Easy Braided Hairstyles for Long Hair in the Summertime and Beyond

Long hair is gorgeous, and most of you long-haired girls wouldn’t trade your locks for anything… except during the steamy heat of summer. If you are looking for cute summer hairstyles for long hair, we’ve got the perfect solution for you… braided updos! Boho and trendy, or romantic and wispy, all these hairstyle tutorials will hlep to tame that mane even in the heat and humidity of summer. No more boring ponytails! (Not that we girls can’t rock a good ponytail too!) So give these pretty summer hairstyles a try… the tutorials make them easy!

Photo collage of braided hairstyles for long hair

 

Easy Braided Updos

Nothing beats an updo on a summer day- getting all that hair off your neck is a game changer! Add some braids and you get extra summer vibes and extra hold in your hairstyle.

Swept Braid Updo

We’re going to start out with a couple of braided updo tutorials from one of our fav beauty and hair bloggers. Kate at ‘The Small Things Blog‘ has a tutorial for this swept braid updo that is the epitome of a romantic summer hairstyle! She has great tips, step by step instructions, and a video.

Back view of woman with swept braid updo hairstyle

Messy Dutch Braid Bun Updo

Also from Kate at ‘The Small Things Blog‘. This one is a messy dutch braid bun tutorial, and it is a perfect summer braided hairstyle when you don’t want to wash, or when you just need to look polished in a hurry. She has a step by step video for this one too!

Back view of woman with messy dutch braid bun updo hairstyle

Milkmaid/Crown Braided Updo

On hot summer nights when you need your hair up but still want to look cute, this milkmaid or crown braided updo is the way to go. It’s elegant enough for a wedding or date night and perfect for staying cool. ‘Alex Gaboury‘ walks you through it with ease in her video.

Side view of blonde woman with milkmaid/crown braided updo hairstyle

Long Lasting Braid Updo

This long-lasting braided updo is ideal for summer adventures. It’s stylish yet sporty, and great for the beach or a hike. ‘Poppy’s tutorial‘ makes it a breeze to recreate.

Back view of woman with one low twisted bun hairstyle

Double Lace Braids Updo

This “double lace braids” updo for long hair, is perfect for summer date night! ‘Missy Sue‘ has a ton of great hairstyle tutorials. This one is gorgeous and looks complex, but it’s surprisingly easy to do if you just follow the video!

Side view view of woman with double lace braids updo hairstyle

Tucked Fishtail Braided Updo

This tucked fishtail braided updo is also from ‘Missy Sue‘. (See, we told you she had tons of great tutorials! We couldn’t pick just one!) Special night out, or just for a summer day you want to feel pretty!

Back view of woman with tucked fishtail braided updo hairstyle

Dutch Braided Updo

A Dutch braided updo that even a beginner can do! This summer hairstyle is straight from ‘Byrdie‘, and they have lots of clear and easy to follow photos for each step so that you can do this too.

Back view of woman with dutch braided updo hairstyle

Space Buns with Dutch Braid Updo

Want a braided updo that is a little more “fun”? Try these space buns with a Dutch braid tutorial from ‘Positively Oakes‘. This is so cute, go check out the full look on her at her blog!

Birds eye view of woman with space buns with dutch braided updo hairstyle

Lace Braided Updo

Here is an easy braided hairstyle from ‘Hair Affairs‘. This 3 minute lace braided updo is the perfect summer hairstyle for long hair! Fast, easy and gorg!

Back view of woman with lace braided  updo hairstyle

Horseshoe Braided Updo

Try this horseshoe braided updo from ‘Cup of Jo‘. Another easy braided style that will keep your hair up off your neck, but still looks casual and yet polished. You can’t get this wrong with the step by step instructions of this tutorial.

Side view of woman with horseshoe braided updo hairstyle

Braided Romantic Updo

Want a summer hairstyle for a wedding, or a special occasion? This braided updo may look complicated, but it’s as easy as following the step by steps. From ‘Hannah Forsberg‘.

Backview view of woman with romantic braided updo hairstyle

Messy Rope Braids Updo

This messy bun braided summer hairstyle is really versatile, because you can wear it as a braided updo, or half up, half down. From ‘Love, Maegan‘, this one also has a video tutorial.

Front/side view of woman with messy rope braids updo hairstyle

10 Minute Braided Updo

Want fast and beautiful? Try this 10 minute braided updo from ‘Paper & Stitch‘. Love this perfectly imperfect messy bun style!

Back view of woman with braided updo hairstyle

Fishtail Braided Updo

This lovely fishtail braided updo tutorial is a lot easier than it looks! Complete video tutorial, from ‘Twist Me Pretty‘.

Back view of woman with fishtail braided updo hairstyle

Braided Updo Bun

Lainey Ostrom’s ‘quick tutorial’ puts a fun twist on the classic updo bun. It’s easy to recreate and great for when you want to dress up your hair without too much effort. This playful, summer-ready look is ideal for the beach, a concert, or a BBQ.

Back view of a blonde woman's hair with braided updo bun hairstyle

Half Up, Half Down Braided Hairstyles

Sometimes, you’re good with leaving the hair on your neck, but just want a bit out of your face – and that’s where half-updos come in! Half-up braided hairstyles create such a cute, carefree boho kind of look that is just perfect for summer.

Double Braided Wrap Half-Updo

If you are looking for half up, half down braided updos, then we have some great choices for you. Once again from ‘Missy Sue‘ is this pretty half updo double braided wrap.  Great choice for a summer hairstyle for long hair when you don’t want it all up. This one is soft and pretty, but still keeps the hair off your face.

Side view of woman with double braided wrap half-updo hairstyle

 

Boho Fishtail Braided Half-Updo

For a really simple half up, half down hairstyle, try this Boho fishtail braided updo from ‘More‘. So pretty!

Back view of woman with fishtail braided half-updo hairstyle

Dutch Crown Braid Half-Updo

This half-up Dutch crown braid will make you feel like a total summer goddess. It’s a great way to dress up your hair without too much effort. Check out ‘Alex Gaboury’s tutorial‘ to recreate this timeless look in just a few steps.

Three image collage of a woman with dutch crown braided half-updo hairstyles

Headband Braid Half-Updo

Not sure which headband braid to try? No need to stress. ‘Missy Sue‘ has you covered with four different options. Her tutorial is easy to follow, so you can add texture to your long hair in no time.

Four front view images of a woman with headband braided updo hairstyles

Two Strand Braided Half-Updo

This easy two-strand braided half-up, half-down hairstyle is perfect for when you want to look cute and put together, but still need your hair out of your face in the summer heat. Even better, it’s quick and simple to do. Lainey Ostrom’s tutorial shows you how to achieve this chic look in minutes.

Back view of woman with two strand braided half-updo hairstyle

Half Fishtail Braid Updo

Finally, we have this cute half up fishtail braid tutorial from Jacquelyn Clark at ‘Lark & Linen‘. Easy, simple, fast, cute!

Back view of woman with half fishtail braided updo hairstyle

Do you have a favorite of these easy and pretty braided updo hairstyles? Well if you have long hair, there’s no denying that these are perfect summer hairdos!
We think you will also want to check out our posts on 15 Easy Messy Bun Tutorials and 20 Best Beauty Hacks & Makeup Tips!


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Kathy Bates

Kathy Bates is the founder of The Middle Girls, a platform dedicated to empowering women over 50 to embrace their potential and live fulfilling, purpose-driven lives. With a passion for encouraging self-awareness and self-love, Kathy writes about topics like confidence, personal growth, style, and building thriving businesses later in life. When she’s not writing, Kathy enjoys books, nature, and helping women discover their next chapter. Find freebies just for women over 50 at The Middle Girls.

Kathy Bates’ previous writing credits include:

Former home decorating expert for Lifetime TV, Galtime and Country Woman Magazine.

Her book spent time at #1 on Amazon’s Home & Garden Topseller List in 2002.

Published or featured in numerous national publications, including:

Country Sampler’s Decorating Ideas magazine, Woman’s Day magazine, HGTV, The Wall Street Journal, CBS Marketwatch, Decorating Solutions magazine, Decorating Ideas magazine, The Seattle Times, Chicago Tribune, Kansas City News, The Oklahoman, Akron Beacon Journal, Pensacola News Journal and The Telegraph.

4 Comments

  1. Hrelate
    September 27, 2019 / 5:19 am

    Your hairstyle is very beautiful. I will also try to make this hairstyle as I also have long hair.

  2. Brunette
    August 23, 2019 / 12:55 pm

    They are all blonde. Brunettes can have pretty summer braids too.

    • Kathy Bates
      Author
      May 5, 2021 / 10:35 am

      Agreed, they sure can!

  3. Malik
    June 3, 2019 / 11:05 am

    Best article.
    Love it
    Thanks for sharing.

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