I am all about the top knot these days and it’s all thanks to 3 things: Kate Bosworth, Kate Bosworth’s top knot and the humble hair doughnut. To be honest though, I’d probably be a fan of anything that involved the word ‘doughnut’!

Top knots are one of my favourite hairstyles around as they’re so incredibly versatile and there are so many different variations (some brave souls out there have even done braided top knots which I’m sure must involve some sort of wizardry because they’re just so magical to look at!). I personally don’t think that you can beat the standard top knot though, it’s simple, it’s elegant and it’s how I imagine all chic Parisians wear their hair (it’s important that no one ruins that fantasy for me, ok?).

For the standard top knot, all you need is a hair doughnut, hair grips and hair spray and that’s it, it really is a ‘no big deal’ but ‘look at me’ hairstyle. Hair doughnuts come in a variety of sizes depending on how big or small you want your top knot as well as the length of your hair – obviously a massive doughnut isn’t going to work on a bob as there won’t be enough hair to cover it. You need to make sure that you go for a hair doughnut in the shade that best suits your hair – the main three colours are brown, black and blonde.

To get a top knot that will give Kate Bosworth a run for her money, simply start off by tying your hair into a ponytail – the height of the ponytail is completely your call, it all depends on how high up you want your top knot to be – I personally think the higher the better! Then all you need to do is grab a doughnut (not the edible variety – unless you want sugary hair……….which actually sounds quite delicious!) and place the end of your hair though that delightful inedible doughnut.

Now you begin the rolling part which I weirdly find quite therapeutic. So, get the doughnut and roll it down your hair until you reach your hair tie. Then finally grab your hair grips and pop them into your top knot to secure it in place and use a generous spritz of hairspray to make sure that it all stays in place. It really is THAT easy.

For those of you that may want to attempt the top knot now but don’t have access to a hair doughnut then may I suggest using a sock. Yes, you did just read that last sentence correctly and yes, I did mean to write the word ‘sock’. This is what I used to do whenever I misplaced my hair doughnut and was in desperate need of my top knot hairstyle – I would take a, and this is important, CLEAN sock (because a dirty sock in your hair is probably crossing the hygiene line by quite a lot) and I would then cut off the toe end of the sock. Bare with me here and you’ll start to understand how this now toeless sock can work in the same way as a hair doughnut. I would then start rolling my sock from the toe end to the ankle end so that right in front of my very own eyes a doughnut shape would start to appear and then ta da……………..a sock doughnut was formed and I was able to commence my top knot creation by using my sock doughnut just like a normal hair doughnut.

You can even have fun with the top knot, just check out my Rudolph-themed bun from Christmas – how better to spread Christmas cheer than to have a reindeer in your hair?!

Top knots are timeless and classic, just look at Audrey Hepburn rocking one for Breakfast at Tiffany’s back in the early sixties, even Bradley Cooper’s been known to work a top knot – so if they’re good enough for Kate, Audrey and Bradley then they’re good enough for us all!


Are you a fan of the top knot? Have you tried the sock trick before? Let us know by leaving us a comment!