Thirty-five fathers sitting in front of mannequin heads, colored rubber bands on the table and a pint of beer in their hands. In London, above a pub, on any given afternoon, there was something disarming: a handful of men who, accompanied by a cold beer, stood there learning how to braid or put a ponytail by tinkering with mannequins and wigs.
The initiative is called Pints & Ponytails and was born from an idea of the British podcast Secret Life of Dadsdedicated to fatherhood. The format is so simple that it seems banal: each participant receives in front of them a head with real or synthetic hair, brushes, hairpins and practical instructions provided by the professional hairstylists of Braid Maidens. Step by step, ponytail, braid, morning routine hairstyles. Nothing more. Yet, the video of that scene totaled 15 million views in less than 24 hours.
Why Pints & Ponytails is becoming a symbol of new fatherhood
Behind the success of Pints & Ponytails there is not only the curiosity for a funny scene. The initiative touches on a much deeper theme: the changing role of fathers in the daily management of the family.
Many men who attended the workshop explained that they wanted to acquire skills that are often taken for granted or delegated to mothers. Learning to comb a little girl’s hair means taking part in an important daily routine, that of preparing before going to school.
Precisely these moments often become opportunities for dialogue and emotional connection. Combing your hair, choosing a colored elastic band or redoing a braid that has come undone are small gestures that allow parents to listen to their children, talk about the day and build trust. Many comments on social media have highlighted this aspect. Users described the event as an example of “generational healing”, a sign of how the model of fatherhood is evolving towards a more affective and participatory presence.
The interesting thing is that Pints & Ponytails is not a limited European phenomenon. Similar, rebranded, initiatives are proliferating in the United States Daddy Daughter Styling Classin which beauty salons open their doors to fathers for practical courses on girls’ hairstyles. These events also collect views in the millions, a sign that the theme touches on something universal.
A simple manual skill becomes the pretext for something bigger: fathers who take on tasks traditionally considered “for mothers”, not for ideological reasons, but because they want to be close to their daughters in the most concrete way possible. Evidently, people feel this. And he shares it.
@thesecretlifeofdads We hosted our first event “Pints & Ponytails” & we were blown away Turns out dads love to talk, they just need a safe space with beer & a mannequin
Thank you @Annis – Chief Braid Maiden & @Lucky Saint for hosting our first event. Mention to dad so he can come to the next one
♬ Opalite – Taylor Swift
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