5 pigtail hairstyles you can wear without being confused for your daughter

There is something so fresh and innocent about pigtails. Yet as a grown up, wearing pigtails can make you look either like a porn star or like Mary-Ann from Gilligan’s Island if you are not careful.

 

We’ve found 5 great pigtail hairstyles you can wear that won’t make you look like you are off to Kindergarten.

1. Braid it, fish-tail style like Jennifer Love-Hewitt

Fish-tail braids

2. Twist it, and mess it.

pigtails

3. Give it the Bardot treatment.

A cool tutorial on these pigtails here.

Bardot pigtails.

4. Go deep, and plait it.

Fringe pigtails

5. Keep it low and layered like Adriana Lima.

 

3 quick pigtail styling tips:

1. Centre-part your hair using your fingers (a comb would make it too neat).

2. Secure each side into a pigtail at the nape of your neck.

3. Loosen some pieces above the elastics and finger-tease the tails to add volume.

 

What do you think about pigtails for mums. Cute or creepy?

 

Photo of Jennifer Love-Hewett via Bauer Griffin. Bardot piggies via xoJane

 

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  • Detachable Princess

    Could your picture of Mary Ann look any more like a sex doll! I laughed…. I tend to think that women over a ‘certain age’ just look awful with pigtails, but I find that the older I get, the age keeps getting pushed back. :D

    • http://twitter.com/FoxInFlats Andrea

      Oh yeah. I just wonder what sex dolls looked like before Mary-Ann???

  • http://beccibird.blogspot.com/ Becci Bird

    I love wearing pigtails but when I do my 12 yr old daughter gives me ‘that’ look – that “you’re not going out with me looking like that” look.  At 45 I’m still wearing minis though, don’t care what they say, my legs are still good!

    • http://twitter.com/FoxInFlats Andrea

      Good on you! I say if it makes you feel good, why not ;)

  • http://twitter.com/FoxInFlats Andrea

    You’re not alone not wanting to ‘look your age’. 89% of women don’t want to – check it out…
    http://www.foxinflats.com.au/2011/02/yummy-mummy-milf-and-now-muttony-mummy/

  • http://www.beafunmum.com Kelly B — Be A Fun Mum

    I adore pigtales but I’m not sure I can pull it off. But then, after reading this, maybe I can? I do wear my hair ponytail a lot.

    • http://twitter.com/FoxInFlats Andrea

      Kelly, having met you I think you could for sure!
      In the name of research I’m trying it today myself, and I think depending on where you are going, what you are wearing etc it looks cool. 
      Plus, my husband told me he thinks it looks hot.. ha ha ha x

  • Bron

    I semi-regularly pull out the pig-tails or plaits for low key days – love it!

    I was once told by a friend that she saw me in the distance with my kids and thought that they were with a teenaged baby-sitter! Now, some would think that I should be acting/dressing my age but they can go jump!

    • http://twitter.com/FoxInFlats Andrea

      Sounds like you are working it ThegenuineBron! 
      I agree, we should be able to wear whatever makes us happy ;)

  • http://kirrilywhatman.com Kirrily @ Sunny Side Up

    I really like wearing pigtails, always have. To hell with “pulling it off” or not. But then…. it’s that kinda thinking that makes me so uncool in the fashion stakes all round ;-)

    • http://twitter.com/FoxInFlats Andrea

      No Way! 
      To quote Coco Chanel: “To be irreplaceable one must always be different”. x

  • http://therhythmmethod.wordpress.com karen

    I’d love to wear pigtails, but I’m not entirely convinced I won’t get comments. Plus, I have a layered bob, so my pigtails would be teensy, not long and lush like these sex kittens above.
    Tell you what, tomorrow my big boy is off to kinder: I’ll wear pigtails and come back to tell you if I get told to sit on the mat with the other 4 year olds. :)

    • http://twitter.com/FoxInFlats Andrea

      Deal! I’ll do the same to kindy / school drop off and we can compare notes! 

      • http://therhythmmethod.wordpress.com karen

        OK, so I wore my pigtails. I only got one comment, and that was from Mr4 who said “Mummy, you have 2 ponies … you look like Lily!” (Lily is his kinder Wife).
        Comment aside, it was fun and I will wear ‘piggies’ again as an alternative to a ponytail. I think the key is keeping them low, and not being too neat.
        Thanks Andrea :)

        • http://twitter.com/FoxInFlats Andrea

          That’s so cute but also cool! Thanks for getting back on here & sharing. 

          Great to have another ‘trick’ up our sleeves for hairstyles – it’s so easy to wear a pony every day. 
          I’ve done the piggies twice now, and besides my husband (who thought they were “hot”!), no one has said anything.  It made me feel younger though – yet not in a icky school girl way. Go girlfriends! 

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Fiona-Roughan/1594810149 Fiona Roughan

    i wear pigtails with plaits – i don’t deliberately ‘mess’ it up though because with a busy life and 3 kids it only takes maybe an hour for the real deal! no way am i too old – nothing says happy mum like sneakers, jeans, pigtails and a big smile :)

    • http://twitter.com/FoxInFlats Andrea

      I like that “it only takes an hour for the real deal” !

  • Emma Mayall

    I like! Not sure if I could get my curtain-straight and flat hair to actually do any of those (I also have big ears that are likely to poke out, chimpanzee-style, through my hair if I try the JLH style) but am inspired to give it a go.

    • http://twitter.com/FoxInFlats Andrea

      Coolness! Love your attitude ;)

  • courtney

    I like the pigtails but usally its only a style i’ll wear to the beach under a big sun hat, or when i’m out gardening, i do need to work a different do than whats going on at the moment as my hair is always tied back and oh, so, boring :-)

    • http://twitter.com/FoxInFlats Andrea

      Isnt it funny how some looks fall off our radar? I’ve tried this twice since writing the article and love it. So cute!

  • Anonymous

    I love pigtails but they can look icky. These tips are great. But I just cut my hair. wahhhh
    my pig tails would look very infantile right now.

    • http://twitter.com/FoxInFlats Andrea

      Soon, toushka, soon. x

  • http://twitter.com/yayforhome Shae

    Pigtails are ace. At any age :)

    • http://twitter.com/FoxInFlats Andrea

      You’d look cute in them. Go with your pink Converse (don’t think I didn’t clock them when you were sitting next to me at the conference! :) ) 

  • Pene

    LOVE the pigtail look!  Messed up piggy plaits are my thing – I try and do a kind of messy zig-zag part from top to bottom and once I have plaited in a hap-hazard sort of way, I pull and tease the plaits out a bit to really mess them up!!!  Nearly always this look is underneath a hat for me..  Sun hat in summer, but in winter I normally pull on a slouchy cap with my piggies (thrown together with black cargo’s, a few layers of t-shirts/tops and a chunky scarf.  Love this look – it always feels comfy and just a little bit cheeky!!

    • http://twitter.com/FoxInFlats Andrea

      Sooooo thought of you when I wrote this. I know you rock them x

  • Misko

    cute

    • FoxInFlats

      yes!

  • http://www.wheresmyglow.com Glowless

    Adriana Lima does look like a porn star in that pic though :P

    I can’t wear them at all, all my lovely mature friends call them handlebars.

    • http://twitter.com/FoxInFlats Andrea

      ‘Handlebars’ that’s cute!

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  • maks

    Found you through “Planning with Kids”. Love this post! I love wearing pigtails of all sorts and so far I have only gotten very positive comments. Especially from “older” people who regretted, that women don’t wear them anymore ;-) .

    • http://twitter.com/FoxInFlats Andrea

      Thanks Maks! From the response to this article I think there is a ground-swell of pigtail wearing about to occur. ;)

  • Skyleem

    I have long hair and don’t think I could pull off the pig tails, but I do love a low side pony tail.

    • http://twitter.com/FoxInFlats Andrea

      Hi Skyleem, I Love the side pony too ;)

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  • Marisa Arrowsmith

    I love this!! 1-3 are super cute and look easy to do!!

  • Marisa Arrowsmith

    I love this!! Super cute for summer for sure!! I love 1-3 because those are styles I for sure would wear! XOXO

    • http://twitter.com/FoxInFlats Andrea

      Glad you like! ;)

  • http://bellabusta.tumblr.com/ Bellabusta

    This is so cute! I think that when done right, pigtails can be worn in a hip and trendy way but only on very specific people! Not everyone could pull those off!

    • http://twitter.com/FoxInFlats Andrea

      Yeah, I think you need a healthy dose of self confidence, or a bit of “I don’t care what anyone thinks’. 
      I wore these again last friday to school pick up after taking my littlest swimming that day. My hair was HORRIBLE from the chlorine at the pool, but the pig-tails saved me. True story ;)

  • http://twitter.com/KimberleeVDW Kimberlee VDW

    Congrats on making iFabbo’s Awesome Posts list! What a great idea for a post :)

    • http://twitter.com/FoxInFlats Andrea

      OMG totally awesome! 

  • Eloise Verlaque

    I am a big fan of the low piggy tail which is slightly to the side.  Actually Im a big fan of piggy tails altogether.  I think there is something kind of “French country” about them, especially with vampy liquid eyeliner lids :)

    • http://twitter.com/FoxInFlats Andrea

      Mmm I’m gonna practice that eyeliner… looks cool. 

  • Anonymous

    I really like #4 the best, but I’m still not sure if I could rock it!

    • http://twitter.com/FoxInFlats Andrea

      Go on, try it!!! 

  • http://mylifeinthecountrytoday.blogspot.com A Farmer’s Wife

    I recently had a crop so no more piggies for me.  I did used to wear the pony tail to the side a lot, but kept it low.  

    • http://twitter.com/FoxInFlats Andrea

      Oh cute new hair! I’d loooove to to a crop. Rollers for now ;) x

  • http://lifeinapinkfibro.blogspot.com Life In A Pink Fibro

    I’m pretty sure I commented on this post the first time around… but there are so many comments I didn’t bother to check! I love the idea of pigtails, but I have such a moonface that when I try them I look, well, piggy…

    Visiting via the REwind.

    • http://twitter.com/FoxInFlats Andrea

      Hey Miss Piggy ;) With hair like yours I reckon you’d look hot x

  • Sarah Mac

    I’s love to have the courage to go for it (especially like the messy pigtails) but I dont think I could pull it off and sadly my daughter had her long hair cut off a few weeks ago so no more pigtails in this house :(

    • http://twitter.com/FoxInFlats Andrea

      Maybe at home, for fun? x

  • http://maxabellaloves.blogspot.com Multiplemum

    I love them. Nowadays I don’t seem to be able to pull them off, but I rocked them well into my 30s! There should be more of it I say! Thanks for Rewinding x

    • http://twitter.com/FoxInFlats Andrea

      Me too. Must admit I hadn’t tried since a Big Day Out in about 1998 but since writing this am loving them. You could try… Dare you? x

  • FoxxyMuso

     Found you through Kidspot :)

    I wear pigtails quite often!!  I even wear them to work (I’m a secondary school teacher).
    I get tired of just my normal ponytail… and half the time CBF doing something more exciting with my hair (a bun or a braid is about as exciting as I get).  My colleagues, students (and my 6yo son) are completely used to my randomness (any day of the week), so I don’t get too many comments… 

    Rock those pigtails, girls!!!!  xo

    • http://twitter.com/FoxInFlats Andrea

      Oh, man alive you sound awesome! As does your name FoxxyMuso! x

      • FoxxyMuso

        naw thanks!  Is it bad that I also do the liquid eyeliner look as well?  With Dr Martens boots…  lol!

        • Anonymous

          Perfection! 

  • http://twitter.com/WAMAustralia Write About Me

    love the braids ! :)

    • FoxInFlats

      So cute!

  • Annie W

    One day I was so desperate I put my hair in pigtails for work.  One of the receptionists sniffed at me and said OH BAD HAIR DAY HUH?  I said well, it was either tie it back or cut it off myself (said sarcastically with a BIG SMILE!!!)…. you can’t please everyone!

    • Anonymous

      Ah, yes, the “receptionist sniff”. I know it well… ;)  

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  • http://justfordaisy.blogspot.com/ Bek @ Just For Daisy

    OOooo!! I used to love pigtails. Will have to give these a try! Hubby loves them too – funny that! ;)

    • FoxInFlats

      LOL yeah funny that ;)

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  • Mel

    I know this is an OLD post now but I had to comment. =) I’ve recently taken to wearing pigtails again this summer, under my hat or when swimming. I’m on the fab side of 40 though so had wondered whether I should still be doing this. So I Googled it (as you do) and it brought me here!

    Have to say I agree with others that the key to doing it at my age it seems is not to “do” it too much. My hair is shoulder length and for some reason, styling it loosely brings out the wave and “softens” my face. Look younger, feel younger = winning =)

    PS – Loving your blog – just started reading it.

    • FoxInFlats

      “Look younger, feel younger = winning =)” Yes – that! x A

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Welcome!

Andrea Zanetich Editor of Fox in Flats
Hi I'm Andrea, and Fox In Flats is my baby.

I'm also the mother of two little boys, who I credit for the motherhood induced fashion rut that I fell into sometime between the labour ward and now…

Here, we're sharing tips, ideas and inspiration to make it much, much easier to navigate motherhood in style.

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