“There’s not a strong trend for up or down,” continues Santiago, who Allure magazine has named as the best updo stylist in Chicago. “Instead, they’re using their hair as a way to express their own individuality.”

Many Quince girls are going for a more casual feel; their dresses aren’t as elaborate and instead of a ballroom they’re opting for a club or restaurant venue, according to Santiago. Variation and personal style within the traditional context seem to be the greatest common denominators. Accordingly, Quinceañeras are choosing hairstyles that complement this more laid-back attitude. In addition to pretty updos, Santiago is being asked to create styles where “the hair is down with a little more body to it, or looks that have softer curls with just a few pieces up and the rest is left loose.”

“The move is to more natural looks, nothing extravagant, and more down than up,” notes Jacklyn Kim, president of Tiffani Kim Institute. “The updos are slick hairdos, clean and pulled back with hairpins, or adorned with a simple tiara or flowers; the details are subtle ones like small braids.”

Ana Maldonado, a stylist at Beauty Plus Salon in Ramsey, New Jersey, also sees a shift to less “fussy and elaborate” hairstyles among her Quince and prom clientele. “I just had a Quince girl and her mom come in for a consultation, and they made it clear they wanted the girl’s pretty, delicate face to be the focus, not a big poufy thing of a hairstyle. It’s what I like to call simple yet sensational. You can’t go wrong with that.”

Photos in above article courtesy of Tiffani Kim Institute, http://www.tiffanikiminstitute.com/

Cost-Saving Options
Don’t have an unlimited budget but still want to look like a million bucks? You might want to consider checking out the services available at beauty schools such as Aveda Frederic Institute, which currently has branches in Indianapolis and Cincinnati, and is planning additional openings. For instance, an upstyle/special occasion look is only $25 at Aveda Frederic’s Institute Indianapolis, which has been named as one of Salon Today magazine’s “Salons of the Year.” Other options: Look in your phone book for beauty schools in your area, or ask at local salons to see whether they have “apprentice nights” during which you can get styles at reduced rates or even for free. (Don’t stress over your tresses; students are supervised by licensed instructors. For best results, go on a “trial” style run before your big night. Everybody wins—you get a creative style at a great price, the school gets your business and the student gains experience and practice.)

Hairstyle (bottom right photo) in Cost Saving Options by Aveda Frederic Institute student Jessica Heck