My hair's getting there slowly but surely, about 6 - 6.5 inches average. The front bangs reach the tip of my nose (I can even touch the tip of my tongue to them :-) )
I'm wondering at what length does a ponytail begin to look good? If I tie my back hair up in a band the 'tail (or should I say mini-'tail) is about 1.5 inches long, but I think it still looks too short to wear out in public (it would probably look really goofy). At what length do you think I should try wearing one for the first time outside?
A "good looking" ponytail is such a personal judgment call. If I saw a guy with a 1.5" ponytail sticking out from the middle of the back of his head, I would think "now, there's a guy who is self-confident and thinks for himself--a trend setter". If it was a 1.5" tail lying at the nape of his neck--"hey, he is on his way to longer". But those are MY thoughts. When YOU think it looks long enough to wear out in public, THAT is when you should. Incidentally. to help with the awkward stage during which the hair from the front doesn't quite reach to the hairband, try this: comb as much of the back hair as possible into the ponytail. Apply a SMALL amount of a LIGHT gel to the hair in the front and comb it back toward the tail, lifting the comb from the hair before reaching the hairband. If you have used the correct amount of gel, when it dries it should give you control without looking plastered down. Go for it, Dave!
I remember way back then when I wore my first pony to work, the people were amazed that a man would be so bold. It was exciting and daring to say the least In actual fact it became so popular in the office that all the guys with hair long enough to grab behind his head started wearing ponies. I smile with joy when I think of my good old African friend who had no chance because of the nature of his hair to tie a pony, asked his girlfriend to take a large bead and with a croché needle pull his curly hair thru the eye of the bead until it appeared as a pony tail should. His was a merely a few millimeters long but he was so proud of it.
My hair is about 7 inches or so.. Same length everywhere, and I've worn it in a ponytail a couple of times in public. Mostly to gather all my hair in the back so it won't stick out in all possible directions. I wasn't really sure about it either at first, but then I thought, why should I give a fuck about what people will think? I'm going my own way, with my own style, and I like having it like this. And I didn't get any comments about it either :)
cheers,
james
Dave,
I can remember the first time I got my wife to help me pull back a "mini-tail". I wore it all day. I suppose I was so thrilled to be able to say that I had a "ponytail" that I didn't give a rat's ass what anyone else thought. Now, when I just grab all the hair, pull it back with my hands and pull it neatly back and tie it without thinking about it.... that makes that first tail seem SO long ago. As others have said, YOU have to be the one comfortable with how YOU feel about the length. What was an accomplishment for me might just be a starting point for you. You gotta go with your heart, man. Nobody knows how you feel except you!
Good Luck!
Personal opinion:
Ponytails on men look best when they are between 4 and 12 inches long.