15 Different Kinds of Hair Buns to Match Your Mood

The bun is the little black dress of the hairstyling realm. It’s universally flattering and incredibly versatile. Whether you’ve got five minutes or five hours to get ready, we have all the different kinds of hair buns you can experiment with.

The most basic bun is created by twisting your hair together in one direction to make a simple knot at the back of the head. How you secure a basic bun is all up to you! You can throw on a scrunchie if you're low on time or use color-matched u-pins for the tightest hold. 

It might not be the flashiest hair bun style, but it's considered a classic for a reason. 

Reach for the stars with a stacked bun like this one! If you've got a lot of length, this style is perfect for you. By doubling the bun or using multiple elastics to secure it, your hair is held more firmly in place than with a classic bun. Play around with the texture by pinning or cinching different parts of your bun to find the right look. 

Embrace the elegance of yesteryear with a Gibson Girl-inspired bun. This “new woman” ideal involved creating maximum floof with a small bun positioned on the crown of your head. While many women used hair pieces to achieve the look back in the day, you can get yours with the power of modern tools and products.

Gather all your hair into one hand and raise it straight above your head. Grab the hair about four or five inches from the ends and twist once clockwise. Try to twist only the top portion of your hair because you want the bottom part to be able to fan out. Keep twisting and descend down to the upper center of your head.

After you’ve fully twisted your hair into a bun, pull out a few u-pins and stick the bun in place. That should leave you with the perfect aughts hairstyle.

A low bun fastened at the nape of the neck can be a romantic, elegant look when paired with loose face-framing tendrils cascading down. Low buns are great for women with layered hair that may not be easy to secure in a smooth bun. Big, bouncy hair can be tamed into a low bun with ease. 

Related: 7 Flattering Hairstyles for People Blessed With Big Noses

Get a little Billie Holiday glamor by adding a floral pin, fresh flower, or other floral accents to your classic bun. This hairstyle is tailor-made for more formal events like weddings and proms. 

It doesn’t matter your gender identity or hair length — anyone can rock a slicked-back bun. This severe and professional style is a perfect (and simple) way to transition from day to night seamlessly.

Using a boar’s hair brush, smooth your hair back into a bun. Pin it in place, doing your best to remove any bumps or ridges along your scalp. Grab some flexible hair wax to smooth down your edges and even things out without getting that gel-ified helmet hair.

Give your bun some emo edge by coiling the hair close to the scalp at the side of the head but leaving the ends loose. Embrace the chaos and fan the rest of your hair across your head (using plenty of hair spray for secure hold and shape). Or, leave it to dangle down and frame your neck. 

The defining characteristic of different types of hair buns is that the hair is smoothly gathered at the back of the head, but a bun doesn't have to be secured into a simple knot. Instead, elaborate updo buns fold and twist different sections of your hair to create volume and texture.

Typically, you'll want to hire a professional with something as complicated as an updo bun to bring yours to life. 

Tumblrinas from the 2010s remember the Coquette style well with its pastels, lace, and ribbon accouterments. Grab about a foot of lustrous satin ribbon if you want to add a touch of girlish flounce to your classic bun.

Secure a basic bun in place, then center the ribbon along the front of your bun. Wrap it around to the back, keeping enough tension that it doesn’t slide out of place, and tie it into a bow. You may need to wrap multiple times depending on how much ribbon you have left. Add a few small u-pins if it feels like it’ll slip, and your coquette bun is done!

A fast, easy type of hair bun starts with a simple ponytail. Gather your hair in a ponytail holder close to the scalp, but when pulling the hair into the elastic don't pull the ends all the way through. That way, the hair forms a loose drape at the back of the head, giving the illusion of both a ponytail and a bun. It's the ultimate on-the-go hair bun look and ideal for students and athletes alike. 

Related: 9 Long Hairstyles for Older Women With Hair Down to There

Put your length to good use with this twisty hairstyle. It's easy to wind your long hair into a twisted bun! 

Twisting your hair and letting it hold its natural shape keeps your hair secure but gives it much more texture and distinction than a typical bun. As always, if you want the bun to stay in place, make sure you fully bobby pin or u-pin it down. 

You can tie your medium or long hair into a fast, messy bun as a quick way to get hair under control. Unfortunately, this style doesn't work well with layered hair because the layers fall out of the bun easily. But, if you only have a few layers, a hair stick might hold yours in place. 

The man bun had its moment in the 2010s, but we’re bringing it back. To master a man bun, you’ve got to mix the messy nature of a knotted bun with the position of a low or high one. You get bonus points if you throw it together with a rubber band or stretched-out ponytail holder.

You don't have to position your bun at the back of your head or nape of your neck. If you partied hard in the early 2010s, you know the everlasting power of a top knot. This style that sits on the crown of your head gives the bun instant volume and eye-catching appeal, similar to a modern beehive hairdo.

Space buns are an out-of-this-world hairstyle. People will all different hair types and textures can wrangle their tresses into two equally-sized buns on the side of your head. Beware pulling the hair too far to the side or else you could end up looking like Princess Leia. 

With many different types of hair buns, the right accessories can give a deceptively simple style a more elegant, fashionable, or funky feel. Some of our favorite bun accessories include: 

• Claw clips 
• Floral wraps 
• Snoods 
• Bun wraps 
• Hair combs 
• Hairsticks 
• Decorative flowers 
• Butterfly clips 
• Scrunchies 

There are different types of buns well-suited for every hairstyle, and these are just some of the creative ideas for how you can transform your hair. Your hair is a work of art, and you are the artist. It’s up to you to decide how you want your masterpiece to look today.