Perhaps one of the most whimsical of hairstyles, Le Palmier, translation: the palm tree, was the centerpiece of the Jacquemus fall 2026 collection, presented by creative director Simon Porte during Paris Fashion Week on Sunday. The effortless, off-kilter aesthetic informed Porte’s sartorial vision, playfully juxtaposing his sculptured garments with silhouettes reminiscent of the same era.
Models walked the runway in overcoats with shoulder pads, hourglass suits, pencil skirts and bra tops, with cylinder ponytails protruding from the sides of their heads. Most of the men were seen with what could only be described as baby sprouts, while the women primarily boasted elongated, wavy tails that reached past their shoulders.
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Speaking with WWD at the show, Porte said his mission was to “do something fun.
“It’s a bit of my obsession this year. I want everyone to have fun, not take ourselves too seriously,” he added, noting that the palm tree was once a ticket into the most exclusive parties Paris had to offer.
First popularized by music legends Cyndi Lauper and Madonna, the palm tree trend, otherwise known as the side ponytail, arrived around the early 1980s as a result of the wild shags from the decade prior. Here, the disheveled updo — sometimes a complete ponytail, othertimes a half up, half down hybrid — was synonymous with the “valley girl” aesthetic, beloved by tweens and teens in the San Fernando Valley of California. While many mirrored Madonna’s archetypal version, others mimicked Lauper’s “rock’n ‘ roll” alternative, which was, of course, the result of half her head being completely shaved.
Stars like Ami Dolenz, Candace Cameron Bure and Andrea Barber later became the poster girls for the quintessential palm tree, having donned the style countless times in films and sitcoms such as “Can’t Buy Me Love” and “Full House.”
The trend eventually trickled into the ’90s, with everyone from Beyoncé Knowles-Carter to Christina Aguilera donning versions similar to Porte’s. But by the late 2000s and 2010s, the palm tree had deflated to a low ponytail, a look that stylist Guido Palau presented on the Christian Dior fall 2015 runway. Instead of tying and teasing the hair on top of the head, the body of it was slicked over and gathered around the neck.
Today, both the side ponytail and the palm tree are highly controversial. However, both styles could find their legs again amid wider calls for the return of playful trends (think unicorn makeup, glittery shadow and flower crowns) coming from within the beauty community now. At the very least, the palm tree hairdo — high-volume and imperfect in its entirety — conjured the carefree, fun-loving spirit Porte was after.
While guests at Sunday’s show were given step-by-step instructions on how to achieve the look inside their invitations, anyone wanting to test the look themselves can do so with just three tools: a boar-bristle brush, a comb and a hair tie, preferably a scrunchie (cue the “Sex and the City” Bradshaw-Berger debate).
To start, gather the hair on top of the head with the comb, allowing bumps to form at the roots. Then, using the brush, smooth out the knots and pull the hair to one side so that it spills over the right or left of the face. Finally, secure the hair with the tie or scrunchie and loosen the top.
