A significant shift in media occurred when the hairstyle was used on older teenagers or young adults to subvert its innocent connotations, often resulting in the "sexy schoolgirl" trope.
: Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad (2016) used high, colorful pigtails to create a look that was intentionally chaotic and edgy, moving away from pure innocence toward a more rebellious aesthetic. The "Pigtail Theory" on Social Media teens in pigtails porn
In traditional media, pigtails are a primary visual cue used to identify a character as young, immature, or "the cutie". A significant shift in media occurred when the
: Beyond age, the style often conveys a playful, fun, or naive personality. For instance, Phoebe Buffay in Friends occasionally wore them to reflect her free-spirited nature. or "the cutie". : Beyond age