• These ladies sport several shoulder length formal hairstyles.formal hair head up do style hairstyle image by Paul Retherford from Fotolia.com
  
  Formal hairstyles are no longer limited to severe updos and ringlet curls. There are many out-of-the-box formal styles that look elegant and simple. All of these styles are possible to style at home, and few take longer than one hour to complete. These styles work best with shoulder-length hair.
  
  

Loose Curls

• This style is romantic and easy to style. What's more, it is also easy to take down at the end of the night and no uncomfortable pins are used. Do not wash the hair the day before. Work a styling mousse into the ends of the hair. Curl 1-inch sections of hair with a 1-inch curling iron barrel. Start from the bottom and work your way to the top. With your head hanging down, gently break the curls apart with your fingers. Spray the hair all over with hairspray to keep the curls firm and bouncy for many hours.
  
  

Half Up

• Pull the top half of the hair back and secure with an elastic band. Use a one inch curling iron barrel to curl ringlets into the hair inside the elastic band. Use the same curling iron to wrap the lower hair around the barrel to create loose waves. This is an elegant style that looks effortless.
  
  

French Twist

• Pull the hair back at the nape of the neck. You can pull it back tightly, or leave a little volume near the crown for a modern look. Twist the hair to the ends. Flip the hair up next to the head and pin the twist to the back of the head. Fold the loose ends of hair into the sides of the twist to create a sleek and elegant formal style.
  
  

Messy Bun

• Pull the hair back at the nape of the neck. Leave some volume near the crown of the head. Twist the hair loosely a few times. Randomly pin the hair to the head creating a messy and texturized bun. This style also works well with curly hair. This style takes just a few minutes to create, but looks just as amazing as any other formal style.
  
  

Stick Straight

• Shoulder length straight hair can also look elegant if you normally wear your hair curly or pulled back. Use a straightening iron to pull the strands flat to create a smooth, straight style. Use an anti-frizz spray to eliminate fly-aways and add shine to the hair. This style works with or without bangs.
  
  

Volumizing Curls

• Place a large roller in the hair and allow to sit for 20 minutes. Pull the rollers out. With your head hanging down, gently shake the curls loose with your fingers. Spray the curls on the top and bottom with hairspray to hold the hairstyle in place for several hours.
  
  

Slight Wave

• Wrap several random piece of hair around the outside of a large curling iron barrel. This creates a slight wave in the hair that looks very elegant and refined. This look mimics the beach wave hair that many supermodels have at photo shoots.