Rooney Mara's Fishtail Bun Is Something to Behold

Usually we appreciate the low knot for its easy polish, but leave it to Rooney Mara to inspire us to put in a little more effort. At the Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards last night, the actress walked the red carpet looking as goth-chic as usual—complete with a hairdo hybrid that has us a tad (okay, a lot) obsessed. Introducing the fishtail bun:

Stylist John D simply twisted a fishtail braid into a knot to achieve this 'do, which sounds simple enough but if you're familiar with the fishtail, you'll know it's trickier than it sounds. Fortunately, there are a ton of tutorials available to help you get the hang of fishtailing—which is a pretty impressive skill to add to your resumé, if we're being honest.

To get Mara's look, part your hair sharply off to one side and create a tight fishtail braid. After completing it, spritz a little bit of texture spray (like Oribe's Dry Texturizing Spray, £39) onto your fingers and muss it up ever-so-slightly, before twisting it up into a low bun. Use some pomade to slick down any flyaways in the front, and you're all set!