Open Thread — Ponytails at the Office: Yea or Nay?
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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?
{related: easy office updos (which included some ponytail looks)}
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, thus, always wears a ponytail. 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.
{related: how to style long hair for interviews}
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.
{related: do ponytails count as professional hairstyles?}
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.)
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!
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@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?
To my male eye, there are several things problematic about pony tails. But first let me note that men can also have style problems that detract from their intended image.
Pulling hair together in back (for a tail, especially a high one) sometimes makes the face appear too spartan; it exaggerates angles. It can suggest a haggard
look, and under unfortunate circumstances, actually produce a haggard look.
Tails at work are not generally associated with gravitas–in the same way that certain facial hair configurations undermine gravitas. They are either juvenile in appearance, or they suggest that the wearer’s sense of taste may be out of touch with their actual situation in life. A switching tail (from head movements) is just not a plus either.
I will readily grant that hair care is inconvenient. My own (now gray, wiry) hair is not very manageable unless it is short, which isn’t the way I prefer to wear it. But… when looks are important, short it is.
Male hair problems? The fine line beard isn’t great when one has a slim face and the line follows the jaw. It looks bad if one has a chubby face and the line follows nothing in particular. The shaved head look (RIP, please) may be acceptable in some quarters, but if it looks better on an attractive smooth, bony skull than a bumpy or rotund one. The fat, round-faced shaved head guy is probably going to have too much of a baby-face Either wear a beard or shave daily. The rugged several-days growth has been done too much, and was never a good idea for some faces. For beards, expert trims are essential. If you have “holes” in your beard where there just isn’t enough hair, forget the beard. A beard running too far down the neck is not attractive on most men. Any weird hair or beard design is usually a bad idea in a professional office. Hair color makes a difference. Blond and red hair sometimes look good in ways that brown or black hair won’t. And visa versa.
Pony tails on men? Its a RARE guy who has hair, face, and body to make a tail look attractive in formal dress situations.
Women: You see, it isn’t just you.
Time was when the rule of thumb was “After 30, hair off the collar”; I think that should be “9 to 5, hair off the collar.” I’m an aged hippie, and perhaps I’ve become a fogey, but I’d much rather see women wear a low ponytail at work than wear their long hair draped over the shoulders of a tailored suit. (High ponytails don’t work for the office, IMO, because they swing when the wearer walks, or even moves her head.) For work, I used to put my hair in a high ponytail, then braid it, fold it with the end underneath, and pin it to my head — four bobbies. I could never master a French twist, which is the best look for long hair, I think. I wish more women would learn to do it instead of going around all day with their hair “let down.”
I am surprised that out of all of the styles mentioned, chopsticks/hairsticks have been left out. If you can sleek your hair back for a stylish ponytail, taking the extra steps of twisting it into a sleek twist using hairsticks is simple and produces a sleek, professional style. Hairsticks work in thin, fine hair and thick, curly hair. This style also has a more feminine, sculpted look.
If you ask me, low ponytails somehow manage to look both frumpy and childish at the same time. A high ponytail will accentuate your facial lines and show off your neck.
And who cares if it’s a “working out” look? I don’t mind looking trim and healthy.
I think a low, well-groomed ponytail is fine about once a week. Any more than that, and it seems like you’re not trying to look professional, in my opinion. Hairsticks are a great option, as mentioned earlier. With a little practice, you can have an updo repertoire, with each option taking a few minutes (at most) to accomplish. There are many options for tasteful, professional looking hairsticks that also allow you to show your own personal style.
I’m not a fan of women wearing their hair completely loose in a professional setting. A half-up style would be fine for a more “casual” day (no formal meetings or going to court, etc). For ladies who are concerned with looking severe, side swept bangs or a small poof soften an updo nicely. On a final note, it’s nice to differentiate between “office time” and “personal time”; clothing and hair style choices should reflect this difference. When you are not at work, it’s a nice switch to wear a ponytail or wear your hair down.
About six years ago I read in a career magazine that to look professional, women must wear their hair pulled back, and the wearing long hair down was completely unacceptable. (I found this article in a magazine at my university’s career services office.) After reading this article, at first I used to wear my hair pulled back in a low ponytail, even though I hated it. I always wore my hair down, so a ponytail was really irritating to me. So was this old article completely off the mark? Was wearing hair down every considered a work place taboo?
I agree that ponytails CAN be appropriate for the office. I disagree that it has to do with the TYPE of ponytail.
The appropriateness of ANY accessory, shoe or hairstyle, depends on the outfit and the environment. if you are wearing, like Sandra Bullock, a wonderfully tailored suit with a face shape that suits a ponytail, then YOU will lend the professionalism to the ponytail. If you work in an environment that allows khaki slacks or jeans on Friday, then when you wear a ponytail it will take the outfit to a more casual level. And at ANY time, if a ponytail tends to stretch the skin around your face, then it will make you look stressed, tired, or on your way to the gym, which is NOT helpful.
I personally usually wear my hair in a bun or down, as it works with my face shape and my wardrobe. Or I tie a ponytail with a part in front to look more polished and don’t pull the end all the way through. I work in a casual environment though, so that also affects my choices.
My rule of thumb is think “am I conscious of the hairstyle? Have I touched my hair ten times before leaving the bathroom?” Usually if the answer is yes, you look self conscious and thus will be perceived as such, which always makes you look less confident and thus less professional anyway.
I think a ponytail (high or low) is fine, with nice earrings and an otherwise appropriate outfit.
The French braid and the twists, however, are too Sarah-Palin-like. She is an attractive woman, but the hairstyles were too old-lady and dated for her. A ponytail is a much more clean and elegant look.
Recently I went to a Moot Court Competition in SC, and all of the women were told to wear low ponytails. We all thought they were crazy, but every female (judge or participant) all had low ponytails.
Ok I am a big fan of the pony tail- I tried the Clever Clip you mentioned a few weeks back and that is all I use now. My hair looks so professional yet takes about a half second to do…..much better then a cheap elastic. Thanks for the reccomendation.