I haven't done a ranking in a while, so here ya go. This article is dedicated to the amazing animators of Disney who gave us wonderful character designs and, sadly, unrealistic hair expectations! (*cries because my hair will never be as cool as DP hair*)
That being said, although every princess has beautiful hair, some manes are better than others. This is my opinion of their hairstyles, ranked worst to best.
12. Tiana
I find Tiana's hairstyles quite disappointing. As the first black princess, and being absolutely gorgeous at that, the animators could have done lots of cool things with letting her hair out naturally. But instead, they kept it in a bun the whole time she's a human! Granted, she did have different types of buns for her. But they aren't special enough in their variation to even be remembered as different. Her bun does fit her work and personality, but really they could have let her hair out during the costume party or wedding. I think everyone can agree that we would love to see Tiana's curly hair.
11. Cinderella
I can't be too harsh on Cinderella- after all, her hair is similar to mine (medium blond, not that long and bangs). However, I think it's really nothing special. Her hair looks fine in her servant style, that's how I wear my hair mostly, and the braids were brief, so it didn't matter how "meh" they were. Her famous updo is somewhat elegant, but strange, especially in merchandise pictures. The bangs stick out weird and there are two bumps on the updo, like camel humps or something. That headband isn't a good touch either, it looks like headphones. Sorry Cindy, you might be the most famous princess, but you certainly don't have the most fabulous hair. Next!
10. Snow White
First off about Snow- I don't really mind her hair. It's the only actually short hairstyle of the princesses (that is, if you don't count Rapunzel's bob, but she's rarely shown in that anyways.), and I love short hair! This was also considered a very cool hairstyle when the film was made in the late 30s. However, the strange shape must be addressed. It looks like it flips out or something. In my opinion, she should either grow it out or make it smoother. Throughout the film, it doesn't do much, expect when it's all wet- and that's definitely not a good look... yikes. It does look very cute for Snow White's innocent personality, though, especially with that bow.
9. Belle
Belle's hair is one of the most realistic hairstyles in this list. It's an average volume, color, and texture, and Belle never really does anything fancy with it. I like her blue bow in her ponytail, and how her hair drapes onto her shoulders in her yellow gown. In some shots her hair looks really gorgeous, especially in it's texture, like when the beast strokes her hair. STUNNING. Otherwise, it's just average, nothing special. Sorry, Belle. :(
8. Anna
Again, Anna has a fairly realistic hairstyle, nothing too glamorous or unfathomable. Her hair color is really nice, it's a more realistic red hair color than, say, Ariel's (although Ariel's hair is awesome, more on her later!!) while still being vibrant, reflecting Anna's personality. I really love her coronation hairstyle, so pretty and elegant. Her braids are nice, again, nothing really memorable there. I like her hair best with a single white streak as it adds some variety and reflects her past with her sister and magic. It looks very cool that way.
7. Mulan
Mulan's hair is probably the most realistic on the list, and that's part of what puts her higher than the previous ones- it's beautiful in it's simplicity. It looks nice in her matchmaker bun, and it looks cool cut medium length when she saves China. The military look didn't suit her much in my opinion. But what I really love is when her hair is down after she sings Reflection, especially when she just takes it out, and it falls- so silky, smooth, and beautiful. That being said, Mulan's hair is nice, but it is very average, so she definitely doesn't compare to the higher princesses on the list.
6. Jasmine
Oh, Jasmine, what hair product do you use? Seriously. SO. MUCH. VOLUME!! This Arabian beauty has a unique hairstyle that's definitely voluminous and one-of-a-kind. I love it, it just goes with her character design. (That's why the redesign makes me so mad- Jasmine isn't Jasmine without her tri-ponytail, but they gave her a regular ponytail!) It's especially beautiful when she lets her hair down to brush it- she looks amazing in that scene! I love her hair, but it is extremely unrealistic, which made her not place higher. I mean, nobody can pull off Jasmine's hair, and even on her it looks a little iffy in some ways, such as her extremely wide bangs. It is all certainly unique!
5. Elsa
I think Elsa's design is really beautiful. Her pale complexion is stunning and her face is pretty. Her hair is really nice too. We don't really get to see a lot of it doing much in the movie, but what we do see displays elegance, power and beauty. This is probably an unpopular opinion, but my favorite hairstyle of hers is her coronation updo. It's just so intricate and pretty and looks GREAT on her! The braid is cool too, and I like the texture of her hair at the top, and how there are snowflakes in her hair. It's a cool touch. Overall, Elsa's mane isn't my top favorite, but the animators sure did a good job on her.
4. Pocahontas
I think it was obvious Pocahontas would be toward the top of this list. Just look at the way it flows in the wind with the leaves! The animators really hammed it up with that. And yet it defies the scientific laws of hair expectations by somehow NOT getting all tangled and messy after being blown by the wind, and staying silky smooth. WOW. I also love when Meeko braids her hair, it just looks really cool there. They show Pocahontas' hair in a lot of different ways during the movie, in many positions, and they all look fabulous. Her hair represents who she is- elegant, beautiful and free.
3. Aurora
First of all, allow me to say that Aurora's "official" picture (before the remake) is nowhere near the beauty of her in the movie. In that picture, her hair lays in a strange way, is a weird orange color and just doesn't look good. Not so in the movie- in her film, Aurora's hair is beautiful, flowing, full of volume and a lovely blond color. Just look at the way it gently curls and flows over her shoulders! Her bangs look a little strange at times, but they mostly reflect the style of the time period. Aurora looks best when she's wandering through the forest. I wish her official picture would stay true to that!!
2. Merida
Everyone knew Merida would get up this high. When it comes to looks, she isn't as pretty as the other princesses, but her hair makes up for it. Merida's wild mane is everything she is- bright, bold, and uncontrollable in the most beautiful way. The animators worked so hard on this. It looked great in almost every scene. Even when it was wet, it was pretty. It seems like the type of hair you can barely even style because it just does it's own thing- but always looks amazing. The one reason why Merida wasn't #1 was that in some shots it looks almost too wild and strange looking, like some sort of wild animal's mane. But her hair still is gorgeous.
1. Ariel
In her movie and even in her redesign, Ariel's hair is stunning. It has a vibrant red color, reflecting her bright personality. In pretty much every shot, her hair is perfect, whether it's underwater or on land. It flows perfectly in every way! Seriously, it must be mermaid magic how her hair stays perfect even when she comes out of the water. (Ugh, I'm so jealous!) I used to hate her bangs and how they stick out like a cap or something, but now I don't mind them. I love it when she is on land and she plays with her hair, it just looks amazing. The thickness, color, way it flows beautifully no matter what- all helped Ariel make it to the top of my list.
*SPECIAL STATUS* Rapunzel
I think it's rather obvious how I didn't rank Rapunzel. I mean, her hair is a huge part of her story and almost even it's own segment of her character or something. It's so amazing how it stays smooth and clean even after her dragging it everywhere and using as a tool. And the scenes where her hair lights up as magic are simply beautiful. Her hair is a lovely blond color too. But, let's face it, the way she pulls it off is purely Disney magic! In real life, if anyone tried to have hair like hers, it would just look weird and it would be extremely impractical. Her hair being so long and magical just doesn't allow it to compare with the others'. As for Rapunzel's short hairstyle, I want to like it, I truly do. As I said before, I love short hair. But it just isn't a good look, in my opinion. It's too choppy and strangely shaped. When you see it compared to how great she looked with her long hair, it doesn't look very good. That's my opinion on Ranpunzel's hair and why I chose not to rank her.
Thanks for reading! Please comment what you think!
That being said, although every princess has beautiful hair, some manes are better than others. This is my opinion of their hairstyles, ranked worst to best.
12. Tiana
I find Tiana's hairstyles quite disappointing. As the first black princess, and being absolutely gorgeous at that, the animators could have done lots of cool things with letting her hair out naturally. But instead, they kept it in a bun the whole time she's a human! Granted, she did have different types of buns for her. But they aren't special enough in their variation to even be remembered as different. Her bun does fit her work and personality, but really they could have let her hair out during the costume party or wedding. I think everyone can agree that we would love to see Tiana's curly hair.
11. Cinderella
I can't be too harsh on Cinderella- after all, her hair is similar to mine (medium blond, not that long and bangs). However, I think it's really nothing special. Her hair looks fine in her servant style, that's how I wear my hair mostly, and the braids were brief, so it didn't matter how "meh" they were. Her famous updo is somewhat elegant, but strange, especially in merchandise pictures. The bangs stick out weird and there are two bumps on the updo, like camel humps or something. That headband isn't a good touch either, it looks like headphones. Sorry Cindy, you might be the most famous princess, but you certainly don't have the most fabulous hair. Next!
10. Snow White
First off about Snow- I don't really mind her hair. It's the only actually short hairstyle of the princesses (that is, if you don't count Rapunzel's bob, but she's rarely shown in that anyways.), and I love short hair! This was also considered a very cool hairstyle when the film was made in the late 30s. However, the strange shape must be addressed. It looks like it flips out or something. In my opinion, she should either grow it out or make it smoother. Throughout the film, it doesn't do much, expect when it's all wet- and that's definitely not a good look... yikes. It does look very cute for Snow White's innocent personality, though, especially with that bow.
9. Belle
Belle's hair is one of the most realistic hairstyles in this list. It's an average volume, color, and texture, and Belle never really does anything fancy with it. I like her blue bow in her ponytail, and how her hair drapes onto her shoulders in her yellow gown. In some shots her hair looks really gorgeous, especially in it's texture, like when the beast strokes her hair. STUNNING. Otherwise, it's just average, nothing special. Sorry, Belle. :(
8. Anna
Again, Anna has a fairly realistic hairstyle, nothing too glamorous or unfathomable. Her hair color is really nice, it's a more realistic red hair color than, say, Ariel's (although Ariel's hair is awesome, more on her later!!) while still being vibrant, reflecting Anna's personality. I really love her coronation hairstyle, so pretty and elegant. Her braids are nice, again, nothing really memorable there. I like her hair best with a single white streak as it adds some variety and reflects her past with her sister and magic. It looks very cool that way.
7. Mulan
Mulan's hair is probably the most realistic on the list, and that's part of what puts her higher than the previous ones- it's beautiful in it's simplicity. It looks nice in her matchmaker bun, and it looks cool cut medium length when she saves China. The military look didn't suit her much in my opinion. But what I really love is when her hair is down after she sings Reflection, especially when she just takes it out, and it falls- so silky, smooth, and beautiful. That being said, Mulan's hair is nice, but it is very average, so she definitely doesn't compare to the higher princesses on the list.
6. Jasmine
Oh, Jasmine, what hair product do you use? Seriously. SO. MUCH. VOLUME!! This Arabian beauty has a unique hairstyle that's definitely voluminous and one-of-a-kind. I love it, it just goes with her character design. (That's why the redesign makes me so mad- Jasmine isn't Jasmine without her tri-ponytail, but they gave her a regular ponytail!) It's especially beautiful when she lets her hair down to brush it- she looks amazing in that scene! I love her hair, but it is extremely unrealistic, which made her not place higher. I mean, nobody can pull off Jasmine's hair, and even on her it looks a little iffy in some ways, such as her extremely wide bangs. It is all certainly unique!
5. Elsa
I think Elsa's design is really beautiful. Her pale complexion is stunning and her face is pretty. Her hair is really nice too. We don't really get to see a lot of it doing much in the movie, but what we do see displays elegance, power and beauty. This is probably an unpopular opinion, but my favorite hairstyle of hers is her coronation updo. It's just so intricate and pretty and looks GREAT on her! The braid is cool too, and I like the texture of her hair at the top, and how there are snowflakes in her hair. It's a cool touch. Overall, Elsa's mane isn't my top favorite, but the animators sure did a good job on her.
4. Pocahontas
I think it was obvious Pocahontas would be toward the top of this list. Just look at the way it flows in the wind with the leaves! The animators really hammed it up with that. And yet it defies the scientific laws of hair expectations by somehow NOT getting all tangled and messy after being blown by the wind, and staying silky smooth. WOW. I also love when Meeko braids her hair, it just looks really cool there. They show Pocahontas' hair in a lot of different ways during the movie, in many positions, and they all look fabulous. Her hair represents who she is- elegant, beautiful and free.
3. Aurora
First of all, allow me to say that Aurora's "official" picture (before the remake) is nowhere near the beauty of her in the movie. In that picture, her hair lays in a strange way, is a weird orange color and just doesn't look good. Not so in the movie- in her film, Aurora's hair is beautiful, flowing, full of volume and a lovely blond color. Just look at the way it gently curls and flows over her shoulders! Her bangs look a little strange at times, but they mostly reflect the style of the time period. Aurora looks best when she's wandering through the forest. I wish her official picture would stay true to that!!
2. Merida
Everyone knew Merida would get up this high. When it comes to looks, she isn't as pretty as the other princesses, but her hair makes up for it. Merida's wild mane is everything she is- bright, bold, and uncontrollable in the most beautiful way. The animators worked so hard on this. It looked great in almost every scene. Even when it was wet, it was pretty. It seems like the type of hair you can barely even style because it just does it's own thing- but always looks amazing. The one reason why Merida wasn't #1 was that in some shots it looks almost too wild and strange looking, like some sort of wild animal's mane. But her hair still is gorgeous.
1. Ariel
In her movie and even in her redesign, Ariel's hair is stunning. It has a vibrant red color, reflecting her bright personality. In pretty much every shot, her hair is perfect, whether it's underwater or on land. It flows perfectly in every way! Seriously, it must be mermaid magic how her hair stays perfect even when she comes out of the water. (Ugh, I'm so jealous!) I used to hate her bangs and how they stick out like a cap or something, but now I don't mind them. I love it when she is on land and she plays with her hair, it just looks amazing. The thickness, color, way it flows beautifully no matter what- all helped Ariel make it to the top of my list.
*SPECIAL STATUS* Rapunzel
I think it's rather obvious how I didn't rank Rapunzel. I mean, her hair is a huge part of her story and almost even it's own segment of her character or something. It's so amazing how it stays smooth and clean even after her dragging it everywhere and using as a tool. And the scenes where her hair lights up as magic are simply beautiful. Her hair is a lovely blond color too. But, let's face it, the way she pulls it off is purely Disney magic! In real life, if anyone tried to have hair like hers, it would just look weird and it would be extremely impractical. Her hair being so long and magical just doesn't allow it to compare with the others'. As for Rapunzel's short hairstyle, I want to like it, I truly do. As I said before, I love short hair. But it just isn't a good look, in my opinion. It's too choppy and strangely shaped. When you see it compared to how great she looked with her long hair, it doesn't look very good. That's my opinion on Ranpunzel's hair and why I chose not to rank her.
Thanks for reading! Please comment what you think!
I doubt if this article belongs here but since we have similiar lists for Esmeralda and Meg, I decided to publish it here. Here is favorite DP list I believe princess Mei from Mulan II would have. Mei highly values romance and also admires people with brave and rebellious personality.
P.S. I am planning to do the same lists for Ting-Ting and Su but these are going to be more difficult to make.
11. Tiana
I am sure that Tiana would be Mei's absolute least favorite DP. Mei would see Tiana as boring, narrow-minded, unromantic, overly rational, materalistic, unadventurous and pig-headed workacholic....
continue reading...
P.S. I am planning to do the same lists for Ting-Ting and Su but these are going to be more difficult to make.
11. Tiana
I am sure that Tiana would be Mei's absolute least favorite DP. Mei would see Tiana as boring, narrow-minded, unromantic, overly rational, materalistic, unadventurous and pig-headed workacholic....
