This 1/2 Fishtail Plait Seamlessly Braids Short Hair Without A Hitch

Braids are some of the most impactful yet easy, pared-down styles to create on all types of hair. From french braids to parting plaits, there are so many different ways to incorporate braids into your look, and there are options for all hair types and lengths. One of the most popular styles is the fishtail braid, which has long been a favourite of celebrities, beauty bloggers and editors alike. It's also a style that is truly versatile, and can be applied to anyone. Here's how to fishtail braid short hair.

Let's start with discovering exactly what the fishtail braid is. The fishtail style is an interwoven braid that is a little tighter than your regular chilled out style, and is usually considered to be slightly more intricate and harder to execute. However, all you really need to know is that you'll need to be a little more nifty with your hands, and you'll have slightly more pieces of hair to deal with. But in reality, the fishtail really isn't that much more difficult than any other braid out there, if you just know how.

The thing with the fishtail braid is that we tend to associate it with super long locks, visualising the plait tumbling down a back or passing shoulders. While the style of course suits long hair wonderfully (and tbh, probably best), it can absolutely be altered to work for shorter locks. The best way to do this is to create a French braid style fishtail plait. Essentially, the plait will need to sit higher up and nearer to the scalp.

This look by blogger My Style Vita's Jessica, which she dubbed the 'fishtail halfsie' is probably the easiest and prettiest way to achieve a fishtail braid on shorter locks. Her instructions are as follows:

1. Start with loosely curled hair.
2. Take a small section of hair and begin to fishtail.
3. Once you finish fishtailing the section, hold the end fairly tightly and begin to pull apart the fishtail to give it texture.
4. Tuck the end of the braid to below your crown and under your hair (so the bobby pins are covered).
5. Repeat Steps 2-4 on the other side.
6. Take the middle section that isn’t braided (the crown where you’ve tucked your braids under) and part the section to add your Powdery Play for additional volume and texture.
7. Curl any left over pieces (because I only curl my top half so my front sections were straight as a board, whoops).

Alternatively, you can follow one of many simple, easy-to-follow YouTube tutorials to achieve the look. I like this one by Chloe Brown, who uses a similar french braid method on her short bob.

If you need help figuring out the basics of fishtail braiding before you consider styles for shorter hair, Kayley Melissa's video for beginners is a great place to start.

But bear in mind, Melissa's instructions are best for longer hair, so it's best to refer back to the other tutorials for shorter hair as you go.