a total side do! If you are creative, most of these styles you can do at home on your own.

Curled Hair

There are so many styles of curls you can pick for this look. You can go for the wave look, natural look or even finger curls for elegance. You also have the option to pin it to the side and even put a little braid in it. I love the soft curls for shorter hair. The tighter the curls are the shorter it will make your hair look so bear that in mind when curling. I personally use my straightener to curl hair over a wand or rollers. I feel as though I have more control over the direction I want the curls to form and can control the intensity of them. These waves that Taylor Swift are rocking are perfect for a hat hair because they don’t start from the roots, so you won’t need to worry about flattening the hair. These curls also prevent the hair from curling up high, making your hair look super short.

Straight

Straight hair is great because it’s a simple style that looks elegant without trying hard. It will make your hair look that little bit longer and give more of a feminine feel to the hair. By wearing it straight you also don’t need to worry about flattening your hair with the graduation cap and can always add a braid near the fringe to style it a little more if you don’t want it to feel so plain.

Low Side Bun

I love the idea of doing a side bun for a graduation. The only worry with this look is that you need to pick which side that you would like to wear the bun on, as well as worry how low you need to make it.
The lower you make the bun the better it will be. If you go for a messy style bun it will be more beneficial if you need to slightly adjust it to fit the hat. Throw in some braids, twists or some pearls to add some glitz and glamour to your hair. After all, it’s your big day so go as extravagant as you want!

Long Hair Graduation Hairstyles

So many options are available for you to pick here. You have nearly all the options to go with to create the perfect hairstyle of your graduation. My hair falls between short and long hair so for me I need to use extensions. I use them not only for the added length but I used the hair extensions to add thickness to these hairstyles.

Waterfall Braid

I love this waterfalls braid as inspiration for the perfect graduation hairstyle. It’s something that works perfectly with the cap and gown but looks amazing once you take it off too. It’s a style that will hold in place for the day and you can wear it with your hair curled or straight. I like to have it down and unpinned with slight curls on the end. It’s the perfect solution if you are stuck for ideas.

Fishtail Braid

These braids look great for any occasion and will work perfectly under a graduation cap. Something about this style sums up the perfect look for graduation. The options for braids are endless as to the style you go and the number of braids that you do but I like the messy single braid look. If you have a few different colours in your hair you will see this this look will really bring out the highlights of the hair. Plenty of online tutorials teach you how to create this look or you can always pay to have it done by a professional.

Finger Curls

Finger curls were very popular back in the day and of course like all great things, they’ve made a comeback. This is the perfect elegant look to make your debut into the grown up world! This style was used mostly in the Gatsby area so makes for a great 1920’s type of vibe. I style my hair with a triple barrel curler to create these uniformed waves. Youtube videos can assist in teaching you how to do it on your own or you can get it done by your stylist. If you do attempt this on your own, make sure you try doing it before graduation day just in case you don’t master the method perfectly on your first go.  Curls start just below where the hat would sit on your head, which makes for an added bonus!

Moving past graduation, a whole new world awaits in potential career paths.

These designs have helped inspire my graduation hair and make me think a little more about what I’m trying to say with this look. These photographs and memories will carry on throughout the rest of our lives so we should feel great about looking back on images of the day. We should take great pride in not only ourselves, but our achievements and accomplishments. Congratulations on making it through the years of hard work and home tuition and wishing you a world of success in your future wherever it may take you!

– We did it!

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Rachael Waine

Rachael Waine works for a leading Australian hair and beauty company based in Sydney. She is a content writer with more than 5 years of experience. She writes about Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle. Check out more from Rachael on http://blog.amr.com.au

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