So, I am watching Son if Liberty, and I noticed that some of the characters are wearing what looks like a silk bag on the back of their head. I'm assuming that they have what we would call a ponytail in there. Why is this?
I tried googling it, but I guess I didn't know how to word it. You don't see "colonist" and "ponytail" in the same sentence often.
What you're thinking of is called a queue bag (the ponytail itself is called a queue). It's worn as a way to protect the hair, keeping it clean and untangled. Queues can also be braided and wrapped in ribbon for similar purposes. You do see them without coverage as well, sometimes these differences are based on situation, preference, style, or even military standards.