There are certain words that immediately invoke an image.
When someone says the word “pigtails,” I immediately think of little freckly five-year-old with missing front teeth in a Girl Scout uniform (mostly, because there is a picture of myself, as a little freckly five-year-old with missing front teeth in a Girl Scout uniform wearing pigtails).
The image that most certainly doesn’t immediately pop into my head is a chic, model-off duty crushing the sidewalks of some international city. But that’s where we find ourselves in 2016. Everyone from the models at Paris Fashion Week to Beyoncè are rocking pigtail braids like they are this season’s must-have handbag. Perhaps it is the ‘90s revival or the shift towards functional fashion (because aren’t the point of pigtails to stay in place when cutting lose on the playground?), but what first seemed like a way for Kim Kardashian to garner the more likes on Instagram has turned into a full-fledged trend this season.
Of all the hair trends we have seen in the past few years, the pigtail braids have me super apprehensive and I am not quite sure why. It’s not like they are permanent or attack my commitment phobic sensibilities. And as someone who doesn’t wash their hair every day, they also are a great way to give life to my “when’s the last time I shampooed?” mane.
I think the real conundrum comes down to this—while I am still a fan of the Girl Scouts (Thin Mints, am I right?), do I really want to look like one? Everyone wants to look younger, but how young is too young? For example, it’s fun to get carded when going out, but not when “going out” is to a PG-13 movie. I somehow feel in my attempt to channel my inner-Sporty Spice, I would end up looking like Baby Spice (emphasis on the “baby”).
Don’t get me wrong—I applaud all those Fashionistas who are taking the risk and rocking the pigtail braids with confidence. And while I have yet to try this trend myself, who knows? As soon as I find the perfect edgy outfit and/or my old Girl Scout vest, a new photo of me may just surface rocking pigtails like a grown-up(-ish).
What’s your take on the pigtail braid? Love it or hate it? Sound off on social media using the hashtag #collegefashionista!
