Recently, we were watching the trailer for the new Sandra Bullock movie, The Proposal, and were struck by the fact that, yet again, Hollywood portrays a savvy business woman wearing a high ponytail. Which brought up a few questions in our minds — are high ponytails appropriate? What about low ponytails? Sweet Hot Justice amusingly called it a “welfare-mother ponytail,” and we’ve heard of some girls who have a limit on the number of days a week they can wear a low ponytail at the office — yet another, curly-haired friend of ours said she felt it made her hair look neater than if she wore it loose and always wears it. Similarly, some of our friends insist a low ponytail makes them look older and more professional, while other friends worry the ponytail makes them look younger.
For our $.02, our dislike of the high ponytail has always been more about comfort — the elastic always starts to make our head and our hair hurt after a while. Also, that’s our general look when we work out, which makes it seem too… depressing, given that working, working out, and sleeping are the main things we do, with a few nights of “going out” thrown into the mix, as well.
As for the low ponytail, we have no problems with it. It’s certainly our look of choice after the secretaries have left for the day and we’re settling in for a long night of work (that or a very messy bun) — but that said, as long as the ponytail is neat we see no reason why women can’t wear it as part of their working wardrobe. Personally, both as a way to deal with layers and as a way to add some volume to the look, we’ve been a fan of what we’ve always thought of as a half-Gibson Girl ponytail, twisting the hair back around itself, as better explained in this YouTube video by xFLYNNIEx (end look pictured at right). But then we worry that we’ve looked a bit like John Adams or something . (We’ve worn it with the ponytail in the back, not to the side, as she does.)
What do you guys think? Are ponytails acceptable? Should there be a limit on days, or on timing that you wear it? Is there an age limit on certain styles, in one direction or the other? Are there any comfortable elastics you use? What about the side ponytail — they’re definitely coming back. Is it inappropriate to be worn at an office where people inevitably have actual memories of the ’80s? (Should we run a poll on this? Let us know in comments.)
The dot.com era was great. I wore my hair wet to the office all the time. Sigh.
We were taught that we should have our hair back at court. I was shocked that this suggested pony tails were less professional than down. Mine goes back and forth between all down, half up, low pony, higher pony, low pony in the center w/ the remaining hair over one shoulder [i guess modified side pony] and one of my faves just pull up in a pony but have the ends tucked under – is that called a chigon or something?
I was also told that attractive girls have a hard time not coming across as flirty. Our body movements can often be interpreted that way. Hair down makes that more pronounced I think and hair tied back low helps.
When I wear a high pony I’ve been called Barbie – I think they meant I looked goofy with my long blonde-ish hair in that style, but I think it looks fine on other women.
I prefer a bun. I’m not sure why, maybe because its more comfortable with the heavy hair. I can’t do a real french twist, I just twist it back in a fancy france luxe clip when my hair is in my face.
no side ponies allowed! i usually eschew the high pony as too gymmy, but a low or medium pony is good for work. wrapping hair around the elastic, or subbing a flat barette clip, or (my newest fav) a fancy jeweled ponytail holder from j.crew definitely dresses it up. i go for the high bun at the end of the day, since mine is inevitably messy. i also wear a braid a lot.
i rarely start the day with a pony, but when i’m busy i feel like i’m as entitled to it as i am to low-heeled shoes– constantly wearing hair down is just punishment for being female and gives me angst.
I wear my hair in a low bun or ponytail (with a side part) every day. And, I style it when wet and let it dry that way. You can have my damp low-bun when you pry it from my cold dead hands!
But really, its the only way that I’ve found in my 25 years of live to make my frizzy wavy hair behave itself. And, I think I might be one of the rare(?) women that looks much better with her hair back than down.
@1058: i do like an occasional headband at the office (in black or tortoise)– it goes well with business casual and keeps hair away from my face. i think banana clips are a no go, but it may depend on the person.
NO banana clips. NO scrunchies. (Yes, I have seen it!). No french twists, you look like an aging beauty queen. Headbands are okay if you are younger than, say 35, anything else looks like Hillary Clinton circa 1992.
Nice-looking high ponytails (like in the Sandra Bullock pic above) are fine. Low or mid ponytails are fine for pretty much everyone.
Sephora makes a good silicone band (comes in colors that match your hair) for those of us with thin hair.
is it ok to combine the ponytail with glasses? i find i can only do one or the other but not both!
I agree with everyone else – a ponytail is essential when you have thick, curly hair. Mine is loose, and with styling and effort can look nice if down. I wore it this way for my first day of work as a summer associate at a London law firm.
I can’t even do 1/2 up, 1/2 down without employing a chunky, huge clip which looks silly with the length I have.
I just got a cut with lots of framing pieces for my face which is essential when pulling back in a ponytail since I can pin them and make it look like I have styled my hair rather than just pulling it back.
Someone else mentioned it – what about headbands? I assume they are OK for casual Friday, but what about the rest of the week? I was thinking of wearing very thin, black or dark brown ones just to tame my hair.
What about the Sarah Palin look with the clip on the back? That’s what I usually wear at work if my hair isn’t down or in a low ponytail
As a straight guy…I think the pony tail looks credibly similar to a guy rolling up his shirt sleeves in the office. It has always conjured up the image that the woman was getting down to business and didn’t want distractions. Just as the man wouldn’t wear his rolled sleeves into court, I suppose that many women wouldn’t wear a pony tail. However, I noticed that one commentator mentioned she believes that she looks more professional with a pony. I agree, some women can pull it off anywhere and it allows a person to focus on their face rather than looking through their hair to find the woman’s face.
Just the perspective from a guy…
P.S. This site has such better decorum among the commentators than sites that appear to be dominated by male readers (e.g. Above The Law). Where did you all find your manners? … I like it.
is it ok to combine the ponytail with glasses? i find i can only do one or the other but not both!
Sure, but you can never be prom queen.
Ponytails – when done right can be elegant and sophisticated…look at Audrey Hepburn photos – it’s simple, clean and with some gel..looks very professional…
As my name indicates, i am a sole practioner and have the great fortune to work from home. So for me there are various types of work modes. If i roll out of bed at 3:00am do let my fresh brain chaw on some research project, then it is probably two loose braids (which is my preferred hairstyle for sleeping). If it’s a consultation with a brand new prospective client, then it’s definitely a low pony tail which is braided with the ends tucked under so it looks like a very nice bun. Rather matronly but even at my age i worry about looking too young especially as a first impression. If it’s a client i’ve represented over the years and have at least one major win under my belt, then it could be a high pony tail — might even be jeans and T shirt on a saturday morning appointment for signing papers, reviewing docs, etc. I almost never wear my hair out, even to court, it’s just too much hair and it tickles my face, neck…if my husband wouldn’t keel over and croak, i’d cut it off…but alas…
I wish I could do a French braid but I can’t braid my own hair. I always wear my hair in a ponytail. For one thing, pulling the hair back makes you look longer. Hair worn down is aging and often gets in the way. A bun is also appropriate but can look too school marmish at times.
Upon reflection, many of the women who appear in court wear their hair down and shoulder length. Hair that is longer is pulled back.
I can’t believe someone said french twist was aging beauty queen! That’s all I wear for interviews/court/anytime I want to make a good impression. It’s sleek, pretty, etc. And if you have long enough hair with its own volume you only need ONE bobby pin. LOVE IT!
I have a military background, so I wince when I see women in ponytails (that’s a gym-only style), but I gather I’m in the minority with that.
And I’m NOT aging… late twenties!
If you can wear your neatly in a low or high ponytail, then it’s completely work appropriate. I have very long hair and at times, when it’s too humid or my hair doesn’t want to cooperate, I pull it back. I always get compliments when wearing a ponytail.
I use scrunchie elastics with no metal. They start to loosen up after a dozen or so wears, but they come in packs of 50 for $2.49 that it doesn’t matter!
French braids are so pretty, but I never see them in NYC. I think maybe they are considered to be out of style here? Too bad.
At the risk of starting another debate as heated as the bare arms debate, I do think this is something that depends on the person. Not exactly facial attractiveness, but face shape. If a ponytail looks good on you, go for it. I think that it’s best on oval faces. Ponytails tend to make rounder faces look immature and square/angular faces look severe and older.
It’s unfortunate, but on some level it registers that if something looks attractive on you, your colleagues will assume that you took the time to look in the mirror and care. That gets weighed into the equation when people asses professionalism. Women especially tend to assume other women are concerned with their appearance and equate looking less than your best with being frazzled, tired, or overworked. Since the ponytail tends to be the go-to style for unwashed hair, or days when there isn’t time for styling, I would be extra careful that the rest of the outfit communicates some level of thought.
I love both high and low pony tails. Though for work I soften the front of a high pony tail by using combs or clips to push some hair at the crown forward a tiney bit (not a “Big Love” compaund wife poof, just to soften the front and make clear that is’a hair style, not a gym-do)
I think the pony tail looks less severe than a tight bun might. It’s great in hot weather and whenever you are having a bad hair day. I often use a pretty barret to cover the elastic and dress things up a bit.
The more I thought about this pony thread I realized why my preference is for the bun: when I walk quickly, the pony gets a movement all of its own, similar to drill team camp – back & forth, back & forth. Juvenile.
There’s nothing wrong with a pony tail at work, so long as it suits you and makes you look well-groomed.
I have seriously thick, curly hair. The kind that is noticed and can be a distraction. It looks best wild and free, but I just can’t do that. The ponytail is the only way I can looked controlled, and I happen to look ghastly in the low ponytail. I don’t have a choice.
I’m a professional and I wear low and high ponytails. I can’t be bothered with time-consuming hair styles. As long as men’s hair looks clean, neat and isn’t radical, we don’t judge them by it. I have the same standard for myself and other women. Aren’t there more important things to worry about??
Another great option to dress up your ponytail (looks best with low pony) — (1) put your hair in the pony tail, (2) reach up and with both hands, hold ponytail where the rubberband is. (3) Then take your fingers (or the stick end of a tail comb) and work fingers/comb into hair closest to your scalp and located just in front of rubberband. With right and left index fingers pull hair apart creating a small gap/hole. The thicker your pony, the bigger the hole needs to be. (4) Next, with your thumbs holding under side of ponytail, flip ponytail up towards top of your head, and push base of pony through the hole you just made. Result will be a soft roll of hair at back of skull flowing into the ponytail.
I’m a guy, so I don’t know any better, but I used to think that pony tails were pretty cool, but in recent years, I have frequently been told by women that whenever a woman is sporting a pony tail (at least in a business environment), it’s because she didn’t want to be bothered with going to the trouble of spending the time to fix her hair up that day. And to tell you the truth, it usually looks that way too, to my untrained eye.
I wear a ponytail (high and low) at least three times a week. I live in SC where it is deathly humid anytime after April. The ponytail is the only way I look “pulled together” during the hot summer months. If I have to go to court, I ususally roll it into a bun.
I’m an associate at a large upstate firm. I think ponytails are great. I part my hair on the side and sweep my bangs with a low pony for a very sleek look. Product is very important so that it doesn’t look messy. I agree that face shape pretty much dictates who can wear this look. I also do a low, loser bun for a more formal look that I would wear to meet with clients.
I can’t stand the double standard espoused by “A Guy.” Creating a sleek, professional ponytail takes just as much time as “fixing up” my hair (whatever that means).
I am a senior associate at a NYC biglaw firm. Pony tails are clearly ok here, but low ponies are much more common. They are almost uniformly held by no-metal, hair-color-matched elastics. Among the senior lawyers, ponies are less common, but then again, so is long hair. Curly-haired women don’t wear their hair down very often. Ponies twisted into low or “hanging” buns are fairly common too. French twists are fine, even if they’re held with “claw” clips if the clip is not very obtrusive. I seldom see french braids.
On a bad-hair day, I slick my natural hair back and wear a wavy clip-on low ponytail to the office. Nobody knows it’s not my hair unless I tell them and it looks much more professional than the frizzies caused by a humid day. I have gotten nothing but compliments on it .
I wear my hair in a ponytail a few times a week. Sometimes, it’s just a hot day and I want my hair off of my neck. Other times my hair isn’t doing what I want it to do, so up it goes. But I particularly like to wear a low, sleek ponytail when I’m going to court or an important meeting because I have a bad habit of playing with my hair, so if I tie it back, I don’t have to be worry about that and I can focus on doing my job instead.
Ponytails bring to mind keeping a neck cooler, got up late, a mom with a lot to do, casual, utilitarian, high school.
I’m a guy.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with a ponytail at work, so long as it looks neatly done. I was particularly struck by the article’s reference to the curly-haired woman who feels the ponytail makes her look more professional. I certainly can emphasize. As a black woman who refuses to chemically straighten her hair, there are some days that my hair is just too big and too much to handle. The ponytail becomes the best option.
The “welfare-mother” comment made me lose a lot of respect for this blog.
Does anyone have an opinion on age-appropriateness? I’m 36 and wear my hair longer; often in a ponytail for work. Is there an age when a “grown up”/ shorter haircut is required?