3 Ponytails 3 Ways: Nail Reese Witherspoon’s Go-To Hairstyle

Reese Witherspoon logged hours hiking rough terrain while filming the movie Wild. Now it’s her go-to red-carpet hairstyle that’s racking up major millage. We couldn’t decide which of her chic ponytails we liked best—so here’s how to recreate them all.
 
Witherspoon’s pro Adir Abergel calls this voluminous take, which the actress wore to the Inherent Vice premiere, “modern, with the beautiful clean lines of the ’60s.” Though it’s not tough to pull together, you will need a blowout and a few products. First, work a frizz-minimizer into damp hair, from roots to ends, followed by mouse on the roots. Make a side part and dry with a round brush. After you blow-dry each two-inch section of hair, wrap it around a Velcro roller. Mist the curlers with hair spray and let cool before unraveling. Make sure your side part is still in place at the front of your head. Tease the roots at the crown then use a paddle brush to smooth out the top layer. Brush back the front sections of hair down around the sides of your head (be careful to keep the volume at the crown). Gather your strands at the nape and fasten them into a ponytail. Slick the ends with serum for just enough gloss to give it a formal feeling.


For Witherspoon’s side-swept pony from the 2015 Producers Guild Awards, smooth out the hair on the top of your head before gathering it into a low tail. Find a chunky elastic—don’t be subtle with a tiny, clear, ouch-proof band here—and wrap it around your hair. Then mist the strands below the elastic with beach spray to introduce a lived-in texture. The contrast between the polished hair around your head and the wavy tail strikes a modern balance.

The Old Hollywood Tail

Steve Granitz/WireImage

To replicate Witherspoon’s classic pony from the 2015 Screen Actors Guild Awards, it’s best to start with a voluminous blowout. Then make a deep side part, smooth your hair down around your head, and then fasten it into a low ponytail. Take about an inch-wide section of hair from the underside of the tail and wrap it around the elastic to hide it. Use a bobby pin to fasten the end of the section into the elastic. Mist with hairspray. (If you’re not a fan of hairspray, just hit the hair around the elastic to ensure your look doesn’t unravel.)