Is there any hairstyle Kate can’t elevate? It seems not. The Princess of Wales has just shown how even the simplest of ponytails can look incredibly posh, even though there’s a very cheap styling secret behind it. Five quid on Amazon, anyone?
The princess was seen looking ultra-polished on an engagement to the volunteer-lead West Sussex Minibus service. Most of the usual Kate beauty staples were in place – soft, smokey eye, perky blusher, glossy nude lips – but her hair was a break from the norm.
Instead of the usual cascade of loose brunette waves, Kate’s hair had been swept up in a simple ponytail. We expected the usual royal updo polish – perhaps a velvet barrette, a French pin or a chic wrap-around section of her own glossy hair to smooth over the join.
Which is why it came as quite a surprise to zoom in for a closer look and spot… the humble bungee hook holding things in place. It would only have been more of a surprise if she’d gone for an emergency elastic band (we’ve all been there).
A pack of bungee grips will set you back less than a fiver on Amazon, but it’s actually the secret to a polished, stay-put ponytail – a detail Kate will no doubt have appreciated with her busy schedule, fitting in school runs as well as royal engagements.
‘The bungee hook can take a bit of practice to master but then it’s your secret weapon to a chic-looking ponytail,’ says Philipp Haug, celebrity stylist and co-founder of Haug London Haus. ‘Bungees offer a superior hold to traditional bands because you can control the exact tension with them.’ It allows for softness, rather than a harsh, headache-inducing scrape-back, without fear of the style unravelling.
Adam Bennett, creative director for Oxea London, agrees Kate's pony is a winning look. ‘This understated chicness comes from the smoothness of the hair at the front – coupled with a little bit of height so it looks deliberate rather than “just scraped back”. It gives a really nice “normal” feel to Kate, which she has always tried to convey in her day-to-day royal duties.’
As well as holding it all together beautifully (so very Kate), the bungee has been perfectly placed for a sophisticated look. ‘Kate’s ponytail looks elevated even though it's simply put together, partly because of the position of the ponytail. It’s quite high, which is what gives that more polished feel,’ says Philipp.
The effect is equally enhanced by ‘her very healthy hair and the colour’, shown off beautifully with a polished blow-dry.
As Philipp notes, ‘The colour looks so fresh and a ponytail like this shows off the different tones. If you wear your hair up and have it coloured, it’s worth thinking about the underneath. You can have what we call “ponytail highlights” so that it looks fresh and considered from all angles.’
Someone please put a winner’s rosette on that pony.
How to get the posh pony
Adam says: ‘You can recreate this look by blow-drying your hair off the scalp using a root-lift spray (Sam McKnight's is perfect for this) to create natural volume. Create a small circular section just below the crown and secure into a smaller ponytail tail fastened so that it sits away from the head.’
‘You can then sweep everything backwards around the small ponytail, securing with something inconspicuous (a small silk hairband would be amazing). Tilting your head back can make this a bit easier. Smooth over any flyaways by spraying a mixed bristle brush with some light-hold hairspray and gently sweeping over the surface of the hair.’
And if you’re not blessed with Kate’s lengths? No worries. Michelle Griffin at LoxBox says: ‘If your hair is shorter or fine, then consider using hairpieces to add volume and length or even a clip-in ponytail. The Green Pony company uses recycled hair so is the perfect sustainable choice.’
