Anya Taylor-Joy Proves Pigtails Can Be Sophisticated

Anya Taylor-Joy has quite the track record of playing characters from another time, like her role as Beth Harmon in The Queen’s Gambit, and her performance as Emma Woodhouse in Emma. Now, Taylor-Joy brings the look of centuries past off the screen and on to the red carpet, where she wore a 19^th-century-inspired petticoat along with grown-up pigtails.

 On November 10, Taylor-Joy arrived at the Harper's Bazaar Women of the Year Awards wearing a Dior crop top and petticoat set that looked like it came straight out of the Edwardian era. However, instead of the layered opaque fabrics and silhouettes that people wore a few hundred years ago, Taylor-Joy’s outfit was made entirely from sheer lace, including a thick-strapped bralette and a hoop skirt with an open slit. She accessorized the outfit with a lace sash to accentuate her waist, statement rings, and an ornate pendant necklace tied up with a cream ribbon.

Taylor-Joy’s makeup however, is more reminiscent of Taylor Momsen in the OG Gossip Girl than the no-makeup makeup looks of the past. Her makeup artist, Georgie Eisdell, kept the actress’s complexion simple with a quick sweep of blush, and added shocking depth with a stark-black smokey eye and cherry red lips—a perfect contrast to the ethereal outfit.

While her entire look is worthy of praise, the true genius lies in her hairstyle, which features a grown-up pigtail moment courtesy of Taylor-Joy’s hairstylist and Pureology Global Artistic Ambassador, Gregory Russell. Russell smoothed Taylor-Joy’s waist-length platinum locks into two sophisticated ponies, tied off right behind her ears. To add to her sleek hairstyle, Russell took strands from each of Taylor-Joy’s pigtails and wrapped them around the elastic to mimic hair ribbons.

At this point, pigtails are a staple in "coquette" fashion because the style has a certain doll-like quality that’s perfect for cuter outfits. The main difference between a classic coquette pigtail and Taylor-Joy’s pigtails, however, is the positioning—as opposed to combing Taylor-Joy’s pigtails high behind her ears for a cutesy look, Russell’s low placement and loose gathering bring an editorial elegance that can be worn at all ages to work, dinner, or, well, a red-carpet event.

If you're in the market to try out pigtails that can actually match your office uniform, consider your prayers answered.