Here’s the thing about messy side braids nobody tells you.
The messier it is the better it looks.
Seriously. The flyaways. The loose pieces. The bits that didn’t quite make it into the braid. That’s not a mistake. That’s the whole style. And once you understand that, side braids go from “I can’t do hair” to “I do this every morning in five minutes.”
These 25 styles are real. Doable. And genuinely pretty whether you’re going to school, a wedding, the beach, or just Tuesday.
1. The Classic Loose Side Braid
Pull all your hair to one side. Braid it loosely not tight, not neat. When you get to the bottom tie it off. Then go back and gently pull at the edges of the braid to make it wider and messier. That’s it. That’s the whole tutorial. The looser you pull the sections the better it looks. This is the starting point for almost every other style on this list and once you get this one down the rest becomes easy.
2. Messy Side Braid With a Middle Part
Part your hair down the middle. Take all the hair from one side and bring it forward over your shoulder. Braid it loosely. The middle part gives the style a very clean, intentional look at the top while the messy braid does its thing at the bottom. This one photographs really well because the part creates a natural line that looks deliberate. Great for school days when you want to look like you tried. Speaking of school first day school hairstyles has a lot of braid ideas that work perfectly for that first impression.
3. Side Braid With Baby Hair Left Out
Before you start braiding leave out two thin pieces of hair at the front one on each side of your face. Braid the rest loosely to the side. When you’re done those two loose face-framing pieces soften the whole look. It feels less “done” and more natural. This tiny detail makes a big difference. People will think you have really good hair instincts. You just left two pieces out.
4. Low Side Braid With Ribbon Woven In
Take a thin satin ribbon any colour and weave it in as you braid. Just treat it like an extra strand of hair. When you finish the braid the ribbon peeks through the sections and it looks really pretty. Use a colour that matches your outfit or goes against it for contrast. A white ribbon in a dark braid. A red ribbon in a blonde braid. This is one of those small additions that makes people ask “how did you do that?” and the answer is genuinely simple.
5. Messy Side Fishtail Braid
A fishtail sounds complicated. It’s not. Split your hair into two sections. Take a small piece from the outside of the left section and cross it to the right. Then take a small piece from the outside of the right section and cross it to the left. Keep going. That’s a fishtail. When you do it loosely and pull the edges apart afterward it looks incredibly detailed and beautiful without being tight or perfect. This is the braid that makes people think you went to a professional. You just went to your bathroom. You can find gorgeous fishtail inspo on StylePetal’s Pinterest.
6. Side Braid Into a Low Bun
Braid your hair to the side loosely. When you get about two-thirds of the way down stop braiding and wrap the remaining hair braided and unbraided together into a low bun. Pin it. Pull a few pieces loose around your face. The top is a braid. The bottom is a bun. Together they make something that looks much more complex than it is. Perfect for when you want to look polished but your hair isn’t cooperating.
7. Boho Side Braid With Flowers
Small flowers real ones from the garden or fake ones from a craft store tucked into the sections of a loose side braid. Push them in gently between the strands. They’ll stay without pins if the braid is loose enough. This looks incredibly romantic and bohemian and takes about two extra minutes on top of a regular braid. Perfect for outdoor events, summer parties, or any day you just want your hair to feel special. Very popular for amazing school hairstyle ideas that stand out without being too much.
8. Dutch Side Braid (The One That Pops Out)
A Dutch braid is a regular braid but instead of crossing strands OVER each other you cross them UNDER. This makes the braid sit on top of the hair instead of sinking into it. It looks 3D and textured and really cool. Do it to the side of your head and pull the sections loose as you go. This one takes a little practice but once you get it you’ll do it all the time because it looks impressive without being genuinely hard.
9. Sleepy Undone Side Braid
This one is for the mornings when you have about four minutes. Run your fingers through your hair don’t even brush it. Gather it loosely to one side. Braid it without caring about how neat it is. Tie it off. Done. The slept-in texture actually HELPS this braid. Second-day or third-day hair? Even better. This style looks like it has intention when really it’s just what happens when you braid hair you haven’t thought about. That’s the beauty of it.
10. Side Braid With Curtain Bangs Left Out
If you have curtain bangs those soft pieces that frame your face on both sides leave them completely out of the braid. Braid everything else loosely to the side. The curtain bangs frame your face softly while the braid sits to the side. This combination is incredibly pretty and very popular right now. It works for school, work, dates, everything. First day of school hairstyles has more bang-friendly braid options if this is your hair situation.
11. Double Thin Side Braids
Take two small sections from the top front of your hair one on each side of your head. Braid each section thinly and loosely. Pull them back and tie them together at the back with a small elastic or let them meet into the main side braid. The rest of your hair can be down and wavy or pulled into a larger side braid. The two thin braids add detail at the top without taking over the whole look. Very boho. Very effortless.
12. Messy Side Braid With Scrunchie
Use a big fluffy scrunchie to tie off your side braid instead of a regular hair tie. The scrunchie adds volume and softness at the end of the braid and it makes the whole style look more intentional. Match the scrunchie to your outfit or go with a neutral cream or white that works with everything. A velvet scrunchie in fall. A satin one in summer. Such a small change but it genuinely upgrades the whole look.
13. Half-Up Side Braid
Don’t braid all your hair. Just take the top half crown to ear gather it to one side and braid it loosely. Leave the bottom half of your hair down. The braid sits on top of the loose waves underneath and looks like a crown almost. This is a really good style for people who like having their hair mostly down but want something more interesting than just wearing it loose. Soft and pretty without being too done.
14. Side Braid With a Puff at the Crown
Gather a small section of hair at the very top of your head and tease it or push it forward slightly to create a small puff or volume at the crown. Smooth the sides back into a side braid. The puff at the crown adds height and makes the face look more framed. This is a good one for when your hair is feeling flat or limp the puff solves it and the braid distracts from everything else. Great option in the soft girl hairstyles for first day of school category.
15. Beach Wave Side Braid
Add some salt spray or texturizing spray to your hair before you braid it. Let it sit for a minute. Then braid loosely. The spray adds grit and texture that makes the braid hold its shape better and look more beachy and undone. When you pull the sections apart they look fuller and more voluminous. This is the trick for making thin or flat hair look like it has way more going on than it does. Salt spray is a messy side braid’s best friend.
16. Side Braid With Gold Hair Cuffs
Hair cuffs are those tiny little metal rings or clips that slide onto a strand of hair. Put two or three of them at different points along your side braid near the top, in the middle, near the end. Gold ones look particularly beautiful. They add a jewelry like quality to the braid without you actually doing anything complicated. You just slide them on. This is the kind of detail that makes a simple braid look like something special.
17. Crown Twist Into Side Braid
Twist a section of hair from the crown of your head and bring it forward and down into a side braid. The twist at the top creates an interesting detail before the braid starts. It looks like a crown braid almost but it’s simpler because you’re twisting not braiding at the top. This style keeps hair off your face completely while looking really elegant. For more twist-based styles the crown twist hairstyles guide has beautiful variations on this exact look.
18. Side Braid on Curly Hair
Curly hair and messy side braids are genuinely a perfect match because curly hair adds natural volume and texture to the braid automatically. You don’t need to pull sections loose the curls do it for you. Just gather your curls to one side and braid them loosely. The result is big, full, beautiful. Don’t fight the frizz. The frizz is part of the style. Let it be wild. It will look amazing.
19. Side Braid Tucked and Pinned Like a Faux Updo
Braid your hair to the side. Then instead of leaving the braid hanging tuck the end up and under and pin it against your head near your ear or nape. The braid becomes a loop. A faux updo. It looks like a complicated up style but it’s literally just a side braid that you folded back on itself and pinned. Add a decorative pin or clip where you tuck it for extra detail. This works beautifully for events, parties, or any day you want to look like you did something special with your hair.
20. Side Braid With Headband
Put on a simple headband thin fabric or elastic before you braid. Pull your hair to the side and under the headband so the headband sits across the top of your head. Then braid the gathered hair loosely below it. The headband frames everything and keeps the top of your hair smooth while the braid does the textured work below. Easy. Cute. Very wearable for school or casual days. A good one from the hairstyles that stay perfect all day collection because the headband genuinely keeps things in place.
21. Waterfall Side Braid
In a waterfall braid you cross sections over normally but instead of picking up the dropped section you let it fall loose like a waterfall. The loose pieces cascade down through the braid. It looks incredibly delicate and intricate but it’s actually not much harder than a regular braid once you understand the concept. Do it to the side of your head and let the fallen pieces blend into the rest of your loose hair. One of the most romantic braid styles there is.
22. Messy Side Braid Ponytail
Instead of gathering your hair to the side from the start first put all your hair in a low side ponytail. Then braid the ponytail. The ponytail elastic stays at the top and the braid hangs from it. This keeps things neat at the base while the braid part gets to be as messy as you want. Useful when your hair is slippery and won’t stay gathered without a starting point. Simple but effective.
23. Side Braid With Space Buns on Top
Take two small sections from the top of your head one on each side and twist them into tiny space buns. Pin them. Then take the rest of your hair and braid it loosely to one side. The space buns sit on top like small antennae and the side braid hangs below. It sounds like a lot but it looks really fun and creative. Great for festivals, casual days, or any time you want your hair to have actual personality.
24. Side Braid on Short or Medium Hair
Short hair can absolutely do a side braid. If your hair reaches your chin or below you have enough for this. Gather what you can to one side. Braid it loosely. Some pieces will be too short and fall out. That’s fine those become face framing pieces. Use a few bobby pins to keep what you want in place. The finished look is small and delicate rather than long and dramatic and that’s just as pretty in its own way.
25. Your Most Imperfect Side Braid
Pull your hair to one side. Braid it however it comes out. Don’t fix it. Don’t redo it. Don’t compare it to a tutorial.
The imperfect braid the one where sections are uneven, where pieces fell out, where the tension changed halfway through is genuinely the most beautiful version of this style. Because it looks real. It looks like a person did it. Like your hands did it. And that naturalness is exactly what makes the messy side braid so universally loved.
Nobody is looking for perfect. They’re looking for real. And your real braid is always the right one.
A Few Things That Make Every Side Braid Better
Don’t brush right before braiding. A little texture helps the braid hold. Freshly brushed silky hair slides apart immediately.
Braid looser than feels right. It always tightens up slightly after you pull the sections. Start loose and go looser.
Pull from the sides of each section, not the top. Pulling from the sides makes the braid wider. Pulling from the top just makes it longer.
Let things fall out. Flyaways and loose pieces are not failures. They’re the style.
Now go braid your hair. Messily. On purpose.