to wonder if a high ponytail sends a message I'm unaware of?

[AuntieWithAttitude]

I was watching a friend's kid after school and told her about a summer camp where I used to work. We often helped the kids put their hair in 'camper buns'—a messy bun right on top of their heads. She asked me to do it for her, but didn't like it, so we ended up with a super high ponytail instead. She loved it and had fun swishing it around.

When her mum saw it, she commented on how high it was and then lowered it.
I didn't really think too much of it, until today on TV a character wore a high ponytail, and other characters remarked on how high it was, saying things like 'erm, are you sure you want to wear your hair like that?'.

Am I missing something about the significance of high ponytails? I can be bad at this stuff, subtle cues and such, I'm wondering if I've caused offence to my friend somehow. She seemed really weird about it. Don't want to make the same mistake again if I've misunderstood the significance of something.

What a total wanker your 6th form head was.

Absolutely. A complete git in every regard.

Is this the ponytail we're all on about?

My hair is just below shoulder length. When it’s hot I like to tie it up, also when I’m exercising. I expect it swings when I’m running. What would you suggest I do with my hair, to avoid upsetting people?

@MumblesParty - Britney. 2007.

(That's a joke. Swish it x 1000)

What would you suggest I do with my hair, to avoid upsetting people?

Stay inside wearing sackcloth and ashes and keeping your thoughts* to yourself, @MumblesParty, like all good women should.

*Obviously if you can avoid having thoughts altogether, that's even better.

OP I’m genuinely confused about this.
When you say “high” ponytail, what do you actually mean? I assumed it was literally at the top of her head, like a pineapple. But other posters seem to be saying the ponytail Kate Middleton had in the tennis photo is a high ponytail.

Kate is a normal high ponytail, this is more the chavvy type, scrapped back and very high, some are even higher than this picture.

OP just ignore it. The kids were happy. It's hair. Who cares?
All the classist comments about "chavs" are just horrible.

All these ‘Croydon facelift’ remarks are zooming me back to the late 90s/early 00s girls that wore high ponies with two bits either side of their faces gelled into points so sharp you could have classed them as weapons, that were often coloured with hair mascara that added to the stiffness! 😂

Also Kate tends to wear the higher ponytail when she is playing sport, on formal royal events she tends to wear it a bit lower.

I think as well that the makeup plays a part in making a look seem high class or low class. Scraped back high pony+very slathered on, orangeish makeup looks chavvy. Poppy Delevingne manages to get away with it partly because her makeup is much softer and more natural, even with the very red lipstick. The look is more ethereal.

OMG that really takes me back!

Yes.

I’m always aware these threads might be hoping to goad people into saying very snobbish things. There was one about not sitting in the canteen touching up your make up in front of everyone a few days back and a handful of posters kept saying: “ but WHY exactly is it a problem? What actual HARM does it cause?”
So suffice to say op it’s a look that speaks.

She also has quite thin hair so I wonder if she’s trying to maximise the impact of it, rather than favouring the look per se.

That too. I actually prefer this look on her to some of her other looks, and I think that's why.

It was called the Croydon facelift around me.

It's just called a pony tail where I live, but then I don't live in snob land.

That’s not too high ( just!)

That’s not high enough yet. That’s cheerleader ( though a bit are you stuck in your childhood for anyone out of their teens … unless exercising.

I’m afraid I’m actually baffled by how many people are wandering round not knowing the ponytail code. That’s not to say it’s important ; but I know about lots of things I don’t necessarily think are completely justified.

I’m afraid I think the swish is part of the problem. It kind of turns the back of your head into the rear end of a horse 🐴 and looks a bit like it might twitch and lift for a bowel evacuation at any moment .

Oh yeah much too high oP! Never mind: she only had to adjust it. No harm done!