Ponyboy looks like in "The Outsiders" as having "light-brown, almost-red hair and greenish-gray eyes," and he is also noted as being small for his age. The novel often emphasizes his youthfulness, and he is contrasted with the older, tougher members of the greasers. The descriptions of Ponyboy's appearance are not overly detailed, but they do give a sense of his physical attributes and his position as a younger member of the gang.
One quote that describes Ponyboy's appearance comes early in the book, when he says, "My hair is longer than a lot of boys wear theirs, squared off in back and long at the front and sides, but I am a greaser and most of my neighborhood rarely bothers to get a haircut." Later in the novel, when Ponyboy and Johnny are hiding out in the abandoned church, Ponyboy looks at himself in the mirror and thinks, "My hair was sticking in several directions and my eyes were all red and swollen, but I didn't look bad." These descriptions not only convey his physical appearance but also provide insight into his self-image and how he views himself within the context of his community.
In addition to his physical appearance, Ponyboy's clothing is also an important aspect of his characterization. As a member of the greasers, he wears denim jackets and jeans, and he often talks about the importance of the gang's style and identity. For example, he says, "It seemed funny to me that the sunset she saw from her patio and the one I saw from the back steps was the same one. Maybe the two different worlds we lived in weren't so different. We saw the same sunset." This quote not only shows Ponyboy's awareness of class differences but also highlights the idea that despite their differences, the greasers and Socs are still part of the same world.