The 10 Best "One Hit Wonders" From The 1980s
January 9th, 2021
As well as big hair, mullets and pony tails, rats tails were a common phenomenon during the 1980’s. This unique hair style was popular predominantly among teenage boys and young men who wanted a slightly different look.
Sometimes rat tails would simply hang down from the back of the head, but occasionally they would have been plaited styled as a dreadlock, or even curled or permed. It wasn’t uncommon for men to grow more than one rat tail.
From Pony Tails To Rats Tails
It’s highly likely that rat tails grew in popularity in the 1980’s because of the prevalence of male pony tails, and they may have developed from there. Those who did not want to be seen with a pony tail may have opted for a rat tail because they were less feminine. It’s also likely that those who were not able to grow a pony tail because of their jobs, opted for a rat tail because they were easier to hide.
What’s more is you could easily do a lot more with a rats tail than you could with a pony tail. They were easier to dye, easier to decorate and occasionally they looked better than bigger pony tails.
Movie stars and pop stars were often seen to be sporting rats tails, but on occasions they were false rats tails, which gave rise to false rats tails being made and bought worldwide. If you wanted rats tails but you didn’t have the patience to grow one then you could get to a store that sold them and achieve the look you wanted, very quickly.