Well, folks, it looks like we won't be escaping winter's icy grip anytime soon. Aside from Punxsutawney Phil seeing his shadow on Groundhog Day, it's still snowing on the east coast, too, which doesn't really give us much hope for April flowers bringing May showers any time soon. At any rate, the chillier weather gives us more time to play with protective styles. Of course, any season is appropriate for braids, twists, and cornrows — but because it's too cold to air dry (or perhaps we just get too lazy for a twist-out, sue us), it makes perfect sense to dial your braider up now.
Feed-in braids, which are closer to the root than cornrows, also have a more natural finish. And they're so damn versatile as well... just ask Solange. You can rock them undecorated (because 600 beads can be a bit much, tbh), or for an even easier take, give Dutch braids a try by working with two larger sections instead of sectioning them off in smaller ones. The trick to keeping your plaits seamless is to add more hair as you go along and braid under, not over. Easy enough, right? Watch the technique above — and get a handy tutorial on how to do stitch-braids, too.