Hold the plaits! Instead take your tresses on a few twists and turns with this season’s chicest hair trend

Braids aren’t the only ’do having a major moment this season; fall runways were full of styles that quite literally put a new twist on classics. Even easier than braids, these rolled-up looks range from retro to romantic to edgy—and require few tools and products. “Just as fashion trends come back in style, so do hairstyles. Many fashion trends have had a ’90s influence recently and twists were big then,” says hair stylist Allie Paronelli of Jonathan and George Salon in Beverly Hills.

While the catwalks of Gucci took twists to a dreamy A Midsummer Night’s Dream-esque place (a section at each temple twisted and connected at the back with loose, wavy hair) and Fendi paraded headband-like double-strand twists across the crown, other shows like Preen showed the opposite side of the trend: super structured and rolled completely up, ’40s-style. A similar feeling can be accomplished by twisting all the hair on both sides of a center part until they meet at the nape of the neck to form a ponytail or tucked-under bun (like at Valentino). The latter look “is relatively easy and great for dirty hair,” says Paronelli. “The modern twists have a little texture to them. Flyaways are allowed and the looks work great for both day and evening.”

One great thing about this technique—thought it’s so simple it’s hardly one!— is that it works for every hair type, slick and straight to curly and thick. It’s also “great to make that second-day blow-dry look fresh.” However, since the trend is “definitely undone and slightly messy, this isn’t for a woman who prefers her hair to look perfectly coiffed. The wearer most likely has an edgier style.” And is more likely somewhere around 15-35, she adds. Besides your hands, the only tools really needed to twist your tresses are a tail comb for sectioning, bobby pins (Paronelli recommends the tiny ones so they don’t show in the hair) and sea salt spray, like Bumble and Bumble’s classic version or Bangstyle’s new Light Sea Salt Mist.

As for the actual size and placement of your twists, the sky’s the limit. “I love to twist hair into a messy bun or add a couple twists to a wavy blow-dry,” says the styling star. “I will also twist only one side,” she adds, as Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has worn on the red carpet, right along her hairline with a glam side part. But more than anything, Paronelli’s advice is, “Don’t overthink it when you are twisting your hair—the more organic and natural the better.” Foolproof and fab, what could be better?