From Braids to Bows, These Dads Love Doing Their Daughters' Hair

Strider Patton says there's one moment that makes all the hours of perfecting braids and bows and high ponies worth it.
"Someone leans down to my daughter and says, 'Wow, your hair looks great today! Did your mommy do it?'" Patton, who teaches fathers how to style kids' hair on his popular @Dad.Braids Instagram account, tells TODAY.com. His daughter Imogen was 2 years old at the time. "She turns around and points at me. She says, 'Dad braids.' And I was like, 'Yes! That's it!'"
In the three years since that moment, Patton's hair styling skills have improved dramatically. Now he can do lace braids, bubble braids and even a double French high pony. And he has brought almost 250,000 followers on Instagram along for the ride.
Patton is one of the many fathers who are taking on hairstyling duties and loving every brushstroke. The growing number of dads who do their daughters' hair with pride speaks to a change in the way fathers view their roles in the family, he says.
He doesn't aim for perfection. He aims for presence.
"It doesn't matter how bad your hair (styling) is," Patton says. "Your daughter's just going to love that you're there with her."
When he was first struggling with his Imogen's hair, Patton searched for hair tutorials online but most featured moms doing their daughters' hair. They sailed too quickly through the basic steps that Patton still needed to learn. So Patton started an Instagram account for dads who didn't know where to begin.
He set up a camera and shared videos of him doing Imogen's hair every morning. As a professional artist, he had a more flexible schedule than his wife, who owns a children's theater. "It's just so fun to not be an expert and just be like, 'Hey, I'm just a dad trying to learn how to do this, just like you guys.'"
Patton certainly isn't alone on his journey. TODAY.com chatted with several dads who have surpassed their wives' hairstyling skills. And they're not just tooting their own horn — their wives volunteered them for interviews.
Shounak Shah, who says his daughter Arya is "6 going on 15," shares that if he lets Arya choose a parent to style her hair, "she would pick me, 100 percent." He jokes, "Mommy is not the styling type."
Shah, a physical therapist, will call out to Arya, "It's salon time!" and she sits at a little desk and watches a show while Shah adds product and styles her hair.
Dad Jon Studham plays 'Baby Alive' for his 5-year-old while he styles her hair every morning.
"I was terrible at first, but she didn't care," he says. "It isn't about getting every strand in place. It's about showing up, being part of her rhythm, building the moments in life that matter and showing she can count on me."
He continues, 'One day, she won't need or want me to do her hair. But until then, I'll be there — with a brush, a bow, and all the time she needs.'
"I love finding ways to bond with my kids in so many different ways, and doing hair was just one of those creative outlets," says Scott Wormser, who heads up the marketing department at a print shop. He is so adept at doing his 10-year-old daughter Marni's hair that he's even in charge of her styles for dance competitions, which are often difficult and specific ... and must stay intact throughout an energetic routine.
"My wife would always try to do a braid on my daughter's hair, and she just wouldn't get it as tight as I could." Wormser laughs, "And I definitely have much more patience than my wife."
Patton points out that the sheer number of dads who have taken on hair duty suggests a change in our outlook on modern fatherhood.
"For quarter of a million dads out there, it's saying that I care enough to try something new," he says. "It's hard, but it's fun, and it means something. And it gives me a moment, every day, with my girl."
Patton sums it up by adding, "At the heart of this, it's really simple: dads want to connect with their daughters, but a lot of us don't always know how. We're better with tools than tea parties, better with our hands than with our feelings. Learning to braid brings those two worlds together."
This article was originally published on TODAY.com

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Meghan Markle, Prince Harry leaving the Royal Family: A full timeline

(NewsNation) — It has been more than five years since Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, announced they would be stepping down from their royal duties. But what caused that decision, and what has the couple been up to since? Here is the full timeline of their departure and what happened following it: January 8, 2020: Markle and Harry use Instagram to announce that they will be stepping down from their roles as senior royals. The post says: 'After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as 'senior' members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuining our honour our duty to the Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages.' They also revealed a new website that shows how they plan to distance themselves from the Royal Family. That included: Engaging with grassroots media organizations and young, up-and-coming journalists Inviting specialist media to certain events to give greater access to their cause-driven activities Providing access to credible outlets that are focused on objective news reporting Continuing to share information with the public through their official communications channels No longer being in the Royal Rota system There were reports that the Royal Family didn't know about the couple's decision beforehand. BBC News correspondent Jonny Dymond tweeted, 'BBC understands that no other member of the Royal Family was consulted before Harry and Meghan issued their personal statement tonight. The Palace is understood to be 'disappointed.'' Princess Kate pulls out of Royal Ascot appearance last minute Then, Buckingham Palace released a statement, saying, 'Discussion with The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage. We understand the desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through.' January 9, 2020: A source tells US Weekly that Prince William was 'blindsided' by Harry and Markle's decision. 'William is incredibly hurt, but at the same time, he has his own family to focus on and is trying to move forward with his life,' the source said. Many other sources told the Daily Mail that the Queen and the rest of the Royal Family were 'deeply disappointed' by the news. One source said, 'The level of deceit has been staggering and everyone from the top of the royal household to the bottom feels like they have been stabbed in the back.' Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo drama over Bluebird Cafe photos denied It is then reported that Harry tried meeting with Queen Elizabeth about the couple's plans, but was denied by her staff. According to the Evening Standard, Harry 'originally contacted Prince Charles about spending more time in Canada and America just before Christmas,' even asking for a 'summit with the Queen at Sandringham.' It is said that Queen Elizabeth agreed to the meeting, but it was blocked by her staff. January 11, 2020: A source tells US Weekly that Markle and Harry had to make their announcement when they did because The Sun had allegedly found out it was coming and was going to leak it. The source claimed, 'It was the paper's front page hours before the official announcement, so Harry and Meghan technically didn't beat them to it.' January 12, 2020: According to The Sunday Times, Harry told a friend, 'I've put my arm around my brother all our lives, and I can't do that anymore; we're separate entities. All we can do, and all I can do, is try and support them and hope that the time comes when we're all singing from the same page. I want everyone to play on the team.' January 13, 2020: Harry and William issue a joint statement through their spokespeople. That statement reads: 'Despite clear denials, a false story ran in a UK newspaper today speculating about the relationship between The Duke of Sussex and The Duke of Cambridge. For brothers who care so deeply about the issues surrounding mental health, the use of inflammatory language in this way is offensive and potentially harmful.' Later, Harry revealed that he had no idea that statement was being made. He said, 'I couldn't believe it. No one had asked me. No one had asked my permission to put my name to a statement like that… within four hours, they were happy to lie to protect my brother, and yet, for three years, they were never willing to tell the truth to us.' After that joint statement, Queen Elizabeth released her first official statement, saying, in part, 'My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan's desire to create a new life as a young family. Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working Members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life…' The statement ended with, 'These are complex matters for my family to resolve, and there is some more work to be done, but I have asked for final decisions to be reached in the coming days.' January 18, 2020: The Queen releases a statement saying that she had come to an agreement with the couple and 'Harry, Meghan, and Archie will always be much-loved members of the family.' She also addressed the scrutiny that the couple had received and thanked them 'for all their dedicated work across this country, the Commonwealth and beyond…' Terry Moran comes out on top after being axed by ABC The agreement reportedly involved Harry and Markle giving up their royal titles, no longer receiving public funds and paying back the country for their Frogmore Cottage renovations. They also couldn't represent the Queen and had to start paying rent on their cottage. That agreement was only set to last a year, according to a source, and then it would be revisited. February 22, 2020: The Queen decides in an order that Markle and Harry can no longer use the word 'royal' in their branding, which meant their website and Instagram names would have to be changed. In response, Markel and Harry said: 'While there is not any jurisdiction by The Monarchy or Cabinet Office over the use of the word 'Royal' overseas, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex do not intend to use 'Sussex Royal' or any iteration of the word 'Royal' in any territory (either within the U.K. or otherwise) when the transition occurs Spring 2020.' 'The trademark applications that had been filed as protective measures and that reflected the same standard trademarking requests as done for The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been removed.' March 3, 2020: Harry and Queen Elizabeth meet for a 4-hour conversation where the Queen reportedly offers the couple the chance to come back if they ever change their minds. March 9, 2020: Markle and Harry attend Commonwealth Day, which will be their last royal event before they step down from their royal duties. March 27, 2020: Markle and Harry moved to Los Angeles after briefly living in Canada. Harry later spoke with Oprah about their time in Canada, saying, 'When we were in Canada, I had three conversations with my grandmother and two conversations with my father before he stopped taking my calls… I went to all the places which I thought I should go to ask for help. We both did. Separately and together.' Michelle Obama on being 'glad' she didn't have a son: 'He would've been a Barack Obama' March 30, 2020: One day before they officially step down from their royal duties, the couple posts on their @SussexRoyal Instagram account to announce it will no longer be in use. 'While you may not see us here, the work continues… Until then, please take good care of yourselves and one another,' their final post said. July 2020: A few months after officially leaving their royal duties, Markle and Harry moved into a nine-bedroom mansion that was reportedly purchased for $14 million. Anne Burrell gave Bobby Flay a gift that he'll 'have forever' One source told 'They were craving a smaller community and a slower pace — Montecito is very mellow, a charming little town, and the Santa Barbara [area] offers an ideal lifestyle that they're looking forward to.' The couple also announced partnerships with Spotify and Netflix. March 7, 2021: Nearly one year after the couple stepped down from the Royal Family, they sit down with Oprah Winfrey to talk about their time as working royals and what they have experienced since then. During that interview, Meghan revealed that, within the Royal Family, there were 'concerns and conversations about how dark [Archie's] skin might be when he's born.' She also spoke about 'being silenced' by the family, saying she was told to give a 'no comment' on questions that were directed toward her once her relationship with Harry became public. Markle told Winfrey, 'That was really hard to reconcile because it was only once we were married and everything started to really worsen that I came to understand that not only was I not being protected, but that they were willing to lie to protect other members of the family. They weren't willing to tell the truth to protect me and my husband.' June 2 through June 5, 2022: The Queen was celebrated for her 70-year reign with parades, a concert and more. Markle and Harry traveled from their home in California to the United Kingdom for her Jubilee, but they weren't seen in public spending time with immediate family members. On June 3, Harry and Markle attended the service of thanksgiving that honored Queen Elizabeth, and sat in the second row with Princess Eugenie, Princess Beatrice and their husbands. Ariana Grande mourns death of 'beloved' grandmother September 10, 2022: After the death of Queen Elizabeth, Markle and Harry joined Prince William and Kate Middleton to greet mourners at Windsor Castle. According to one of PEOPLE's royal sources, William believed that this was 'an important show of unity at an incredibly difficult time for the family.' Once King Charles became the monarch, Archie and Lilibet, the couple's children, were entitled to royal titles, but no changes were announced. December 8, 2022: The 'Harry & Meghan' docuseries is released, with the first three episodes focusing on their early relationship and royal life. 'Most of the time that I was in the U.K., I rarely wore color. There was thought in that,' Markle said, saying she didn't want to stand out. Harry also talked about the press, saying they eventually had to take legal action against Associated Newspapers because a private letter that Meghan wrote to her father was published. Markle said that the stress from that situation caused her to have a miscarriage. Harry said, 'I believe my wife suffered a miscarriage because of what the Mail did. I watched the whole thing. Now, do we absolutely know that the miscarriage was created… caused by that? Of course we don't… [but] bearing in mind the stress that caused the lack of sleep and the timing of the pregnancy, how many weeks in she was, I can say from what I saw, that miscarriage was created by what they were trying to do to her.' December 15, 2022: During the last three episodes of the docuseries, Harry claimed that William had a 'terrifying' argument with William and King Charles during the Sandringham Summit. 'It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me, and my father say things that simply weren't true, and my grandmother quietly sit there and sort of take it all in,' Harry said. Mariah Carey trolls popular YouTuber MrBeast: 'I don't know him' January 2, 2023: Prince Harry sits down with Anderson Cooper and says he won't ever return as a full-time member of the Royal Family. Harry was later asked if he would attend King Charles' Coronation if he were invited. He said, 'There's a lot that can happen between now and then. But the door is always open. The ball is in their court. There's a lot to be discussed, and I really hope that they're willing to sit down and talk about it.' March 1, 2023: Markle and Harry are asked to move out of Frogmore Cottage. A source told that the couple wasn't trying to fight the decision because they were happy raising their children in California. April 12, 2023: Buckingham Palace announces that Prince Harry will be at the Coronation of King Charles without Markle or his children. The statement said, 'Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6th May. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.' Dolly Parton to receive honorary Oscar for humanitarian work June 2023: Prince Harry and Markle officially leave Frogmore Cottage, according to Sir Michael Stevens, Keeper of the Privy Purse. Stevens said, 'We can confirm that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have vacated Frogmore Cottage. The Duke and Duchess have repaid the expenditure incurred by the Sovereign Grant in relation to the renovation of Frogmore Cottage, thus leaving the Crown with a greatly enhanced asset.' February 2024: Following King Charles' cancer diagnosis, The Associated Press revealed that he had a brief reunion with Prince Harry. Harry was in London less than a day after Buckingham Palace announced his diagnosis. Streaming viewership overtakes cable and broadcast for first time March 2024: Kate Middleton announces that she is also struggling with a cancer diagnosis, and according to NewsNation's Paula Froelich, Harry and Markle were denied a visit with her. The source said there was 'no way Kate or William would allow them a private audience.' January 2025: Harry is given $12.3 million for his case against The Sun, which admitted to hacking him and apologized to him. His lawyer said, 'In a monumental victory today, News UK admitted that the Sun, the flagship title for Rupert Murdoch's U.K. media empire, has indeed engaged in illegal practices.' April 2025: Froelich is told exclusively that the rift between Harry and King Charles is widening as Charles allegedly refused to see Harry while he was in the U.K. What is Ryan Reynolds' net worth? 'There was a window where King Charles and Harry could have met, but they didn't,' the insider revealed. They also said that it was King Charles who chose not to meet. '(King Charles) is very upset over Harry's insistence on fighting the government for police protection. He feels Harry knew what he signed up for when he and Meghan left the monarchy, but Harry being Harry just can't accept it.' Harry lost his appeal to restore the U.K. government-funded security detail at the beginning of May. June 2025: The couple is still living in Montecito, with Markle recently rejoining Instagram and sharing a video (that has now gone viral) of her and Harry dancing in the delivery room as they awaited the arrival of Princess Lilibet. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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‘Fashion murder': Carolyn Bessette Kennedy fans aghast at first images from Netflix series

In fashion, only the real favourites have acronyms. See SJP for Sarah Jessica Parker, ALT for the fashion editor André Leon Talley and – particularly relevant right now – CBK for Carolyn Bessette Kennedy. The wife of John F Kennedy Jr who died in a plane crash in 1999 is sometimes seen as America's answer to Diana, Princess of Wales. Like Diana, she was loved for her style – called minimalist, chic or 'quiet luxury'. Instagram is full of accounts posting archive images of her, influential brands such as The Row, Toteme and Gabriela Hearst design clothes that channel her approach to dressing and there have been books and auctions in recent years. The full extent of the deification became clear this week when images of the actor Sarah Pidgeon as Bessette Kennedy in Ryan Murphy's forthcoming Kennedys Netflix series American Love Story were seen for the first time. In one image on Murphy's Instagram, Pidgeon is pictured wearing a rumpled knee-length brown coat, cropped trousers and black polo neck, with a Birkin bag and bright blond hair, while on-set images show her in a satin midi skirt, Converse and leathery jacket. There was an immediate reaction online, and it's fair to say fans do not approve. 'This is fashion murder,' wrote one in the comments on the Murphy post. 'Whoever styled cbk needs to be fired,' wrote another. Details seem to particularly irk – from the wrong shade of blond (Bessette Kennedy's hair colourist Brad Johns described it as 'too 2024') to the bag. Eagle-eyed observers have noticed it's a Birkin 35, a slight variation from her preferred Birkin 40. Such is the outrage that Murphy, in an interview with the fashion industry newsletter Line Sheet, described the images as a 'work in progress' and clarified that the 'right' items would be swapped in, including that Birkin bag. He admitted that the reaction had taken him by surprise. 'I had no idea that people cared as much as they do, but I guess that's a good thing,' he said. Twenty online experts on Bessette Kennedy's style have been approached to consult on the wardrobe. Murphy, whose work has often taken on real-life figures, from Truman Capote to Joan Crawford, is no stranger to fashion on screen. He made The Assassination of Gianni Versace in 2018 and Halston, about the 70s designer, in 2021. This is the first time, however, that one of his productions has taken on a fashion icon who has citizen archivists logging her every look online. This contrast is the issue, argues the fashion writer Liana Satenstein. 'I don't know if you can include the painstaking research in a miniseries that has such an element of camp to it,' she argues. 'It would be this bizarre dichotomy.' The legend around Bessette Kennedy's style has reached mythical level in the 26 years since her death. A publicist at Calvin Klein, she began dating Kennedy in 1994. The two became the focus of paparazzi, with photographers snapping Bessette Kennedy on the streets of New York wearing labels such as Calvin Klein (then designed by Narciso Rodriguez), Yohji Yamamoto, Prada and Comme des Garçons, but also staples such as jeans, white shirts and polo necks. Fans talk about the way she tailored her jeans and how she removed labels from designer clothing. In an era when personal style is seen as the ultimate status symbol in fashion, it's these details that have made Bessette Kennedy a lodestar. 'It was 'this is me, this is Carolyn, take it or leave it,'' says Sunita Kumar Nair, the author of CBK: Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, a Life in Fashion. Amy Odell, who writes the fashion newsletter Back Row and is working on a biography of Gwyneth Paltrow, says it's in contrast to now. 'Many 'It girls' today have stylists and personal shoppers,' she argues. 'Now, personal style is bought and sold. This was just her taste, how she put herself together every day.' Jack Sehnert runs the @carolynbessette Instagram account, which has 63,000 followers. He says the popularity of Bessette Kennedy archive images grew because they were a tonic to the existing aesthetic. 'Instagram was a barrage of logos and colourful glitz up until about five years ago, when her image started popping up again alongside references from the show Succession,' he argues. 'When the term 'quiet luxury' went viral, who could have possibly been a better poster girl? The striking images we all know resonate with an entirely new generation because of their elegant simplicity.' But with close to three decades of interest in her style, it's become a 'get the look' commodity. 'It goes from real woman to paparazzi shot to an image you see on your screen to a flat lay [of clothing items] to the product that you ultimately buy online,' says Daniel Rogers, the fashion news editor at Vogue. Satenstein agrees. 'We've been taking this woman's existence and putting it on a Pinterest board [for a long time],' she says. 'It's a little sad, because I don't think she had a say in it. [It happened to] Jane Birkin [too] but she passed away later in life, and had some agency over herself.' How should Murphy and his team improve Pidgeon's outfits before the show debuts next year? When asked if she will be consulting on the project, Kumar Nair replies: 'No comment.' But she does say it's 'very smart' to speak to online experts, and suggests also involving those who knew Bessette Kennedy, such as Rodriguez, Calvin Klein and her sister, Lisa. 'I would be semi-humble about it and ask them to talk,' she says: '[Bessette Kennedy] was a major curation herself. So that's how you would have to approach it.'

New York Post

2 hours ago

• New York Post

This 24-year-old only dresses in '80s clothes, makes her living from the decade

Her gig is totally rad. A Staten Islander is making a living from her infatuation with the 1980s — despite never having lived in the decade herself. Content creator Violet Sky, who sports a teased-up perm and bangs and even drives a teal Camaro, always dresses as if she were going back to the future. Advertisement 'Every moment of every day. It's just my lifestyle at this point,' Sky, 24, who has more than 324,000 TikTok followers, told The Post. 'I wear at least one piece of acid-washed denim a day — and I've been really into the big hair.' 4 Violet Sky, a 1980s content creator, has more than 324,000 followers on her TikTok page @glitterwave80s. Courtesy of Violet Sky Advertisement Since launching her Instagram and TikTok account @glitterwave80s, Sky, who uses her first and middle names for her online persona, landed partnerships with multiple '80s icons — bands like Def Leppard and Journey, TV shows like 'Married with Children,' clothing labels such as Esprit and arcade classics like Pac-man. 'Everything I do to make money relates to the '80s in some way,' she said. When she is not creating social media content, Sky works at the thrift shop Flamingo's Vintage Pound in Chelsea, and also does '80s wardrobe consulting. The former music industry major at SUNY Oneonta also hosts a radio show on Staten Island station Maker Park Radio, spinning vinyl records only, and is also releasing an '80s album this year, aptly named 'The Sky's the Limit.' Advertisement 4 'I always appreciate when people that did live through the time tell me I'm doing it right,' Sky, pictured here with her teal Camaro, told The Post. Courtesy of Violet Sky From a young age, Sky believed she was born in the wrong decade — and her affinity for the '80s began when she discovered the 1985 Sarah Jessica Parker movie 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun.' 'I fell in love with the soundtrack, the fashion and the dancing and just how bold and expressive the time period was,' she said. Her parents, who she said 'don't really get it,' had nothing to do with her obsession. Advertisement 'I mostly got this from just watching movies myself versus their influence, cause my mom didn't look like me at all when it comes to the eighties.' In 2018, when she was senior in high school, she launched @glitterwave80s and her platform gained momentum in 2020, after a stranger posted a screenshot of its profile on Twitter and it went viral, racking up 100,000 likes. Her most-watched post, with 3.2 million views, was filmed in an unrenovated Taco Bell in Jersey City, where she had lunch while showcasing the restaurant's teal, pink and purple interior. 'People miss when public spaces were colorful. We live in a world where everything is slowly being painted grey and it can be really depressing to look at,' she said. She also launched her singing career through her online platform. The posts of her lip synching to one of her favorite synth pop bands from the era, Shy Talk, got the attention of its keyboard player, David Bravo, who invited her to put her vocals on his unreleased tracks. 'All of [the songs] would have been lost in time if he had not reached out to me,' said Sky, who hopes to pursue a career as a media archivist. Advertisement 4 The Staten Island native became a meme after taking a photo in front of a Spencer's sign from the '80s. Courtesy of Violet Sky She even became a meme from a photo she took in New Jersey's Livingston Mall in front of a Spencer's sign that hadn't been updated since the 80s. 'And [the meme] is like, 'Only '80s kids will ever remember going to Spencer's.' And I'm like, 'What do you mean? I was born in 2000, and that's me.'' Although she buys a lot of her era-inspired clothing from Flamingo's Vintage Pound, she also scours other vintage stores in NYC like L Train Vintage, Spark Pretty and Beacon's Closet to find brands like Jordache and Gitano. Advertisement While thrifting, she also picks out '80s decor for her bedroom. 'I have some Formica furniture. I have a big 1992 Magnavox TV that I watch my VHS tapes on.' 4 Sky works full time at Flamingo's Vintage Pound in Chelsea. Helayne Seidman Advertisement Sky said her '80s-inspired ensembles just blend in with NYC crowds. 'They don't care as much because everyone's dressing really eccentrically. So it's kind of nice.'