Drawstring ponytails hit differently on curly hair — they actually enhance your natural texture instead of flattening it. If you’ve been hesitant about pulling your curls back, thinking a ponytail will kill your curl pattern, a drawstring pony might just become your new go-to style. The secret is that drawstring holders grip and distribute tension along multiple sections of hair rather than yanking everything into one tight cluster. This means your curls stay defined, voluminous, and bouncy at the back, even while your hair is secured.
What makes drawstring ponytails so transformative for curly hair is the way they allow movement and curl definition that traditional elastics often crush. The textile material is gentler on your curls, and the drawstring mechanism actually creates built-in texture and separation rather than a sleek, compressed look. You’re not fighting against your hair texture — you’re working with it and amplifying what makes curls beautiful. Whether you’re styling for a casual day, a workout, or something more polished, the drawstring pony gives you options that feel both easy and intentional.
The styles below show the real range of what’s possible when you pair drawstring holders with curly hair. Each one works with your natural curl pattern instead of against it, and most can be done in under five minutes once you understand the technique. You’ll discover that curly hair is actually perfect for drawstring ponytails because the texture naturally creates that effortless, lived-in look that everyone’s trying to fake with straight hair.
1. High Drawstring Pony with Face-Framing Curls
This is the everyday workhorse — sleek enough to look intentional, but structured in a way that lets your curls shine at the crown and spill beautifully around your face. Pull your hair straight back into a high ponytail position, leaving 2-3 inch sections of curl loose on each side of your face. The drawstring sits at the crown where you have the most volume, so your gathered curls are immediately elevated and supported. The face-framing sections soften the whole look and add dimension that a regular high pony would lose.
Why It Works for Curls
Curly hair naturally wants to expand outward, and this style leverages that instead of fighting it. The drawstring placement at your crown creates an anchor point that supports the weight of denser curls without requiring superhuman tightness. Your loose face-framing pieces can move independently, which feels more comfortable and looks more intentional than a slicked-back approach.
How to Get the Look
- Flip your head upside down and apply a light curl-defining cream or gel to refresh your curl pattern
- Flip back up and use your fingers to gently gather hair at your crown (not a harsh grip)
- Insert the drawstring holder about 2 inches below your natural hairline and tighten it until snug but not painful
- Use a wide-tooth comb or your fingers to smooth any flyaways around the drawstring
- Gently pull a few loose curls forward on each side of your face for softness
Pro tip: If your curls feel weighed down by product, this is the perfect time to use less — the drawstring is doing structural work for you, so you don’t need heavy definition products.
2. Low Drawstring Pony with Twisted Sections
This is where drawstring holders truly shine because they actually improve the texture of a low pony on curls. Instead of a sleek, smooth low tail, the drawstring mechanism creates natural-looking twists and sections throughout your gathered hair. Start with damp or refresh-spritzed curls, divide your ponytail into 3-4 large sections, and gently twist each section before wrapping them loosely around your drawstring. The twists add definition and visual interest while keeping everything secured low and out of the way.
Why It Works for Curls
A low ponytail on curly hair normally risks looking limp or undefined because gravity pulls down on individual curls. Twisting creates internal structure that counteracts that flattening effect. The drawstring then locks in those twists, so they hold all day without looking artificially styled. It’s the style equivalent of working with your hair’s natural instinct to cluster and define.
How to Get the Look
- Smooth your curls with a light cream or curl milk, avoiding heavy gels that would restrict movement
- Gather hair at the nape of your neck and insert the drawstring holder
- Divide your ponytail into 3-4 sections
- Gently twist each section loosely (you’re not creating tight spirals, just directional twist)
- Wrap each twisted section around the drawstring holder and tuck the ends underneath
- Tighten the drawstring until everything feels secure but not cramped
Worth knowing: The looser your twists, the more your individual curls will show through and define the texture. Tight twists create a more uniform, polished look — choose based on your vibe for that day.
3. Sleek High Drawstring with Defined Curls
When you want your curls to feel intentional and shaped rather than just gathered, this style delivers. Apply a strong-hold curl cream or gel all through your curls and let them set for 5-10 minutes. Then gather them up into a high drawstring pony and let the product hold everything in place. The curls stay visibly defined and separated rather than blending together into one texture blob. You get the lifted, polished feeling of a high pony without any smoothing or slicking — just pure curl definition on display.
Why It Works for Curls
This style respects curl boundaries instead of merging them into a single mass. The product gives each curl its own identity, and the drawstring’s placement actually shows off your curl pattern rather than hiding it. It’s especially effective if you have medium to thick curls or coils that benefit from visible definition and separation.
How to Get the Look
- Apply a curl-defining cream or gel to your curls, scrunching it in with your hands
- Let the product dry or mostly set (about 5-10 minutes)
- Flip your head down and gather your curls at the crown, centering them directly above your head
- Insert the drawstring holder and tighten firmly — defined curls need more secure holding than loose ones
- Use your fingers to gently separate and fluff individual curl sections around the base of your pony
- Add a light hairspray if you want extra hold throughout the day
Pro tip: This style actually improves as the day goes on because product continues to set and curls tighten up. By hour 8, you’ll have even more definition than you started with.
4. Textured Middle Drawstring Pony
A middle-height ponytail is the Goldilocks zone for curly hair — it’s secured enough to feel polished but loose enough that your curls maintain natural volume and movement. Pull your hair straight back to the midpoint between your crown and the nape of your neck. This height works especially well if you have layers or shorter pieces on top, because those bits will fall around your face naturally while still being part of the gathered style. The drawstring sitting at mid-height means you’re not fighting gravity or compressing your curls.
Why It Works for Curls
Gravity pulls down on ponytails, and the lower the pony sits, the more it flattens your curls. By keeping your middle pony at mid-height, you’re in the sweet spot where your gathered curls still feel voluminous and bouncy. The drawstring distributes weight evenly across that midpoint rather than concentrating all tension at your neck.
How to Get the Look
- Lightly mist your curls with a hydrating spray to refresh them
- Locate the midpoint on your head by finding the spot halfway between your crown and the base of your neck
- Gather your hair straight back (not upward, just straight) to that midpoint
- Insert the drawstring holder and tighten it snugly
- Arrange any face-framing pieces or layers to frame your face softly
- Gently fluff the gathered curls at the base of your pony for a fuller appearance
Worth knowing: This height works beautifully for workouts, work, and everyday wear — it’s secure enough to stay put but casual enough that it doesn’t read as overly formal.
5. Drawstring Pony with Spiral Curls
If you want to show off truly defined, bouncy curls, this style intentionally creates visible spiral patterns throughout your ponytail. Refresh your curls with a lightweight curl cream, then use a curling iron or flexi-rods to create tighter, more uniform spirals from mid-shaft to your ends. Gather these pre-spiraled curls into a high or mid-height drawstring pony. The spirals are visible and defined rather than blended, creating the effect of a professionally styled set.
Why It Works for Curls
Pre-styling your curls before gathering them allows each spiral to maintain its shape and visibility in your ponytail. The drawstring holder then keeps everything stable so spirals don’t flatten or merge together. This style works especially well if you have natural curls that tend to blend into a less distinct texture — the intentional spirals create clear definition.
How to Get the Look
- Apply a curl-defining cream or lightweight gel to damp or refresh-spritzed curls
- Use a curling iron (1-1.5 inch barrel) to create spirals from mid-shaft downward, wrapping each section around the barrel and holding for 10-15 seconds
- Alternatively, apply the product and wrap sections around flexi-rods, leaving them in for 20-30 minutes
- Once spirals are set, gently gather all your hair into a high ponytail position
- Insert the drawstring holder and tighten until secure
- Separate and fluff the spiral curls at the base of your pony so each one is visible
Pro tip: Misting with a light hairspray after styling helps spirals hold their shape throughout the day without stiffening up.
6. Voluminous Crown Drawstring Pony
This style prioritizes maximum volume at the crown, creating a high, rounded pony that sits almost like a crown on top of your head. Before gathering, tease your hair gently at the roots where you’ll place your drawstring — this creates built-in lift. Then gather everything up and insert the drawstring at that teased section. The teasing creates a cushioned base that pushes your ponytail even higher and keeps it positioned fuller. Your gathered curls fan out from this lifted base, creating a dimensional, statement-making silhouette.
Why It Works for Curls
Teasing creates space and texture at your roots, which curly hair loves because it amplifies natural volume. Curly hair already has more inherent volume than straight hair, so when you tease before gathering, you’re essentially supercharging what’s already there. The result is a pony that feels lifted and intentional rather than just pulled back.
How to Get the Look
- Apply a texturizing spray or dry shampoo to your roots for grip
- Take sections of hair at your crown and gently backcomb or tease to create volume (don’t overdo it — gentle teasing is all you need with curly hair)
- Smooth the outer layer of each teased section with a fine-tooth comb, keeping the teased base intact underneath
- Gather all your hair up through this teased section
- Insert the drawstring holder and position it right where your teasing begins
- Gently tease or fluff the gathered curls at the base of your pony to add even more dimension
Worth knowing: This style is perfect for days when your curls feel flat or when you want to add drama to a regular pony without doing anything complicated.
7. Side Drawstring Ponytail with Layers
A side ponytail on curly hair has an inherently romantic, lived-in vibe — and a drawstring holder actually enhances that feeling by creating natural-looking texture throughout. Flip your head to one side and gather your hair from roughly ear-level backward, angling everything to fall over one shoulder. The offset positioning means you have intentional face-framing on the other side, and because the pony is side-positioned, your curls naturally cascade asymmetrically. This works especially well if you have layers or shorter pieces that can move independently.
Why It Works for Curls
Curly hair’s natural texture creates interesting movement and dimension when it’s pulled to the side instead of centered. The asymmetry actually feels more intentional than trying to create a smooth, even look. The drawstring can be positioned lower on the side ponytail without feeling awkward, which means less tension and better curl definition.
How to Get the Look
- Sweep your hair over to one shoulder and gather it from roughly the opposite ear back
- Decide your preferred height for the side pony (lower side ponies feel more romantic; higher ones feel more playful)
- Insert the drawstring holder and tighten until the ponytail feels secure
- Leave loose, face-framing curls on the opposite side (don’t try to pull everything back)
- Arrange your gathered curls so they cascade over your shoulder in a relaxed, natural way
- Gently separate and fluff curls around the base of the drawstring for softness
Pro tip: A light hairspray keeps flyaways in check without making the style feel stiff or overly done.
8. Drawstring Pony with Stacked Texture
Stacking creates visual interest by layering your curls at different heights within your ponytail. After gathering your hair into a drawstring pony, divide it into 2-3 horizontal layers. Gently tease or fluff each layer separately, starting with the bottom layer and working upward. This creates a tiered effect where curls stack on top of each other, adding serious dimension and volume to your tail. The drawstring holds everything in place while the stacking adds complexity and movement.
Why It Works for Curls
Curly hair naturally wants to stack and cluster, so stacking is essentially amplifying what your hair already wants to do. When you tease each layer individually, you’re creating pockets of air that keep curls separated and defined rather than matted together. This is especially effective if you have denser curls or thicker hair that can sometimes feel heavy in a regular pony.
How to Get the Look
- Gather your hair into your preferred ponytail height and insert the drawstring holder
- Divide your ponytail into 3 sections from bottom to top
- Start with the bottom section and gently tease or backcomb it to create volume
- Smooth the outer layer lightly with your fingers
- Move to the middle section and repeat
- Finish with the top section
- Step back and adjust — you should see clear layers of texture stacking upward
- Mist lightly with hairspray to hold the texture
Worth knowing: This style looks best when you don’t overthink the smoothness — the goal is volume and texture, not polished perfection. Embrace the lived-in, dimensional feel.
9. Two-Strand Twist Drawstring Pony
This style combines the texture and definition of two-strand twists with the convenience of a ponytail. Before gathering, divide your ponytail into 2 large sections and gently twist them around each other from root to end (like a two-strand twist braid). Then gather everything together with your drawstring holder, positioning it so the twists spiral visibly around your ponytail. The twists add sculptural definition while the drawstring keeps everything secured and prevents unraveling throughout the day.
Why It Works for Curls
Two-strand twists create internal structure that makes curls more defined and bouncy. When you twist before gathering with a drawstring, you’re creating permanent definition that won’t flatten or merge even if your curls get compressed. This style is especially beautiful on curly hair because the twists interact naturally with your curl pattern rather than creating a uniform look.
How to Get the Look
- Apply a lightweight curl cream or gel to your curls
- Flip your head upside down and gather hair at your crown or preferred height
- Before fully tightening, divide your ponytail into 2 equal sections
- Gently twist the 2 sections around each other, moving from root to tip (right section over left, left section over right)
- Once twisted, gather both twisted sections together and insert your drawstring holder
- Tighten the drawstring so the twists stay locked in place
- Gently separate and fluff the twisted sections so individual curls show through
Pro tip: Looser twists look more relaxed and natural; tighter twists look more intentional and sculpted. Choose your tightness level based on the vibe you’re going for.
10. Drawstring Pony with Coil Definition
For coily or tightly textured curls, this style emphasizes individual coils rather than blending them together. Apply a coil-defining cream or gel designed for tight curls, then use your fingers to separate and define coils individually throughout your hair. Gather these defined coils into a drawstring pony, making sure coils stay separated and visible in your gathered section. The result is a pony where each coil is distinct and defined rather than merged into a general curl mass.
Why It Works for Curls
Coily and tightly textured hair benefits from visible definition because individual coils are what make the texture beautiful. The drawstring holds everything in place while your coils remain distinct and separated. This style honors the specific beauty of coily hair rather than trying to blend it into a smoother texture.
How to Get the Look
- Apply a coil-defining product specifically designed for tight curls (look for products labeled for coil definition or finger coils)
- Use your fingers or a fine-tooth comb to gently separate and define coils individually
- Let the product dry or mostly set before gathering
- Flip your head down and gather your defined coils at your preferred height
- Insert the drawstring holder and tighten firmly so coils stay separated
- Step back — you should see individual coils or clusters within your ponytail, not a blended texture
- Avoid touching or separating the coils further once they’re gathered (this disrupts definition)
Worth knowing: This style actually looks better as the day goes on because product continues to set and coils tighten up, creating even more distinct definition.
11. Bouffant Drawstring Ponytail
A bouffant adds retro glamour while respecting your curls. Tease your hair heavily at the crown to create serious lift, then smooth the outer layer to create a polished shell over the teased base. Gather everything into a high drawstring pony positioned at the base of your bouffant. The bouffant creates a rounded, voluminous crown while your gathered curls tumble down beneath. This style feels dressed-up and intentional without requiring a ton of specific styling.
Why It Works for Curls
Curly hair’s natural texture is perfect for bouffant styling because teasing works with your existing curl pattern rather than against it. The bouffant shape sits naturally on curls without needing tons of product or smoothing. Your drawstring pony beneath the bouffant feels secure and intentional.
How to Get the Look
- Apply a texturizing spray or light hairspray to your roots for grip
- Section off hair at your crown (roughly from your temples back to the crown) and tease this section heavily
- Smooth the outer layer with a fine-tooth comb while keeping the teased base intact
- Tease more sections backward if you want extra volume
- Gently gather all your hair (teased and non-teased) into a high ponytail at the base of your bouffant
- Insert your drawstring holder and tighten it securely
- Arrange the bouffant to sit rounded and full, then arrange your gathered curls to cascade down
- Use a light hairspray to hold the bouffant shape without stiffening everything
Pro tip: The more dramatic your teasing, the more dramatic your bouffant. Start with moderate teasing and add more if you want extra volume.
12. Drawstring Pony with Partial Curls
This style keeps some of your hair down and curly while gathering a portion into a drawstring pony. Pull back the top half of your hair from temples to crown and gather it into a high drawstring pony. Leave the bottom half of your hair completely down, with your curls framing your shoulders and back. This works beautifully if you want the security of a ponytail without the visual weight of all your hair gathered back. It’s styled enough to look intentional but loose enough to feel relaxed.
Why It Works for Curls
This is the perfect compromise between a full pony and totally down hair. You get the functional benefit of pulling back hair that falls in your face while keeping the visual lightness and movement of curls down. The partial pony is especially flattering if you have longer layers or shorter pieces that naturally fall around your face and shoulders.
How to Get the Look
- Lightly mist your curls with a hydrating spray
- Section off hair from one temple, up and over your crown, to the other temple
- Gather just this top section into a ponytail position using your drawstring holder
- Tighten the drawstring until your top section feels secure
- Leave all your bottom hair completely down, flowing over your shoulders and back
- Arrange any face-framing pieces or layers to fall naturally around your face
- Gently fluff the gathered top section for softness and volume
- Use your fingers to separate and define curls in the down section
Worth knowing: This style is perfect for workouts, work, or everyday wear — it keeps hair out of your face without making you feel like all your hair is pulled back.
Final Thoughts
Drawstring ponytails unlock a whole new approach to styling curly hair because they work with your texture instead of against it. The key across all these styles is respecting your curl pattern, using light to medium product, and positioning your drawstring where it can actually support and amplify your natural volume rather than crush it. Each of these 12 styles proves that curly hair in a pony doesn’t have to be boring or look like your curls are suffering.
The best style for you depends on your curl pattern, hair length, lifestyle, and how much styling time you want to invest. A simple face-framing pony might be perfect for your Tuesday morning, while a bouffant drawstring pony could be exactly what you want for a weekend out. The beautiful part is that drawstring holders make all these variations quick and actually better for your curls than the alternative. Your hair gets to stay defined, bouncy, and beautiful while being completely secured and out of your way.
Experiment with these styles over a few weeks and notice which ones feel most natural to you, which ones get the most compliments, and which ones actually stay put throughout your day. That’s how you’ll figure out which drawstring ponytails deserve a permanent spot in your regular rotation.
