Palm Beach Boat Parade Hair: The Dock Brief

The Palm Beach boat parade is one of those events that sounds casual and is not. Docks decorated, boats lit, a party at every house along the water, and everyone dressed better than they claimed they would be. Hair that has to work on a dock in December wind is a specific brief.

The conditions in order of difficulty: wind off open water, a forty-degree temperature swing between the dock and the house, humidity that stays high well into the evening, and the absolute absence of any mirror that matters.

What works is a low, tight shape that is genuinely finished. A chignon at the nape, a sleek low pony, a twisted knot. What does not work is anything loose, anything with a soft front section, or anything requiring a curl to stay in place in a breeze. I have watched beautiful blowouts turn into a situation on a dock more than once.

The temperature swing is the underrated factor. Going from a hot dock into a cold house with a crowd of people will flatten volume and lift the front hairline. I build the crown with internal structure so that even when surface volume gives, the silhouette holds.

Then there is the practical thing: you will be photographed on a dock at night, which means flash, which means shine reads as grease. Matte finish, no gloss, and a blotting paper in the clutch.

This is a private event service, not a bridal one, and it is $225 per person per service. I can style a group at your house before you head to the dock, and it is one of my favorite nights of the season because everyone is in a good mood and nobody is nervous.

Boat parade or holiday gala on the water? Inquire early, the December calendar goes fast. All rates are on the investment page.