• A chignon haircut brings weight towards the nape of the neck.bride back on beach infrared image by Paul Retherford from Fotolia.com
  
  Although many hairstyles tend to gather weight and volume at the top of the head, there are certain hair trends that bunch at the nape of the neck. For example, the chignon and the nape knot bring focus and attention to the rear of the neck by building the hair into intricate or weighty knots and ties. Hairstyles like these almost always require longer, straighter locks; if your hair naturally curls or waves then you need to blow dry it straight before styling.
  
  

The Chignon

• A chignon cut begins life as a ponytail.woman's hair style image by MAXFX from Fotolia.com
  
  The chignon (pronounced sheen-yon) is a French hairstyle originating from the phrase "Chignon du Cou," meaning "Nape of the Neck." The hairstyle is centered on a bun or an intricately tied length of hair at the upper part of the neck. The style is considered quite chic and luxurious by hair stylists and often is worn for special occasions such as weddings or proms. Because the hair is gathered so tightly at the nape of the neck it needs a lot of support to keep its shape and structure; for this reason prong-shaped bobby pins and hair sticks are required to keep the hair in place. Famous celebrities such as Lauren Conrad, Katherine Heigl and Eva Longoria have been known to sport the look. A chignon hairstyle also can be tied quite casually and basically for a style that you can wear at anytime of the day.
  
  

The Nape Knot

• The nape knot is quite similar to the chignon but gathers the weight of the hair at the lower nape of the neck. This style suits women with long straight hair, so if your natural locks are wavy or curly you need to blow dry them straight before you begin to style. There are quite a few variations for tying the actual knot but the most common is to fold up the ponytail back into the head before wrapping the remaining length of hair under and over the fold until an intricate knot forms. This style is perfect for the bride of a wedding and it really brings focus to the features of the face. Some models add hair pins and ornaments to the knot for a more elegant effect.
  
  

The Mullet

• The mullet cut, aimed more at men, was sported by rock-and-roll and hair metal bands in the 1970s and 1980s, but went out of style by the turn of this century. The cut involves the stylist shaping the front and sides of the hair in a short or shaved style and then leaving the top and back of the head long and bulky. The cut recently has undergone a revival of trend and style; soccer stars including Christiano Ronaldo and David Beckham have sported the style at points in their careers. Nowadays, the cut is much more textured, with choppier and jagged locks at the back that still provide weight and volume to the nape of the neck. Also, the length has been drastically shortened so that the hair ends at the lower neck without falling down the back and beyond.