18 Pigtail Hairstyles Trending This Season

Ciara wears a voluminous, wavy high pigtails hairstyle and graphic tee — @ciara / Instagram

Beauty trends can come from practically anywhere and everywhere, but one unexpected place is our childhood memories. Yet, from popsicle lips to bow hairstyles, a new kind of nostalgia has recently taken center stage in our routines. Pigtails are the latest to get the trend treatment, but this isn't the first time they've made the leap from playgrounds to parties, as Brigitte Bardot famously sported them in the '60s.

But it's easy to see why the style is making a comeback: They're a delightful alternative to ponytails on a casual hair day, whether you're heading to the gym, running errands, or enjoying a laid-back brunch. There's no age limit on the trend, but if you're looking to give pigtails a more sophisticated or elevated feel, it's all about how you style them—and there are so many ways to do so. Read on for 18 pigtail hairstyles we love, as worn by celebrities.

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Grande Gestures

Ariana Grande wears a high-neck bodysuit, leather skater skirt, and high pigtails with flipped ends — @arianagrande / Instagram

For the 2020 VMAs, Ariana Grande traded her signature high ponytail for ombré pigtails, proving how perfectly playful the style can be for one of music's most fun events. We love the flipped ends, which give the look a sleek retro vibe.

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Bold and Beautiful

Tessa Thompson wears braided pigtails, a warm-toned makeup look, and a gold satin blazer — @lacyredway / Instagram

Celeb stylist Lacy Redway has earned a reputation for creating incredible braids, as she did here with Tessa Thompson. The sleek style only enhances the powerful vibes when paired with a silky blazer and warm-toned makeup look.

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Seeing Red

Billie Eilish wearing two space-bun pigtails with black and red hair. — @billieeilish/Instagram

Even Billie Eilish, who usually rocks grunge styles, gave ultra-girly pigtails a go. Of course, she added her own spin to the look, opting for space buns and a bright red dye job at the roots to toughen things up.

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Blonde Ambition

Hailey Bieber wears a blonde high pigtails hairstyle with loose curls — @instylerhair / Instagram

Always one to spark a beauty trend, Hailey Bieber turned heads when she styled her then-blonde hair into high pigtails. She elevated the look with subtle wavy texture.

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Courtside Style

Teyana Taylor sitting court side wearing pigtail braids and a chunky knit hat. — @teyanataylor/Instagram

To recreate Teyana Taylor's courtside braids, hairstylist Sarah Potempa suggests prepping hair with Beachwaver's Braid Balm, which adds grip for longer-lasting styles while keeping braids shiny and frizz-free.

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Great Lengths

Khloe Kardashian wears a long half-up pigtails hairstyle — @khloekardashian / Instagram

Leave it to a Kardashian to make pigtails super sultry. Here, Khloé makes the style worthy of your after-dark plans with dramatic length and big, bouncy volume.

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Slick With It

Dove Cameron at the VMAs wearing pigtails — Udo Salters/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

Dove Cameron makes a compelling case for pigtails-as-event-hair with her face-framing pieces and sleek braids. A more stylized look—whether ultra slick or full of body—lends an elevated flair to the style.

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Plaits Please

Lilly Singh wears French braided pigtails, a collared black and white shirt, and a black blazer — Getty Images

Get two childhood hair staples in one grown-up look, as Lilly Singh does here, by French-braiding your pigtails. Paired with a tailored neutral outfit, the style feels chic and sophisticated.

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She's Come Undone

SZA in space-bun pigtails. — @SZA/Instagram

We can't stop thinking about SZA's lived-in, messy space-bun pigtails. To recreate, start with a texture spray like the Schwarzkopf OSiS+ Texture Craft before crafting your piece-y buns—this will help create a more undone feel while adding a natural-looking shine to strands.

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All Curled Up

Yara Shahidi wears a curly low pigtail hairstyle with styled edges — @emilychengmakeup / Instagram

Another thing to love about pigtails is they look great on any hair texture, as Yara Shahidi proves here by showing off her curls. All about the details, the look features stunningly styled edges, too.

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Halfway There

Latto wears a half-up pigtail hairstyle with wrapped bases — @latto777 / Instagram

Singer and rapper Latto put her own spin on the half-up, half-down hairstyle by opting for pigtails with wrapped bases, giving her look a playful touch.

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Hot Streak

Ciara wears high pigtails with blonde streaks and stylized bases — @ciara / Instagram

Ciara works these voluminous, stylized pigtails so well that she may just inspire you to run out and get chunky highlights—and style them exactly like hers.

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Little Bo Chic

Sabrina Carpenter wearing pigtail braids with bows. — @sabrinacarpenter/Instagram

"To elevate pigtail hairstyles for 2023, I would add ribbon, specifically a thin ribbon," says celebrity hairstylist Barb Thompson. "In past years, thicker ribbon has been trendy, but now [we're] seeing the slim ribbon making a comeback." It's no surprise Sabrina Carpenter already got the memo—she rocked tiny ribbon ties on the ends of months ago. And we have to mention how cool the interspersed pink strands look.

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Braid Parade

Bella Hadid wears small oval sunglasses and a braided low pigtail hairstyle — Getty Images

Leave it to Bella Hadid to know her way around any beauty trend. A deep middle part and low placement make these braided pigtails anything but childish.

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Gut Decision

Olivia Rodrigo wears braided pigtails with multicolored hair clips and a green fluffy coat — @oliviarodrigo / Instagram

We already knew Olivia Rodrigo had guts, but by pairing braided pigtails with brightly colored clips, her beauty choices bring the bold energy to match.

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Baby Braids

Tracee Ellis Ross wears French braided pigtails, a beige blazer, and red lipstick — @traceeellisross / Instagram

Tracee Ellis Ross flaunts the fact that you don’t need long hair to rock braided pigtails. Her neutral blazer keeps the style firmly in adulthood.

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Mix and Match

Camila Cabello wears half-up pigtails with multiple braids and a black crop top — @dimitrishair / Instagram

As celeb stylist Dimitris Giannetos says on this Instagram post, “Why not do it all, huh?” In the case of Camila Cabello's style here, we’re talking two pigtails, six braids, two front pieces, and half the hair free and ultra-sleek.

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