I wear mine in a bun. But I completely understand the whole sloppy look thing. It takes a little work and the right products once you're past the uncontrollable stage. it's really important to have a conditioner that works really well @ smoothing down the newgrowth. Kenra MC does the trick for me. Once I squeezed my hair dry after rinsing conditioner, I always use a product that will promote smooth sleek hair and easy combing. I apply my leave in- and then add a serum. I comb it into a ponytail, pull the lenth of the hair taut toward the front of head and pin it down. If you want to wear it down the next day, you can always sit under the dryer just like that for about 30 minutes and let it airdry the rest of the way throughout the night.
One more thing, you can skip the serum and apply an oil mixture. I prefer something in a coconut oil base because coconut oil works great at straightening the newgrowth.