Ponytail facts for kids
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A ponytail is a hairstyle in which some, most or all of the hair on the head is pulled away from the face, gathered and secured at the back of the head with a hair tie, clip, or other similar device and allowed to hang freely from that point. It gets its name from its resemblance to the tail of a pony.
Ponytails are most commonly gathered at the middle of the back of the head, or the base of the neck but may also be worn at the side of the head (sometimes considered formal), or on the very top of the head. If the hair is divided so that it hangs in two sections they are called ponytails, pigtails, or bunches if left loose - and pigtails, plaits or braids if plaited. Unbraided ponytails worn above each ear are sometimes called dog-ears.
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Ponytails on women and girls
In European culture, it was not usual for women (as opposed to girls) to wear their hair in public in a ponytail until the mid 20th century.
Today, both women and girls commonly wear their hair in ponytails in informal and office settings or when exercising; they are likely to choose more elaborate styles (such as braids and those involving accessories) for formal occasions. The ponytail is popular with school-aged girls, partly because flowing hair is often associated with youth and because of its simplicity; a young girl is likely to be able to retie her own hair after a sports class, for example. A ponytail can also be a fashion statement; sometimes meaning sporty, other times a low pony tail sends signals of a chic personality.
A ponytail is a practical choice as it keeps hair out of the eyes when doing different jobs or hobbies. It is not uncommon to require long hair to be tied up for safety reasons in an environment like wood shops, laboratories, sporting activities, hospitals etc, even where hair nets are not mandatory. The ponytail, particularly a low ponytail, is often the most practical way to secure the hair.
As a man's hairstyle
Historical
In Europe in the second half of the 18th century, most men wore their hair long and tied back with a ribbon into what we would now describe as a ponytail, although it was sometimes gathered into a silk bag rather than allowed to hang freely. At that time, it was commonly known as queue; the French word for "tail". The queue lost favor amonst civilians, but continued as the mandatory hairstyle for men in all European armies until the early 19th century. The British Army was the first to dispense with it, and by the end of the Napoleonic Wars most armies had changed their regulations to make short hair compulsory.
In Asia, the queue was a specifically male hairstyle worn by the Manchu people from central Manchuria, and later imposed on the Han Chinese during the Qing dynasty. From 1645 until 1910 Chinese men wore this waist-length pigtail.
Recent history
In the 1970s, many men wore their hair long and in ponytails. This look was popularized by 1970s-era rock musicians.
In the late 1980s, a short ponytail was seen as an impudent, edgy look for men who wanted to individualize, but keep their hair flat and functional (see mullet). Steven Seagal's ponytail in Marked for Death is an example. (Also see Man bun).
Images for kids
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Austrian footballer Sarah Puntigam with a ponytail
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Image of the fresco, "Ladies in Blue", from the Palace of Knossos on the island of Crete, with women wearing what seems like a ponytail hairstyle.
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A blonde fashion model with a ponytail
See also
In Spanish: Cola de caballo (peinado) para niños
