Zoë Kravitz, Madonna and Lauren Conrad: These Are the Most Iconic Ponytails of All Time

Once upon a time, not too long ago, Kylie Jenner walked outside with her hair in a ponytail and sent the internet into a frenzy. As such, beauty marketers across the world started a race to rebrand this fairly innocuous staple hairstyle into the new and (supposedly) improved "partless slick-back" trend. Surely the standard for a sleek ponytail should really be the hair at Balmain’s spring/summer 2016 show by Sam McKnight, which was high, smooth and finished with a piece of hair wrapped around the elastic hairband (to conceal the inner workings and add a layer of mystery).

As well as Balmain’s show models exemplifying the ultimate show pony, when considering great hair, I often find myself referencing a certain model dog, Samantha. This influencer Afghan hound is the ultra-elegant long-haired, long-nosed, pearlescent canine who sports effortless up-dos and silk scarves, and who proves that there's no need to reinvent the wheel when you can simply up the ante. So with that, get your hair ties at the ready, because it’s time to look back at some ponytails worth writing about!

Starting with the biggest for maximum impact, Guido Palau’s ponytails on the runway for Versace’s pre-fall 2019 show make pageant girls look like skinheads. Two models turned heads with XXL brunette ponytails adorned with gaudy crystals that fall into the "so wrong it’s right" category. The collection came the season after the 2018 tribute, where Donatella Versace unearthed the greatest hits from her brother Gianni's archive, and she was evidently still riding the wave for pre-fall 2019.

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You cannot utter the word "ponytail", much less "big ponytail", without mentioning singer Ciara. Braided, brushed-out, curly, straight—you name it, she’s worn it (and well!). At the Met Gala in 2019 (the theme was Camp), Ciara sported a ponytail consisting of six Afro wigs worn high on the head, offset by a straight centre part at the front and two silver barrettes. The hair, created by Cesar DeLeon Ramirez, rose high above her head and fell all the way down her back.

Prepare yourself for this band-aid-ripping moment. My hottest ponytail take is that the Blond Ambition pony is not Madonna’s best. IMHO, her best is the voluminous curtain of blonde that sat atop her head whilst she wore the famous blue silk Tom Ford shirt to the 1995 VMAs. In fact, she donned an even better version of this pony in her iconic 1992 book Sex, shot by Steven Meisel in her peak Erotica era. The hair is even longer, and the look is finished with a single pair of hoop earrings. Both bouffant-like ponytails crafted by hairstylist Garren, could be descendants of fellow generational beauty, Sharon Tate, who secured her golden ponytail with a black velvet bow and punctuated it with a perfect flick at the end.

The plastic ring ponytail accessories from Dior spring/summer 2015 (also by the legendary Guido Palau) might be due for a comeback. The natural flow of the hair was interrupted, as if someone had sliced their pony off and then reattached it in a bout of regret. Colour played a huge part in how this style was read: the clear and silver rings felt like a sci-fi dream, whilst the reds, yellows and greens had a more '60s feel. The link between the '60s and futuristic interpretations of space is not lost here, and if you weren’t convinced, then the little beehive that accompanied the abstract ponytail serves as proof. Note: remember the red glossy boots that season? Also very '60s space-age!

Janet Jackson is another ponytail chameleon. She has worn every iteration of the style (it would be rude to her cheekbones not to!). A personal favourite Janet ponytail was her high, braided iteration at the 35th Grammy Awards by celebrity braider Janet Zeitoun. She let her hair and beauty take centre stage, her outfit a crisp white suit with a matching white wrap around her pony to pull the look together. It's a masterclass in red-carpet styling.

The high ponytail has a soulmate: the fringe. If the tight pull lifts the face, then the blunt fringe is the frame. Worn by icons like singer Nina Hagen, who is often cited as a source of inspiration by celebrity hairstylist Louis Souvestre, Nina’s hair was chameleonic in colour but always perfectly haphazard in style, and left a deep impression on Souvestre. Variations on the fringe-and-pony combo were also adopted by Janet Zeitoun for Janet Jackson in the What’s It Gonna Be?! music video, as well as Lady Gaga at the 2011 Grammys, where hairstylist Frederic Aspiras had her hair dishevelled and sat to the side, with her bottle blonde fading into the slightest tinge of coral-ish pink.

Souvestre also cites Josephine Baker’s high pony, which was sculpted by Jean Clément and protrudes from three artfully formed rings of hair that descend in size, as another iconic ponytail. The same image inspired Megan Thee Stallion’s hair by Kellon Deryck at the 2025 Met Gala, proving that this avant-garde style has stayed on fashion's shared mood board since its debut in 1951 at the Havana Club, and is where hair styling can transcend to artistic heights, beyond runways.

For the romantics, Zoë Kravitz's braided ponytail by Nikki Nelms for this year’s Met Gala was also nothing short of artful. Even her day to day look is shrouded in mystery and sparked much debate online as to what exactly Zoë asked for when making her request. Boho braids? A perfect mix of braids and locs? My personal favourite conspiracy was the simple suggestion of actually keeping your braids in longer than three weeks (if you know, you know). For the Met Gala Nelms added extra je ne sais quoi with tendrils of perfectly placed baby hair and a long ponytail that appeared to start its life as a messy bun before cascading down Zoë's back. When I think of princess hair, this is the image that comes to mind.

If this list so far has felt intimidating, rest assured that even "basic" can make history when it’s done right. Lauren Conrad and Kristin Cavallari pushed the boundaries of what could be achieved with a side fringe and a headful of layers, which produced spiky little ponytails that took the teens of Laguna Beach (and the world) by storm. And if you’re still uninspired, there’s always the Kyle Richards ponytail helicopter.