How to Make a Gibson Girl Bun

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: February 13, 2022 Tested

Old fashioned styles have a way of coming back into vogue, and the Gibson Girl bun is no exception! The Gibson Girl bun is based on ink drawings of women done by an American named Charles Gibson beginning in the 1890s.^{[1]
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Library of Congress
Official library of the U.S. and main research institution for Congress and the American public
Go to source} Gibson's girl was meant to personify the ideal American beauty of that era, and her hair style is soft and very poofy with a bun on top and ringlets and tendrils hanging down. Late Victorian and early Edwardian-era women spent a lot of time on their hair, so this 'do requires some effort and a lot of hair to get right. This fun hairdo is ideal for those who like steampunk culture, cosplay, costumes, theater, or just want to try a cool new look.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Mastering a Basic Gibson Girl Bun

1
Prepare your hair. The best natural hair type for this style is long, wavy, and thick. If you have wavy hair, don't straighten it. Likewise, if your hair is naturally stick-straight, you may want to put a bit of mousse or texturizing spray in it and blow dry it with a diffuser to try to give it more body and texture.
- As with any up-do, day-old hair is best (that is, hair that you washed the day before, but not today). That's because the natural oils in your hair give it more grip so it won't slip out of your hairclips.
- Unfortunately, this hairdo will not work if you do not have very long hair (at least halfway down your back). You can modify it a bit for slightly shorter hair.
2
Part your hair behind the ears. Using a comb, make a neat part separating the back of your hair from the front just behind the ears, as if you were going to put it half up, half down.
- Smooth your hair with a brush on the top and bottom.
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3
Pull the section up and smooth it. You want to hold this front section up with your arm extended above your head so that the hair goes straight up in the air. You are creating the volume for your hair style, and bigger is better for this style.
- Smooth it by pulling gently on the hair from mid shaft to the ends, but don't smooth the hair right around your scalp or you will lose some of the volume.^{[2]
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4
Tie off the front section. While still holding the front hair section above your head, use an elastic hair tie to secure it several inches from your scalp.^{[3]
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- The farther away from the scalp you secure it, the higher your poof will be, so choose where you'd like to place it based on how much size and volume you'd like in the final look.
5
Gather the rest of your hair. Now that the front section is secured, continue holding it up above your head and gather the rest of your hair behind it. Smooth the back section, now, the same way that you did the front section, holding it mid-shaft.^{[4]
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- You can use a hairbrush to ensure that the back section is smooth, and add volumizing spray, hair spray, or texturizing spray to this section for added volume.
6
Twist a bun. Holding the front and back sections with one hand securely, press them down toward the scalp so that you create a nice poof all around, front, back, and sides. Your hair should sort of sit on your head like a hat with a brim all around. Now, use your other hand to twist the top part with the other hand to create a bun.
- It is important to hold the rest of your hair in place while twisting the bun, to maintain the poofiness of the hair style. Otherwise your bun will pull all the poof out of the surrounding hair.
- Twist the length of your hair into a small, tight bun, and press the whole thing down onto your scalp.^{[5]
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7
Secure the bun. Using bobby pins in the color of your hair, secure the bun close to the scalp all the way around.^{[6]
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- You may need lots of pins, depending on the thickness of your hair. It is always better to use more pins than you need than not enough, or your hair style will fall out.
8
Finish the style. You can use a rattail comb to lightly smooth the poof of your hair all the way around, using the end of the comb to tug lightly on the hair if it looks flat or doesn't poof out as much as you want.
- If you like, you can carefully pull out a few small tendrils or curls around your face or ears. For added Victorian elegance, take a small-barreled curling iron and give these pieces extra curl.
- Spray generously with your favorite hairspray to hold the style all day.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Increasing Your Volume

1
Use hair products to add volume and texture. Depending on your hair type, you can use certain hair products to give your hair more body and ensure that it stays poofy and doesn't fall flat halfway through the day.
- A volumizing shampoo and conditioner is a great option for fine hair, but you can also try a clarifying shampoo (which removes all the product buildup on your hair) and no conditioner. That will help ensure your hair is less slippery from product while giving it more natural volume.
- If you have naturally straight hair, add a texturizing spray or mousse to your hair while it is damp, distributing it evenly.
- For naturally wavy or curly hair, apply a volumizing mousse or spray to damp hair, then blow dry using a diffuser with your head upside down until it is completely dry.
2
Curl your hair and brush it out. Curls will give your hair a lot more volume and also are a more forgiving texture for up-dos, since you won't be able to see bumps or unevenness as well.
- After applying a volumizing mousse, let your hair dry naturally or put it into curlers and let it dry overnight. If you didn't put it in curlers, once it is dry curl it using a medium barrel curling iron, and a small amount of medium hold hair spray after each curl.
- After your hair is curled all over, brush it out all over using your fingers or a wide-toothed comb. You should have very poofy hair at this point, perfect for starting your Gibson Girl style.
- If you do have curly hair, brush your curls to make them fluffy and frizzy, giving more volume all over.
3
Add a hairpiece. A hairpiece like a wig or extensions can be laid on your head when you part it down the middle. This will give extra body and volume.
- You can purchase hair pieces at most beauty supply stores, or get a cheap wig from a big box store in your hair color. Roll it up and stick it on the top of your head when you part your hair down the middle.^{[7]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Making it More Authentic

1
Don't use a curling iron. If you want authentic curls in your Gibson Girl bun, you have to forego the use of modern conveniences like curling irons!
- Curl your hair using rag curlers for an authentic experience! You don't need any special equipment except for an old t-shirt or other cotton material.
2
Don't use rubber bands. Authentic Victorian-era women didn't use rubber bands or clips in their hair. Their elaborate styles were obtained using hairpins.
- Hair pins are not the same as bobby pins, and while you may have trouble finding vintage hair pins, you can purchase similar items at most beauty supply stores. They are often very ornate on one end and very sharp on the other.
3
Use hair pieces. Because big, poofy hair was a status symbol among women in the Victorian and Edwardian eras, almost everyone added hair pieces to give more volume to their natural hair.
- If you want to be truly authentic, save the hair from your hairbrush and tangle it together to create a "rat" of hair. This natural hair is placed inside your hair poof or bun to give it more volume, in a shade and texture that exactly matches your hair. The more you save, the more volume you will build! Victorian and Edwardian-era women saved their hair rats for years to create their iconic voluminous styles.^{[8]
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Community Q&A

Question

Can I do any type of bun if my hair is wet from the shower?

Community Answer

Yes. If you bun your hair wet, just realize it may retain the curl or shape of the bun when you take it out, though.