It’s Retro Week apparently and I appreciated the tips TamarinFrog had to offer! Thanks a lot!

I’m supposed to post this as a status, and I’ll do that too, but I wanted to actually share some loosely written ideas I have about manes lol

-Twilight’s mane started to develop a distinct sparkle to it over time. I don’t think she’s immortal (her becoming the new Celestia is just depressing and bad), but being the literal element of magic affects the body in magical ways. It didn’t get that cool wavy quality Celestia and Luna have except during times Twilight was particularly powerful, like when she took on the magic of three other alicorns. As for care uhhh…Twilight doesn’t really care for her mane beyond simple brushing. It’s very well behaved hair the suits its well behaved host, so Twilight doesn’t really have to worry much about her hair. Not like she would even if it did need attention.

-Applejack’s hair is wiry and course like straw, and it tickles her neck like crazy so she usually keeps it tied up. You know how some dogs have wirehair? Apparently it was developed so the dogs could have resistance to cold, and I dig that idea applying to Applejack too. It gets thicker and darker as it grows, and only a very precise grooming session can restore her original color (Rarity loves AJ’s grooming day). That with her furred fetlocks makes her a pony that can handle the relatively harder life of a farmer, even if her mane looks broken and messy sometimes.

-Before becoming a Wonderbolt, Rainbow kept her hair long and unkempt. But as with all military branches in Equestria (there are actually three, but Celestia likes to keep her military on the down low to sort of give a perception of peace. The Royal Guards, the Wonderbolts and the Bluenoses comprise these), manes are kept short. The main point of altering appearance is to visually solidify the unity of the military, and what with ponies being all sorts of crazy colors, they must abide by heavy regulations depending on the branch they are in. As Captain of the Wonderbolts, Rainbow proudly keeps herself trim and in proper standard.

-Rarity is indeed a very rare type of unicorn. She has an iridescent mane (a trait carried down from Princess Platinum), that seems to shift in color depending on what angle one sees her from. Typically a nice violet or blue, but sometimes flashes of pink and green appear in certain lighting. Rarity’s mane is very precious to her and touching it (as many strangers impolitely ask) is absolutely forbidden. Her sparkly mane is definitely a contribution to why little Spike found her so unusually pretty. He can’t help it. Dragons adore sparkly things.

-Pinkie’s mane is like cotton candy, with a sweet smell to boot. Some theorize that Pinkie likes to bathe in candy or confections to get her sweet smell, but Pinkie knows it’s all natural. Or, just a side effect of working and living in a bakery. Curly coats are also uncommon, and it really adds to Pinkie’s eye catching appearance and behavior. Ponies more often get a slight curl to their fetlocks, or tails or manes, but a full curly coat comes only once in a while.

Pinkie’s hair is very chaotic and emotional. Some assume her mane requires very little maintenance, but only the opposite is true. Pinkie follows a nightly and morning routine to keep her mane in straights, so to speak, because when she’s happy, as she is most of the time, her hair frizzes and poofs to reflect her joyous attitude. When she’s sad, her hair deflates and all the fun curls smooth out to straight strands. Some think she’s prettier with straight hair, but Pinkie prefers her “happy hair” above all.

-Fluttershy’s hair is flowy and very smooth to the touch. Like running your hand through silk. She likes to keep it long, but it grows very fast and needs to be thoroughly brushed every day or it will quickly get out of control (luckily Discord likes brushing her mane a lot). Sometimes she braids or styles it, but Fluttershy prefers a more natural approach, forgoing artificially scented shampoos for home-made, naturally scented soaps. Sometimes these smell like flowers, aaaand sometimes these smell like old goat’s milk.