The humble ponytail is a styling staple and trusted sidekick for many of us. It's simple, requires little-to-no time commitment and stays out of our way. (All the things we look for in a good relationship.) And, while mine are mostly utilitarian, they manage to look cute sometimes -- although this is usually a fluke. Other times, if my bangs are funky or the messy-look is too pronounced, my ponytail accurately reflects the nanosecond of thought/effort it took to twist and pull my hair out of my face.

But, lately, I've been feeling bad for my ponytail pal -- what with braids getting all the attention and fanfare these days. So, I've sussed out seven sexy, summery styles and asked top stylists to explain how I can (easily) recreate the looks myself.

See these super-sexy summery styles now.