The messy ponytail is back, and ‘90s babies everywhere are rejoicing. On November 17, actress Renée Zellweger was spotted in London at the Bridget Jones Scenes In The Square statue, made to pay homage to the actress’s iconic film series. For the event, Zellweger looked sharp in a black dress, which she paired with white, pointed-toe heels. Of course, my favorite part of her look was her practical, yet insanely chic, updo.
Zellweger’s hair was styled into a low ponytail, draped over her left shoulder. Wispy curls artfully framed her face from all sides, complementing the slight waves at the ends of her ponytail. She matched the hairstyle with a stylish pair of oval, cat-eye sunglasses, which only highlighted her stunning “my skin but better” makeup look. In short, the messy pony is back, and my middle-school heart couldn’t be happier.
Renée Zellweger arrives for "Bridget Jones" Scenes In The Square Statue unveiling in Leicester Square on November 17, 2025 in London, England.
A classic ponytail is one of my favorite updo hairstyles for a reason: it’s highly versatile. At its core, a ponytail is a simple, practical hairstyle that anyone can learn. Therefore, Zellweger’s lived-in version is equally as chic as the blunt style Kerry Washington recently wore to the Big Night Out Gala, because both served the same purpose: keeping each star’s hair up and out of their faces while each woman works on her respective project.
There’s an art to elevating everyday hairstyles, and it’s all in the small details. If Zellweger’s messy ponytail is now on your wishlist, keep reading to discover a few products I recommend for achieving a similar look.
This is one of the rare times that I will say that you can style dirty hair. Although I still recommend using a dry shampoo to soak up any oils and add a bit of texture.
Volumizing products like this one are also fantastic to get that messy ponytail.
A hair-colored hair tie is also great to keep your updo looking cohesive, especially if you're going for a monochromatic moment.
Curl those wispy pieces that don't quite make it into your ponytail to make the style look a little more intentional.
A texture balm like this will keep those wispy curls looking perfectly piecey all day (or night).
