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Updated: Sep 14, 2021 95 Comments · by

Coffee Break: L. Erickson Ponytail Holder

Coffee Break | · ·

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With summer nearing, many women will be looking for ways to put back their hair in ways that are neat and cool — and intentional. For us, the difference between “I didn't have time to wash my hair today” and “I thought I'd wear my hair in a pony today” is all about the pretty ponytail holder.

{related: here are some of our favorite easy office up-dos}

We have this in red, and have always thought it looked great against dark hair — not too little-girl, not too fancy. They're $15 each at FranceLuxe and Nordstrom.

L. Erickson Ponytail Holder

(As commenters have noted, they're also available from Amazon— with free shipping.)

Psst: Below, find some of our favorite hair accessories for work as of 2024. Note that some of our long-standing favorite brands for quality, durability, comfort and styling include Ficcare and France Luxe. For more affordable options (which may not last as long), keep an eye out at Anthropologie, Ann Taylor, and J.Crew stores (including J.Crew Factory and Madewell). Also: Kat loves these flat elastics.

Some hair accessories we've featured recently include these!

woman with very blonde hair wears gold hair tie; her hair isn't quite looped all the way through the ponytail making a sloppy bun
J.Crew
cloth headband with knot at top; the print is green with a tiny blue and white tree-shaped repeating pattern
J.Crew Factory
gunmetal silver squiggle hair claw clip
Anthropologie
woman has her hair held up with an attractive purple clip
Ficcare

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Sales of note for 9.30.24

Sales of note for 9.30.24

And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

About Kat

Kat Griffin is the founder, publisher, and editor-in-chief of Corporette. You can read more about her here.

Comments

  1. stc

    I recently purchased a similar one from Loft (tortoiseshell) and it does make me feel more put together!

    • AnneCatherine

      Yes, I often stock up on the Loft (faux tortoiseshell) ones, and wear them to court with a low ponytail. I feel fancy with them on . . . The Limited used to do similar ones, too. These (featured) ones are pretty, as well.

  2. Scar

    Not meaning to be a killjoy, but *ahem* ‘…ways to put back their hair’. Pretty hairbands though.

    • Anon

      It’s good that you pointed that out because I truly had no idea what Kat meant until you corrected her grammar/spelling. Thanks for the public service.

      Seriously – I get that you want to fix typos (so do i!) but why not just email her privately instead of posting it?

  3. Shayna

    Price Drop! Amazon has them for $14 http://amzn.to/cukheO

    When I had longer hair (i.e. last year), I also liked pulling it back in a low ponytail with a flat clip…somehow flattening out the ponytail made it more polished. — I have one similar to this one that was my go-to (I kept it in my purse most of the time!) – http://amzn.to/9hI7aI.

    Also loving this L. Erickson clip: Saddle Buckle Rectangle Barrette http://amzn.to/bjoHiR (Yes, just had way too much fun online shopping/dreaming!)

    Now I just need to figure out how to make my current short A-line bob work on bad hair day! Headbands have never been a good look on me…

    • RR

      They are $14 now on the France Luxe site too. Am I missing something or did Corporette influence the price?

    • AnneCatherine

      Hmm, just clicked on this and saw two parts of the description saying “for thick hair.” My thin or fine-haired friends, do not be deterred; I wear these types of bands (albeit not this brand) all the time on my somewhat thick but very fine (thus, only ¾” diameter ponytail) all the time. I probably just have to loop it around more than you lucky thick-haired folks. Also, I find (personally, for me—and maybe it’s because of the fine hair) my hair looks best in a ponytail when it’s freshly washed and blow-dried. Which seems like sort of a waste of all my efforts blow-drying, but must needs for court, etc. I envy those for whom a ponytail actually is low-effort.

    • Anonymous

      I was feeling jealous too after seeing these!

      I do look good in headbands but since I haven’t really seen anyone wearing them lately, I’d put mine away. I guess I haven’t really seen any “professional” looking ones anyway – my favorite one is black-and-white polka dots!

      • Emily I

        On that note, does anyone have any ideas for us shorter-haired ladies? I need some polished looking options for dealing with my hair on days it just doesn’t want to behave. (I can’t pull my chin-length bob into a ponytail.) Can a headband “work” at work, or does it just scream “little girl?” Any suggestions for clips, barrettes, etc.?

        • Shayna

          I have the same hair cut! Thanks for asking this — help, please!

          (Headbands look very little girl and 1980s to me!)

      • Emily

        I found some nice, skinny, understated headbands at the Limited in early spring – I wouldn’t wear them to court or to a board meeting, but I felt they were professional enough to wear to the office on a normal workday. One was dark with gray metal squares or triangles sewn onto it; the other was very skinny and had small reddish-orange stones set in a silver background. Both were a bit too big though, and come down below my ears, which I don’t like.

  5. Cat

    I like these and agree that they make a pony look nicely polished (though a pony with just an elastic doesn’t look thrown-up to me as long as the hair isn’t messy/limp looking). I just wish they came with smaller elastics attached. I seem to always be in-between the number of loops on the thicker ones.

    I haven’t paid particular attention recently, but J.Crew carries a variety of black and tortoiseshell hair accessories in-store — they may have something similar and a bit less expensive.

    • CFM

      Agree, I wear my hair in a pony 3 days out of the week, but still have to blow dry my hair when I do a pony

  6. Legally Brunette

    On the subject of hair, could someone please recommend a dry shampoo for very fine hair? I need to wash my hair every other day or else it goes completely limp, but the frequent washing is ruining my color treated hair (lots of gray hairs showing up around my temples after just a few weeks of coloring it). I know this has been raised on here before but I can’t remember any of the brands. I’m looking for a shampoo that will give me suitable volume, since my hair is so fine. Thanks!

    • AnneCatherine

      I like the Stila dry one that comes in a little flip-top bottle from Sephora; I really liked one scent (I think Crème Blossom) and really hated the other. Now, there is a trick to applying it (isn’t there always) that I discovered: you have to sort of “puff” a little tiny bit out into your hand, then run it through your roots. It’s awesome though. I sometimes use it to plump up my clean hair, when I want more body. Do not, however, just dispense it on to your head directly.

      DO NOT use Oscar Blandi spray dry shampoo. It looks and feels and smells oily on, and the lemon scent quickly wears off and you will just feel gross.

      Now I am seeing all these brands in Target, grocery stores, etc. Dry shampoo has hit the mainstream. I can’t speak for the drugstore brands so much. Maybe someone can offer some insight on them.

      But, I am very happy with the Stila one. The price (something crazy, like $32 dollars) may give you pause but I had the same bottle for four-and-a-half years. It’s like it’s endless. (In reality, if you “puff” out a small amount for each use, as a learned to do so I didn’t look like I was coated in flour, then it just lasts a long time.)

      • AnneCatherine

        Oh duh I just noticed your name (“brunette”) and am assuming you have brown hair. While the Stila one is definitely not only made for light hair, I wonder if the reason it blends in surprisingly well in my hair—even though it is a white powder—is because my hair is relatively light? Meaning, I’m not sure if you would have to sort of mess it around more/blend it around more on darker hair to get it not to look like, well, white powder. It is for that reason that, I believe, some lines make different colored powder shampoo/dry shampoo. I’ve never tried them because my hair is sort of in-between color.

      • em

        I love the Oscar Blandi powder (not spray). Never felt oily or gross at all. Dark brown, thick hair here.

    • jojo

      They’re basically all corn starch (which can have a volumizing effect, depending on your hair’s texture) and compressed air, with varying amounts and formulas of fragrance.

      Psssst (sp? not sure about the number of “s”s) is available in a lot of drug stores, but you can also get the same effect with baby powder or corn starch. If your hair is darker and you don’t want all that powder to make you look gray, Bumble & Bumble has a few different colors. Whatever product I use, I make sure to brush it through my hair (I use a Mason Pearson bristle brush) to remove excess product.

      • jojo

        Also, I’ve heard good things about Ojon Rub-Out Dry Cleanser, although I haven’t tried it.

        • Little Lurker

          So have I, and I’m going to check out their products as soon as I have the money to splurge/invest.

        • 2L Student

          i tried their shampoo and conditioner last night (random i know). when i was at sephora last week they had sample sizes for a couple of dollars. my hair was soooo soft after i did my usual blowdry. i didnt even use product b/c i wanted to see how it was. i was AMAZED. i have a feeling im going to be using Ojon from now on (which stinks b/c i have a TON of long hair and go through product quickly!)

        • Nicole

          I love, LOVE the Ojon Rub-Out Cleanser. I have jet black hair, and it doesn’t leave any sort of residue, it smells great, and people consistently comment about how nice my hair looks when I use it. It’s pricey for sure, but worth it.

      • sk

        I tried the bumble and bumble a few years ago and ruined a white blouse. It is colored– making it desireable for non-blonde hair, but the color got all over my hands and bathroom when I first used it, and then all over my clothes throughout the day. If I ran my fingers through my hair, they would get all brown. I’m not sure if they have improved it since then, but I would definitely check first before you buy it.

        • sk

          Also, i forgot to say that using hairspray really helps my hair not look greasy. If I use hairspray when styling my hair, it does not look greasy the next day. So usually I wear my hair curly on day one (with hairspray) and on day two the curls have fallen out a bit (so its more a beachy-wave look) but my hair still looks clean.

    • C

      I was having the same issue with color being washed out too quickly, and so I began spacing out my shampoo cycle. I thought this was probably a good idea, anyway, given my age (48) as hair gets more dry as we age.

      At first I washed every other day, but then moved it to every third day. It took a few weeks for my hair to adjust, but adjust it did, and now this system works just fine, in terms of appearance/effect. I often *forget* when I last shampooed!

      On my off-days, I do get my hair wet, but use only conditioner and not shampoo.

      • mkm

        I’d LOVE to space out my shampoos more, as I understand that my daily routine is probably hard on my hair. However, I work out every day, and can’t come to terms with the prospect of leaving post-workout sweat (and smell) in my hair. A dry shampoo, while volumizing, wouldn’t actually remove that stuff — it would just mask it. How have others handled the issue of wanting to wash hair less frequently, but not sacrificing workouts???

        • Anon

          I think you just have to resign yourself to the fact that any workout worth its salt means you’ll need to shower and wash your hair afterwards. I work out daily and frequently twice a day, and I wash my hair after every workout. I compensate for the frequent shampoos by using good conditioner and leave-in-conditioner and I never, ever blowdry (maybe 1-2x a year if I’m running late to a formal function or have an 8am business meeting).

          • Anon

            Yes, I walk around with wet hair – it is still wet when I get to work (unless, like I mentioned, it is a rare day when I have an early morning meeting with someone who doesn’t see me on a daily basis).

        • Res Ipsa

          Obviously, it really depends on your hair, but I get away with not washing my hair after lunchtime workouts and simply blow drying what’s wet (around my temples, nape of my neck). That seems to work for my straight, fine hair. In the post a few months back about lunchtime workouts, there were numerous recommendations about how to take care of your hair & get back to work during a lunch break.

          • Anon

            It also depends on your workout. I’m not a profuse sweater by any means, but after an hour-long run in 90 degree heat or 1.5 hour martial arts class, a shower is not an option but a necessity!

    • Anonymous

      I have tried ALL of them. Save your money and use flour (yes, flour) or baby powder. Put it on your roots, rub it all around, put your hair up while you do whatever else you need to (body shower, face wash, whatnot) and it will absorb all the excess. btw – I have dark hair. I also converted a blond friend who thought I was insane. She uses a makeup powder brush with a bowl of flour now.

      • Legally Brunette

        Wow, interesting. I’m going to try flour/baby powder first and see if that works.

        Thanks everyone for the helpful suggestions!

    • Legally Brunette

      Thanks all! My hair is jet black, so I am definitely worried that dry shampoo will leave white residue in my hair. If anyone has specific recommendations for black hair, let me know. I will also look into these brands that all of you have suggested.

      • zee

        I have dark brown hair, and baby powder works well for me (get the talc-free stuff) – just use a little (teeny tiny) bit, and work it into your roots. It may look a touch grey at first, but if you use the right amount, it soaks up your hair oil (I know, TMI) and becomes invisible. Besides, if you don’t like how it works for you, you’ve just spent $1 on a travel size baby powder to try it out.

        • zee

          Should specify: 5 mins should be all it takes. Also, use a fine-toothed comb or brush to distribute evenly.

        • MidSouth Atty

          Psst makes a dry shampoo for both blondes and brunettes that hides gray in between coloring and will not leave a white residue. It doesn’t smell either. Purchase on drugstore.com.

    • Shayna

      I don’t color my hair but my mother has been coloring it for about 25 years (or more) – and for years found it was fading away as soon as she had it done with every wash… she finally switched colorists after all these years, and with different (and more expensive… of course!) color, her color is staying beautifully dark (old color was Goldwell, not sure what the new color is). The only downside is that she says that the new color is making her formerly fine hair ‘coarse.’ Food for thought…

    • s-k-s

      Cornstarch! Just rub it through, wear your hair up while you are washing your face, putting on your makeup, etc. (I like to leave it in for at least 10 minutes works best), then vigorously shake and rub it out. I usually get more compliments on my “cornstarch” hair days then when I get up early and shampoo and blowdry it.

      I don’t think it would work for serious work-out sweat levels of dirt, but its great if your hair is just a little dirty/limp.

      I’m too dark-haired to try flour or baby-powder as others have recommended – I’m sure it would work just as well, but the corn starch has never been too obvious on my dark brown hair.

  7. luluaj

    Ojon Rub-Out spray is great. It leaves no buildup. Plus the smell isn’t bad although it took a little getting used to. My boyfriend loves the way it smells. FWIW, I am now blonde but also used it as a brunette.

    • L

      I’m blonde, so I don’t know how it would work on brunette hair, but I’ve been really really happy with the new Tresemme dry shampoo line. I previously used baby powder on days when I couldn’t squeeze a full wash and blow out and it looked a little lifeless. I’m actually loving my second day hair with the dry shampoo better than fresh blowouts at the moment.

      • Teresa

        It does NOT work on brown hair. Took a body shower thinking I’d just use the dry shampoo and save some time. Sprayed it in my hair, got dressed, did my makeup, and tried to brush it out, but it looked like I had a seriously bad case of dandruff! Had to wash my hair in the kitchen sink it was so bad… so much for saving time!

        • luluaj

          I have curly hair so no brushing allowed here. I just ran a blow dryer quickly through it and that did the trick.

        • CFM

          This happened to me, I took a dry towel and rubbed and it blends really well/gets rid of the excess (I’m a dark brunette) The only thing that bothers me is the smell, its not too bad but every once in a while I will get a wiff and think its overpowering. I use it for running errands when I havent showered, not for an actual event/work/dinner

        • Shayna

          Ew! Thanks for sharing — I have dark brown hair and the dry shampoo idea has always appealed to me – but I was too chicken to try it out for fear of exactly that outcome! I will say that it took a few weeks but my hair now looks pretty good shampooing it every other day (apparently every day washing was ‘overstimulating’ oil or something… oy)

          • Nic

            I use dry shampoo frequently. I previously used Frederik Fekkai powder, but just switched to the Tresseme spray which is cheap and does the trick. When using the powder, I would put it on, let it soak in while I showered with a cap and then would hit it with the blow dryer quickly to give it some body and get the excess powder out. This seemed to solve the “dandruff” problem.

  9. AIMS

    I do not find that a cute hair clip does much for my hair when it’s otherwise dirty, other than highlight the fact that I am a mess. Someone above mentioned that their hair looks nice in a ponytail only when they blow dry it out — that’s the same for me, which kind of requires more effort than I usually make vis a vis my hair.

    What I would love to see come back (and maybe I can start the trend so if anyone knows where to get one of these, please let me know) are those (sometimes awful, sometimes not) contraptions from the 80’s/early 90’s that are like a hairclip and then a sort of net/hair catch-all for the rest of your hair. The effect is like a bun except the clip holds the loose hair in a pony & the net/whatever-you-call-it collects the rest in place. I know it might be akin to wearing a scrunchy in some circles, but I so want one of those (but with a nice clip, not a giant bow as I remeber these things) . . .

    If anyone even knows what these are called, let me know.

    • Eponine

      For some reason my comment with a link keeps getting eaten, but I found pictures and ebay sales by googling for “hair net barrette.”

      They’re like a small snood, but attached to a barrette.

      • AIMS

        Thanks!!! I will look — it’s not quite a snood, but at least now I know the terminology. I think someone def. needs to make a cute version of this (I will check e-bay), maybe I can find someone to make this on etsy. . . :)

  10. SUCL 3L

    Cute! I just ordered one from Amazon! Got the sorbet color – feel like it will look nice with my dark-blonde hair.

  11. Anon

    I loooove headbands for work, but I have a tiny head and have a lot of trouble finding headbands that are small enough for me. I like skinny headbands that are either leather or wrapped in cloth – not plastic styles. Does anyone have any experience with this? I am constantly ordering them and then finding that they are too large. Arg.

    • Lucy

      For some, you could probably shorten them yourself (i.e., if it’s elastic, snip and make a bit tighter and re-sew, take to dry cleaner for a nicer, tighter stitch).
      You could also look into head bands marketed to teens/pre teens (jcrew crewcuts, maybe).
      If all else fails, higher end headbands tend to run a bit snugger, in my experience.

    • K3L

      I have a fairly huge head and I find that some headbands are too long for me. I imagine they make headbands for someone with my rugby prop husband’s head.

  12. SHOES!

    Totally off topic, but I am need of some help here. I left town for the weekend and my hubby accidentally trapped my dog in the closet for over an hour, during which time she ATE my only brown heels. (she is tiny and sneaky and loves shoes). My problem is, I hate hate hate heels, I am clumsy, and poor. The ones I had came from payless, only cost $20, had a reasonably low heel, and the key ingredient, a mary jane strap to help me stay IN the shoe and not fall over. Now, they are covered in itty bitty teeth marks and payless doesn’t have them in my size anymore! TIPS?!?!?! Shopping advice?

  13. Amy

    Tangent: So when I buy a $100 swimming suit, is it too much to expect that the pad inserts stay in one place? I just swam in it for the first time and they kept moving around.

    • Lucy

      You could sew them on in place, maybe?
      I take those out, personally, but it seems like it would work.

  15. K3L

    Question: Am I the only one who snaps my ponytail holders after about 10-20 wears? $14 is a lot of money for a 20 wear hair thing, at least to me. Am I just too cheap?

    • Cat

      If I snapped mine that frequently, I’d pass on this too. Not sure how long elastics usually last if they don’t get daily / every-other-daily use (I only have two going at a time — a black and a blonde one — one of which is always either around my wrist or in my hair); mine usually last 3-4 months.

    • RR

      I don’t tend to have that problem with the more expensive decorative ponytail holders. I do have that problem with the almost-disposable Goody ones. I have really, really, really thick hair (like a 2-inch thick ponytail).

      • CTx

        I have similar hair, and I go through a pack of the Goody ones every few weeks. Any suggestions for more expensive/durable non-decorative ones?

        • RR

          Non-decorative? No suggestions. I just keep buying packs and packs of Goody ones and throwing them out when they stretch out, break, or get hair balls tangled on them (is that a problem for anyone else? did I mention that the ridiculously thick hair is also a tangled wavy mess?)

        • em

          I bought some at H&M in Scotland 5 years ago in a pinch after the airline lost my luggage for a week. 5 years later I still have nearly all of them and they are virtually indestructible. Maybe H&M still sells them?

      • Jennifer

        I’m afraid to measure the circumfrence of my ponytail, and I have the same problem. The thin black Goody ones are a joke (they usually stretch out or break on the first wear), and the thicker ones are too tight/painful on my head.

        I recently found one of my very VERY old-school colorful ponytail holders, thin with the supposedly hair-tearing metal aglet and the tiny strip of gold foil wrapped around the whole thing. Those puppies work like a charm and I’ve been searching for them ever since, but I’m afraid they’re permanently out of vogue.

        • MMH003

          I think Goody changed the way they make their ponytail holders sometime in 2003ish. I used to swear by the regular size ponytail holders with the metal piece because the “no pull” ones didn’t work at all, but I think they now use the same quality elastic on the ones without the metal piece.

        • SD

          Yeah, I snap anything without the little metal bit, too. Since I can’t find anything that’s not glued (the glue ones snap all. the. time.) in a normal ponytail size, I’ve switched to the Goody “headwraps” – they’re flat and the ends are stitched, so they won’t snap. I just double one over and then use it like a regular (albeit rather large) ponytail holder.

          • Jennifer

            argggh nothing WORSE than when one of the metal-free ones snaps on the first wear. a lot of times i will just tie the ends together and try to make it work, but it makes the problem even worse and i end up with a rat’s nest/messy bun after trying to shove all my hair inside the thing to keep it off my face.

    • jojo

      No. I have very fine hair and have to wrap an elastic around my ponytail many, many times. As a result (or as a result of crappy construction) my elastics don’t last long.

      I prefer hair accessories made of more durable material. Ficcare has some very nice metal clips, but they’re borderline too heavy to stay in my hair.

  16. JD

    This for those of you looking for professional hair accessories: Ficcare makes beautiful ones, enamelled in all colors, and the headbands are perfect for smaller heads. For finer hair, get the smaller clips. Nordstrom’s carries a limited selection in basic colors, making it easy to try on first, and then make your selection from the website (ficcare.com)

  17. M

    Does anyone know how to do a French Twist? Any good video links? What kind of hair accessories do you need? Would love some advice…

    • AIMS

      In theory you only need hair pins (the narrow U shaped ones), but I have never quite mastered this look without someone’s help. Then again I can barely make a braid. You should just google “french twist instructional how to” & see what comes up.

    • RR

      All you need is u-shaped hairpins (really I think they are just called hairpins, and the non-U-shaped ones are bobby pins). Gather into what would be a low pony then twist up the back of your head and secure with pins. Tuck excess in at the top or leave it out depending on hair length and desired look. I don’t know how to explain better than that. I’ve also seen recommendations to comb hair over, pin up the middle of the back of the head, then twist the other side up, but that seems like an unnecessary pain.

      I’m sure there are how-to videos out there…

      • RR

        For an easy, more casual twist, I also use slide barrettes (they are like a curved piece that you slide a stick through. I just twist up, secure barrette to hold mess up on my head, and leave ends to dangle. It’s cute and would be professional with shoulder length hair. It’s much messier with my longer hair as the ends dangle more.

    • jojo

      TONS of hair videos on youtube. Just search for “french twist” or “how to ____.”

  18. kjf

    Maybe I’m showing my age but a discussion of headbands by professional women always brings to mind photos of Hilary Clinton in the Clinton campaign and WH days. Headbands were a daily accessory for her and I remember her getting ripped by fashion gurus about her lack of fashion finesse.

    We’ve come a long way baby…

  19. RR

    So cute! I have been in the market (i.e., meaning to pick some up but too lazy to get it done) for professional hair accessories for months, and I love all the suggestions here. Thanks ladies! You may have elevated my standard Goody hair elastic in black or blonde.

  20. Jennifer

    I love France Luxe for their headbands. They’re the only one’s I’ve found that don’t give me a headache by lunchtime. (Headbands being secret #2 to hair for busy women.)

  21. RoadWarriorette

    I know I’m a little late in the game responding, but I just wanted to say a heartfelt thank-you for featuring this. I don’t do ponytails because I’m running late, I do them because I am often running round, moving boxes, setting stuff up, etc. in preparation for events. I love the idea of having my hair “done” every day, but the reality is that I get warm and have to put it up almost every time I do an event. So, thank you for posting something that will allow me to have a professional looking ponytail that I plan for! Monday I actually forgot my rubber band, and had to use a pen .

  22. EmilyNYC

    I just found a great product called the Goody Spin Pins — about $6 at any drugstore/Target. They REALLY do work to put your hair up into a nice looking bun or side chignont and are easier to use than anything I’ve ever tried. My hair is just past shoulder length w/ layers and it still looks good. Highly recommended for days that would otherwise be ponytail days!

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