The hairstyle solution for every possible scenario is so simple, it’s right under your nose. It’s the ponytail — and if you don’t believe you can wear one everywhere from the gym to a glamorous formal affair, just take a look at the A-listers who have been doing exactly that. Ponytails have popped up everywhere from Paris Fashion Week to the Met Gala with a long list of celebrity supporters like Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lopez, and Anya Taylor-Joy. And while Anne Hathaway has been a fan of the quintessential updo and its various variations for years now, her recent high pony at the Ralph Lauren Fall RTW 2025 show once again reminds us all just how versatile this look can be.

In the past, Hathaway has picked a ponytail as her hairstyle du jour for premieres, press events, fashion editorials, and much more. That said, what better option for the iconic fashion house’s latest show? The star of the upcoming sequel to The Devil Wears Prada attended the April 17 event at Jack Shainman Gallery in New York City looking effortlessly chic from head to toe in sequin-covered jeans and a trench coat over a white tank. As for her beauty look, the actor chose relaxed yet glamorous styles for her makeup (dewy skin with terracotta lips and cheeks), nails (the celeb-faved naked mani-pedi), and hair to suit her luxe but laid-back ensemble.

Although relatively simple, Hathaway’s latest pony was different from past versions in a few ways. For example, at the The Idea of You premiere in New York, she opted for a fluffier rendition, accented with wispy bangs and face framing tendrils. On the cover of Vogue Hong Kong in November 2022, she went with a retro Bardot-esque look. Even back in 2008 she was sporting ponytails on the red carpet, like the short, slicked back one she wore to the Get Smart premiere. At Ralph Lauren, it was the perfect combination of soft and snatched. In the front, the Mothers’ Instinct star’s hair was sleek and tightly pulled back — not a strand out of place. In the back, her crown-height pony was soft and touchable, with just enough volume and bend to make it feel unfussy.

The moral of the story is, if you’ve been sleeping on the high ponytail as a go-to style for, well, anything this spring, allow Hathaway’s latest look to remind you why it’s a chic staple. And although you may not have as high fashion an event to wear it to as the Verity star, consider it for the next upscale occasion on your calendar, like a glamorous garden party, a wedding, or even a dressy date night.