34 Easy Pigtail Hairstyles for Adults to Try In 2025

Pigtails are popping up on our social media feeds, and we’re obsessed! These 34 adult pigtails styles are reminiscent of the schoolgirl classic but with chic twists that work for different hair types.

By Jazmine A. Ortiz & Powered By L’Oreal Professional Products Division

Update Date: 02 Sep 2026

The past few years have served up tons of throwback hairstyle nostalgia. From high ponytails wrapped in scrunchies to space buns, we’re continually drawing inspiration from hairstyle trends of the past. If there’s one hairstyle that’ll surely bring you back in time, it’s pigtails.

When you think of pigtails, you might recall wearing them a lot for picture day as a kid. Though the fun hairstyle has a reputation for being youthful, there are tons of stylish ways to wear them as an adult.

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Not sure how to take your pigtails from cute and sweet to trendy and chic? Keep scrolling for 34 easy pigtail hairstyles you’ll love. Whether you’re looking for a bohemian hairstyle or something a bit more classic, there’s a pigtail look perfect for you.

Twisted Pigtails with a Baseball Cap

Did you hear twisted pigtails are the new braided pigtails? According to Hair.com ambassador Madison Sullivan (who styled these), they’re perfect for traveling, too, since when you take out the twists, you’re left with effortless waves that require no clunky heat tools. Throw a baseball cap on like our model here to keep your hair from getting roughed up on the plane ride.

High Pigtails With Bangs

High pigtails are trending, but if you’re skeptical about the style looking juvenile, try adding shaggy bangs and leaving some loose pieces in the front and back. Add colorful highlights to really lean into the whole rocker chic aesthetic!

Festival Dutch Braids

Part your hair down the middle and create two even sections on each side of your head. Work with one section at a time and split your hair into three even segments. Beginning at the start of your hairline, begin crafting a classic Dutch braid all the way to your ends.

Use a clear elastic to secure your braid and repeat the same steps on the opposite side. Pancake each braid to make them appear full and voluminous. Complete the look with a few spritzes of high-hold hairspray like the Redken Thermal Spray High Hold. This extra strong hold anti-humidity hairspray holds hair in place for 24 hours without residue or flaking.

Optional: Add in gold hair rings to make this style festival season ready!

Slick Pigtail Braids on Natural Hair

If you don’t think you can pull off the pigtail trend because your hair texture is more coarse, think again. Mizani artist Jada Jenkins shows us how it’s done with the help of braiding hair and absolutely no heat!

Pigtails With Wispy Bangs

Wispy bangs (also known these days as Korean air bangs) are trending right, so why not pair the recycled style with another throwback look? Enter: pigtails!

High Pigtails

We know what you’re thinking—high pigtails scream pre-school, but hear us out first! High pigtails are fun for sporting events paired with a jersey or festival season adorned in glitter. The thing to remember with this style is the right place and time mean everything.

Curly Half-up Pigtails

Curls instantly add a fun pop to pigtails. If you have a tighter curl pattern and still want to show off some length, pull only the top section of your hair into pigtails for this half-up hairstyle that is easy to do.

Voluminous Braided Pigtails

The key to faking these voluminous pigtail braids is pancaking. If you’re not familiar with the term, let us explain. Pancaking is simply pulling your thumbs through the loops of your braids to just enough to loosen them and make them look plumper.

Boho Pigtails

Boho pigtails are messy yet chic, making them perfect for everyday wear or a laid-back day at the beach. Begin by creating a middle part and apply a few spritzes of a texturizing spray like the L'Oréal Professionnel Next Day Hair Hairspray throughout your hair. The micro-propelled dry finishing spray transforms hair into next-day disheveled looks with a discrete and natural touch.

Textured Pigtails

Flaunt your fabulous textured hair with these stunning braided pigtails! Part your hair down the middle and beginning at the front of your hairline, creating traditional cornrow braids on each side of your head. Once you reach the mid-lengths of your hair, tie each braid off with metallic hair elastics, letting your natural spirals shine! For a finished look, slick down baby hair with Mizani Artful Edges Edge Control Gel.

Box Braid Pigtails

Is your protective style looking a little too lived in? Refresh box braids that you’ve been wearing for a while by pulling them up into pigtails. Your new style will hide any imperfections.

Braided Pigtail Buns

Flip your head over and bring all of your hair to the front so that it hangs down past your forehead. Split the hair into two even sections on each side of your head. Use a hair elastic to tie off whichever segment you aren’t working with first. Pick up a small section of hair from the nape of your neck and divide it into three even pieces. Form a Dutch braid by crossing the left piece over the middle. Then, pull the right section over the middle. Repeat these steps as you continue braiding, adding more hair as you go. Once you reach the top of your head, secure the braid with a hair elastic. Let your hair down from the elastic on the opposite side and repeat these exact steps.

Flip your hair back over so that you’re sitting upright. Twirl the remaining loose hair around the base of each hair elastic to form two buns. Use bobby pins to hold each bun in place, and apply a few spritzes of hairspray to lock in the entire look.

Pigtails With Ribbon

You can pull off this trendy accessory with pigtails in two ways. After executing your pigtails, take a ribbon and thread it through a 3-strand braid, or use your ribbons to tie cute bows over your hair elastics, securing your pigtails in place. You can try both at once if you prefer a maximalist ribbon style!

Pigtails With Extensions

We’re loving the security blanket hair trend this winter, so if you aren’t quite yet ready to give up your extensions just yet, add pigtails!

Twisted Pigtail Buns

Let’s be clear; it doesn’t have to be festival season to sport space buns. Now that we got that out of the way, the style starts off with pigtails twisted and wrapped around the base. Lock into place with bobby pins and Matrix’s Vavoom Freezing Spray. It has a 24-hour hold, and it’s humidity resistance, so even if you do decide to take these for a spin at a festival, they’ll hold up rain or shine.

Cowgirl Copper Pigtails

We’re obsessed with this rustic brown and vibrant copper mix being dubbed Cowgirl Copper this season. If you’ve given the shade a try, we suggest pulling your ginger locks back into two pigtails to channel big cowgirl vibes.

Champagne Blonde Pigtails

This look-at-me blonde almost shines brighter when styled into pigtails. We suggest asking your salon about Redken Shades EQ in Gold Rose to achieve a similar color and adding shine spray to really let those champagne strands pop.

Teased Pigtails

Big, teased roots are back! Do double the teasing by backcombing the tails of your pigtails as well for a look that’s reminiscent of Southern glamour.

Puffy Pigtails

Airy volume gives these thick boho pigtails the ultimate wow factor. Try this look on freshly washed hair as opposed to second-day hair so product build-up doesn’t get in the way of you achieving that same airy vibe.

Classic Bubble Braid Pigtails

When it comes to braids, bubble braids are foolproof—see our simple guide here. Just don’t forget to match your hair elastics to your hair shade!

Afro Puffs

‘90s nostalgia is everywhere these days, so we aren’t surprised that afro puffs are trending again. Grab a high-hold gel like Mizani True Textures Sleek Holding Hair Gel, made for curls and coils to mimic these cute puffs.

Jet Black Pigtails

A certain spooky schoolgirl that blew up our TV screens this past fall put jet-black pigtails back on the map—not to mention the rise of goth trends! Here’s a way to give the goth aesthetic a whirl without fully diving in.