People toss around the terms “bun” and “chignon” interchangeably, but they actually mean different things.

“Chignon” is the French word for bun, but in its American and British usage, it’s an abbreviated term: it means “chignon du cou” or “bun at the nape of the neck” - it does not only mean a “bun” in the sense that we know it.

Here’s the gist: while many chignons are buns, few buns are chignons. Buns can be made anywhere on your head and you can wear lots of them at once. You can have big, looped ones around your ears (i.e. Princess Leia), or stuck high up on the crown of your head (i.e. Sailor Moon), or made messy: basically whatever style you like.

On the other hand, chignons have traditionally been worn low on the head, just above the nape of your neck, like the original French term describes. They’re also considered more formal, and you only wear a single, usually large one; it also contains the entire length of your hair.

Another distinguishing characteristic is that buns are always wrapped around themselves, whether they are twisted around the centre or braided. Chignons, however, may simply be tucked under the bun itself or it can be built around a central pin, tiara, or other hair accessory.

While “chignon” technically means a “low bun” in French, the word now carries stylistic connotations of formality and vintage style, in addition to being used to describe updos that aren’t buns.

Now that you know the difference, which one do you prefer to do?

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