The Secret to Getting a Great Top Knot

Top knots are our favorite go-to hairstyle on days when we don’t have time to go the heated styling route. The style is also helpful when you want to hide the fact that you haven’t washed your hair in, oh, a week. Backstage at Kate Spade‘s Spring 2014 presentation, models were getting the top knot treatment from Garnier stylist Tommy Buckett, who shared his secrets for getting it just right.

To get the perfect texture, Buckett raked Garnier Fructis Surfer Hair Power Putty ($6.09, soap.com) through the whole hairline. Next he gathered the hair up high on top of the the head. “We didn’t want it too ballerina looking,” he said. “We wanted it to be a little more chic.” Since the key to a great top knot is getting the hair up high, Buckett had two great suggestions:

1. Flip your hair upside down when gathering hair into the ponytail. This will help you to get it as high as possible.

2. Once you’ve gathered the hair, flip upright and look up to the ceiling, so your head is tilted, which will make smoothing the hair into place that much easier.

Once your ponytail is secured, wrap the hair around the base and secure with four to five large bobby pins. The result? A fuss-free hairstyle that will stay in place all day.