an idea

You Should Wear High Pigtails in 2019

Models Tali Lennox, Kaia Gerber, and Hanne Gaby Odiele in very high pigtails. Photo: Getty Images

We’re almost one full month into 2019. Did you get bangs, yet? If not, there’s another hairstyle you should definitely try this year: Pigtails. And I don’t mean low, Alexa Chung pigtails that start below the ears and turn into braids. I mean twin high ponytails that sprout from the top or sides of your head and kind of look like animal ears, like 3-year-old pigtails.

Similar to bangs, they’ll instantly give you a “look.” Like the imminent low-rise jeans comeback, they’ll make you feel like a shell of younger self, but in a better, more aspirational way. A pigtail comeback allows us to really lean into nostalgia fashion; way past all the annoying pubescent stuff and straight to preschool, when we didn’t worry about pointless mental anguish and weren’t embarrassed to sleep with blankies and stuff.

But in all honesty, I’m mostly asking that we add fuel to the pigtail-comeback fire because it would be amazing if adults started wearing this amusing of a hairstyle while conducting staff meetings and publicly accepting prestigious awards. We don’t even need to do that much fanning of flames — the movement is already in full swing.

Tali Lennox Photo: Getty Images

We first saw an inkling of the overdue pigtail revival fall of last year. Model Tali Lennox kept wearing them around New York Fashion Week; more than once and with a rotating array of scrunchies in different colors. The rare set of pigtails also popped up on London’s runways, but pigtails came back loud and clear at Alexander Wang’s fall 2019 show in December. The focus was on the Blair Waldorf headbands and the 80-something brows that were bleached backstage, but this was all clearly a distraction to make the crunchy pigtails all the more palatable.

Hanne Gaby Odiele, Kaia Gerber, and a model at London Fashion Week. Photo: Getty Images

It worked, because pigtails really picked up steam at the tail-end of 2018. While promoting Aquaman, Jason Momoa appeared on the Australian news program The Project wearing pigtails topped with two versions of his trusty pink scrunchie. He had a blast.

Next, Beyoncé emerged a little over a week later with two impressive waist-length pigtails. She also looked really happy about them, and I can’t blame her, these look super fun.

On New Year’s Day, Kendall Jenner was spotted court-side at a 76ers game with two teeny-tiny pigtails atop her head. The following week, Molly Sims showed up to the Golden Globes wearing two mini pigtails with her Marchesa gown. And finally, just this past week, Ariana Grande surfaced with Sailor Moon hair, which, no matter how you bun it, requires you to put pigtails in your hair first.

Photo: Getty Images

It is time. Grab another scrunchie, middle-part your hair, and let’s do this thing.

You Should Wear Pigtails in 2019