Elle Fanning Becomes the First Person to Make Pigtails Glamorous

Elle Fanning has done something no one up until now has done before. She made pigtails look, not just cool, not just elegant, but fashionable. The actress pulled up to the premiere of A Complete Unknown last night in Los Angeles with a look probably never seen by a red carpet, unless that red carpet is a rug in a preschool classroom.

Fanning wore her hair with very 2000’s deep swooping side bangs and two low, tight-to-the-head medium-length pigtails. The crown of her head had added volume because a bunch of her hair was teased and bumped in the back, and secured with a bow barrette. Each of the pigtails was secured with an embellished, white hair tie.

There aren’t any posts of this look or the styling details from this night from Elle Fanning or her usual hair stylist Jenda Alcorn , to whom she Fanning seems to be loyal to. But if we assume Alcorn is responsible for this look, that’s kind of iconic and quite a departure. Fanning’s usual look at the moment seems to be classic, medium-length down-dos, sometimes with headbands and blowouts, though she’s experimented with other classically feminine hair looks before.

I have to be honest. This is the most glamorous hair do I’ve seen in a hot minute. It’s not only elegant, but it’s so full of personality. It requires vision and character and risk. She looks like a character in a movie still in these images. I foresee Elle’s look being heavily recreated, and if not, that’s an L in its own right.