There are haircuts and styles, and there are game-changing haircuts and styles. A change in hair can not only make your day or boost your confidence — but, as shown by these five examples, it can launch a career or start a fashion trend that crosses continents. Here are five hairstyles that not only transformed the women who wore them, but the society they lived in.
1. Louise Brooks’ A-Line Bob
When this stunning silent-film star debuted her severe angular bob in the 20s, it popularized the “flapper look” that would come to embody the modern female. Women everywhere followed her lead: chopped their hair, shortened their skirts, and declared their independence.
Who’s Rocked It Since: Linda Evangelista, Katie Holmes, Audrey Tautou
Get The Look With: Flat iron, Aveda Flax Seed Aloe Strong Hold Sculpturing Gel, Firmata Firm Hold Hair Spray
2. Marilyn Monroe’s Platinum Pin-Curls
Norma Jeane Baker Dougherty never would have become Marilyn Monroe in the 50s had it not been for her radical change in hairstyle: dying her long brown locks white-blonde and cutting them into short, bobbed pin-curls. Created by stylist/ colorist Sylvia Barnhart, Marilyn’s seductive hair helped propel her from a run-of-the-mill advertising model to one of the most glamorous sex symbols of all time.
Who’s Rocked It Since: Katherine Heigl, Scarlett Johanssen, Gwen Stefani
Get The Look With: Curling iron, Aveda Be Curly Style-Prep, Brilliant Humectant Pomade, Brilliant Emollient Finishing Gloss
3. Mary Quant’s 5-Point Bob
British fashion designer Mary Quant may have invented the miniskirt and popularized the mod style in the 60s, but it was her friend Vidal Sassoon who created her revolutionary 5-point wedge bob (below). Sassoon became world-famous for his precise, geometric, architectural hairstyles that drew attention to the neck, and Quant was an early, fabulous muse.
Who’s Rocked It Since: Victoria Beckham, Rihanna
Get The Look With: Flat iron, Aveda Smooth Infusion Style-Prep Smoother, Smooth Infusion Naturally Straight, Control Force Firm Hold Hair Spray
4. Farrah Fawcett’s Flip
In 1976, celebrity hair stylist Allen Edwards created Farrah’s signature “banana curls.” The look, which merged lots of layers and highlights with a blow dryer and round brush, had both women and men flooding into salons for face-framing feathered waves. It has even had a song written for it (“Farrah Fawcett Hair” by Capital Cities).
Who’s Rocked It Since: Carrie Underwood, Tyra Banks, Beyoncé
Get The Look With: Blow dryer, Aveda round brush, Pure Abundance Style-Prep, Phomollient Styling Foam, Air Control Hair Spray
5. Jennifer Aniston’s “The Rachel”
When the bouncy, square-layered “Rachel” cut burst onto the set of Friends in 1994, Jennifer Aniston originally hated the look: “It was the ugliest haircut I’d ever seen!” she told Allure magazine. Regardless, she stuck with its creator, stylist Chris McMillan, through the years. He’s taken her past “The Rachel” and kept her front and center as the actress with some of Hollywood’s most on-trend hair.
Who’s Rocked It Since: Rachel McAdams, Miley Cyrus
Get The Look With: Aveda round brush, Pure Abundance Hair Potion, Pure Abundance Volumizing Hair Spray
Are you ready to change your world with a new style? Book a consultation today and let’s create your signature look.
And stay tuned for Part 2 of our journey through hairstyle history!