"I think that the most important thing a woman can have - next to talent, of course - is her hairdresser." - a quote often credited to Hollywood legend Joan Crawford.
When it comes to finding inspiration for one's own hair, it's natural to turn to the stars. From the best hairstyles seen on glamorous red carpets to iconic TV hairstyles, where they lead, we follow... all the way to the hairdresser.
Let's revisit some of the most culturally defining 'dos in history, from the cuts that got everyone talking to styles that have endured over the decades.
Hairstyles that made history
The Rachel
In 1994, the TV show Friends debuted. The series wouldn't just make household names of its six stars, it would create new beauty and style icons. Notably, Jennifer Aniston's Rachel Green.
While her outfits were quintessentially 90s cool, it was one particular haircut that became the envy of women all over the world, and they rushed to their hairdressers, desperate to recreate the choppy, layered cut.
The haircut was known for the different length layers designed to both frame the face and give an effortless, bouncy movement.
In a rather unexpected twist, though, Jennifer Aniston told Allure in 2011, "How do I say this? I think it was the ugliest haircut I’ve ever seen."
Farrah Fawcett's decade defining curls
There was perhaps no TV star as glamorous or stylish as Charlie's Angels star Farrah Fawcett in the 70s and 80s, so it's no surprise her iconic feathered hairstyle became one of the defining looks of the era.
Famous for its layered cut, Farrah's blonde tresses were styled to flick out or feather outwards and away from the face, giving plenty of dramatic movement and volume.
Often dubbed the Farrah Flip, there's a long-held (and untrue) urban legend that women using copious amounts of hairspray to recreate her 'do contributed to damage to the ozone layer.
Mia Farrow’s pixie
Arguably one of the most famous and memorable hair transformations in film history, Mia Farrow debuted her cropped, pixie cut for the cult classic, Rosemary's Baby.
There's long been a rumour that, upon seeing this gamine-esque, androgynous look, which the film studio credited to famous hairdresser Vidal Sassoon to drum up publicity, Mia's husband at the time, Frank Sinatra, served her divorce papers. Mia, however, actually revealed more information about the style in a letter to the New York Times (per Glamour).
She wrote, "I had literally cut it myself earlier that year - with a pair of fingernail scissors - while working on the Peyton Place TV series at Fox Studios. This was long before I ever heard of Vidal Sassoon. My then-boyfriend, Frank Sinatra, loved the cut, and so I kept it short."
Victoria Beckham’s 'Pob'
Shortly before the Beckhams moved to America in 2007, Victoria Beckham was busy rebranding herself from a former Spice Girl to a legitimate style icon. And, in 2006, she had women all over the world trying to recreate her Pob - the Posh Bob.
The 'Posh bob' was a graduated bob, shorter in the back and longer in the front, often styled with sleek, straight, sharp flicks. It was a fashion-forward take on the classic bob and became one of the defining hairstyles.
Meg Ryan’s short, choppy shag
The mid-90s were a time when casual reigned supreme. Think Blue jeans. Think baggier silhouettes. Think the Calvin Klein look.
Meg Ryan, riding high as the rom-com queen of that era, captured the zeitgeist with her cool, unfussy, shaggy chop, which combines aspects of a bob and pixie, with short pieces in front, long pieces in back.
Meg Ryan has written about her famous locks in InStyle, revealing the style was achieved "mostly by accident" when hairstylist Sally Hershberger accidentally pulled off "a sizable chunk" of her hair with a curling iron.
"She was left to scissor away until we got what we got." We call that serendipity.
Miley Cyrus's surprising chop
For years, Miley Cyrus epitomised the All-American teenager. With her wide smile and flowing, brunette locks, she was Disney's ideal posterchild.
As she got older, and left Disney, Miley didn't just transform her sound and persona, she took the idea of metamorphosis literal and debuted a messy, short, platinum blonde pixie cut.
The bleach blonde cropped style also came with an undercut, for added edge and a rock feel.
Madonna’s ponytail
Madonna has been a chameleon over the decades, creating fashion moments that shake the culture. And one of her most enduring eras came in the 1990s during her Blonde Ambition tour, when she debuted her gravity-defying, voluminous ponytail.
With her trademark bright blonde blocks scraped back - often, purposely, showcasing darker roots - Madonna's ponytail was pulled up high on her head, often at the crown to give a surprising amount of height.
It's such a memorable hairstyle, often recreated at fancy dress parties and immediately recognisable.
Courteney Cox’s questionable fringe
Oh, Courteney. Everyone has hairstyles they regret. But not everyone is unfortunate enough to have it immortalised on film forever.
Courteney's super-short baby bangs worn for Scream 3 remain one of the most (in)famous hairstyles sported on screen.
Luckily, Courteney is in on the joke.
"There was nothing worse. That was a big lesson in life because that will forever be on film," Courteney has previously revealed about her hair on an episode of The Drew Barrymore Show.
Rihanna has everyone seeing red
For a brief period in the early 2010s, Rihanna inspired plenty of women to go bigger and bolder with their choice of hair colours, as she popularised an incredibly bright, vibrant shade of cherry red.
It wasn't a shade for everyone, but many will remember that vivacious shades of red became en vogue.
Britney Spears (or Baby Spice's) grown-up pigtails
A hairstyle typically associated with childhood, the 1990s ushered in a resurgence of pigtails, thanks in part to the likes of Britney Spears and Emma 'Baby Spice' Bunton.
It was the perfect style to match with ultra girly-girl touches, like pink ribbons.
Princess Diana’s iconic cut
Princess Diana's hair, perhaps because she stuck to such a similar style for most of her time in the spotlight, helped immortalise her image all over the world.
Everyone understood Diana's signature style, known for its bouncy, layered waves and bouncy volume at the crown and sides.
Diana's haircut became a defining look of the 80s, with many women recreating her feathered layers and flicks.
Louise Brooks’s Flapper bob
Jazz Age star Louise Brooks helped popularise the 'Flapper' style, starting with her iconic sleek, black bob.
Her style was considered revolutionary at the time, with women stuck with more traditional styles before the Jazz Age and Flapper boom swept the zeitgeist.
Louise's look was known for the sharp sides, the blunt fringe, and it was reportedly kept so sleek by being cut with a razor.
The 'Bo Derek braids'
Off the bat, the elephant in the room is that, in today's society, this is widely accepted to be cultural appropriation. The style dubbed 'Bo Derek braids' at the time are actually Fulani braids, best associated with West African women.
However, in 1979, Bo Derek made the twisted braids mainstream for a generation who were intrigued by the look which she wore in the film, 10.
Halle Berry’s versatile pixie
Something of the poster girl for shorter hairstyles for women, Halle Berry has worn her pixie cut in many ways over the years, making it one of the most famous and notable haircuts in Hollywood.
Halle is a master at mixing up the versatile style, whether she styles it with a sideswept fringe for some glamour, or laid-back, cool spikes.
Brigitte Bardot’s messy up-do
One of the defining bombshells of the 60s, Brigitte Bardot's hair was part of her whole allure.
Gone were the days of rigid styles for women, and Brigitte helped usher in the era of messy, tousled and voluminous bedhead. From the perfectly imperfect beehive to the long, parted fringe, it wasn't just a hairstyle, it was an attitude.
Women were freer, more in control and more open to defining their own style.
Veronica Lake's glamorous swoop
Old Hollywood legend Veronica Lake popularised one of the most glamorous 'peekaboo' hairstyles of all time - and she only switched it up for a good cause.
Veronica's locks were often worn long and down, grazing way below her shoulder. But the distinct feature was the finger wave or S-curl that fell across her face and hung over one eye. This is how it gets its 'peekaboo' nickname.
It's a style that feels playful and flirtatious, but Veronica Lake ditched her signature style - and encouraged other women to - during the Second World War. When women went to work in the factories and stepped in for the men sent overseas, the hair wasn't practical. Veronica released a public service announcement revealing a different style for women to emulate.
Mel B’s Space Buns
Let's be honest, Melanie 'Scary Spice' Brown had plenty of iconic hairstyles during her tenure as one of the world's biggest girl bands, the Spice Girls.
From her natural curls to the Bantu knots, Mel B's hair was legendary, but perhaps one of the most replicated and memorable looks was her space buns, bundling her hair into two, massive bunches higher up and towards the front.
Mary Quant’s Sassoon cut
With a look almost as famous as her designs, Mary Quant became synonymous with her geometric haircut that she kept for over 40 years.
The style was courtesy of legendary hairdresser Vidal Sassoon, and he gave the British fashion designer his "five point" cut, recognised for its shortness at the nape of the neck and gradually lengthening towards the face.
Demi Moore’s buzz
There's plenty of reasons Demi Moore is a hair heroine - from her raven-black locks that she keeps long and flowing to the messy crop she pulled off for 1990's Ghost.
However, one of her most unforgettable transformations came in 1997, when she buzzed the lot off.
It was done for her role in GI Jane, but Demi rocked the daring look on red carpets.
Cher’s long, Rapunzel hair
Cher has been doing things her own way since the 1960s - and she's not showing any signs of slowing down to this day.
One of Cher's most signature looks, and one of the most iconic hairstyles, was her long, often bone-straight, jet black hair that fell to her waist. It was evocative of her style and her persona when she was performing with Sonny Bono, free-spirited, fashion-forward and full of counter-culture ideals.
Tina Turner's iconic shaggy cut
There are some people so famous and identifiable, you can recognise them from just a silhouette. Close your eyes and picture Tina Turner. You're no doubt picturing that wild, spiky, moving mane that she kept up from the 1980s and beyond.
Rebranding from a double-act with her ex-husband, Ike Turner, Tina had to find a new sound and look when she re-emerged in the 1980s.
The shaggy, choppy layers and voluminous spikes - often achieved through teased wigs - was part of that. And it mirrored Tina's persona. Wild. Free. Electric. Simply? The best.
Madonna embraces the dark side
Part of the reason Madonna has maintained her cultural dominance for decades is that when you expect a zig, she zags.
The definitive blonde bombshell of her era - echoing the likes of Marilyn Monroe before her, and paying homage in the process - Madonna pulled off one of the most surprising hair transformations when she swapped her blonde ambition for a jet black, sleek, choppy bob.
It was part of her Ray of Light era, and the dark hair noted a shift in her public persona, as she embraced more mature sounds and tackling issues of motherhood, loneliness and ageing in her songs.
Anna Wintour’s iconic bob
Mastering a signature style for decades, Anna Wintour's consistent hairstyle has become a trademark and iconic look.
Her signature style is a perfectly cut, blunt bob. It typically falls around her chin, with a very clean, sharp line as it falls above her shoulders. The blunt, straight fringe also sits perfectly atop her trademark sunglasses.
Audrey Hepburn’s chignon
Audrey Hepburn had many hairstyles throughout her career, from loose and long to chic pixies, but one of her most memorable looks (and one of the most famous movie hairstyles ever) was when she played the role of Holly Golightly in 1961's Breakfast at Tiffany's.
True to the character's nature, Holly's chignon was a blend of classic glamour and modern sensibilities, giving the classic bouffant a twist with super short bangs and a streak of caramel blonde cutting through her light brown locks.
Twiggy’s 60s pixie
A touch of 60s mod. A touch of androgyny. A touch of waifish, ultra-feminine fairy. That's the blend of styles Twiggy's iconic cropped, parted pixie was able to evoke.
On the podcast Table Manners with Jessie Ware in 2020, Twiggy revealed it all came about by accident. She went for a fancy hair cut in London where, too shy to argue with the designer, her long locks were cut short.
Cut to - the defining face of the 60s with the new look that everyone wanted to recreate.
Amy Winehouse's beehive
Amy Winehouse's legacy lives on even if the tortured singer's life was cut tragically short at 27.
As well as her unmistakable voice and her impeccable, emotive song writing, Amy captured the mind of a generation through her trademark style. The past met the present, as she updated the beehive style of the 60s with more intentional messy strands and teasing.
Ariana Grande’s high pony
Proving that a ponytail doesn't need to be a last minute thing one does when they haven't time to properly style their hair, singer and actress Ariana Grande redefined the style with her trademark high pony.
Ariana's ponytail stands out because it's always styled in a structured way. There are rarely any flyaway strands, and she pulls all the hair towards the towering pony that emanates from her crown.
Grace Jones' structural flat top
Grace Jones made everything her own. A singer, actress and model, Grace played with gender roles and conventions to look like nobody else.
One of her most iconic looks was the high top fade, structured to give her height on top and she shaved her head at the sides.
Bold, daring and at odds with the big curls and waves of the 70s and 80s.
Bettie Page
You know a hairstyle is iconic when you recognise the 'do, even if you don't know the person behind it.
Bettie Page was one of America's standout pin-ups, and her signature style included a super short fringe (dubbed Bettie bangs or Rockabilly bangs in the US) that were cut into an inverse V or U shape, contrasted with her loose, long curls.
Her look continues to be emulated to this day. You'd recognise the likes of Katy Perry, Dita von Teese and Madonna pulling off similar looks.
Jackie Kennedy's bouffant
As one of the most glamorous First Ladies in American history, Jackie Kennedy was arguably one of the first to use her own image to help support the message and image her husband and his government were projecting.
Jackie and JFK were all about glamour, embracing the All-American ideals, and ushering in a change.
Jackie's bouffant hair became part of her globally recognisable style and glamour, with the round, bouncy bouffant offering a sophisticated compromise between the more revolutionary looks of the 1960s and the more traditional styles that came before.
Dusty Springfield - bigger was better
Soul singer Dusty Springfield was one of the trailblazers of the Swinging Sixties in Britain and beyond, and her look helped popularise her big persona (along with her big voice, of course).
There was something ingenious about Dusty's style. It was a playful nod to the past - mimicking the traditional bouffant and beehive - but she added excessive volume for a real statement making look.
The other key difference was how, despite it being so lacquered and oversized, Dusty kept movement with side flicks.
Marilyn Monroe - the world's most famous blonde
Can you imagine Marilyn Monroe without her blonde curls?
Well, Norma Jean was a natural brunette. But having the foresight to know how to create an image that would last forever in pop culture, Marilyn Monroe's peroxide blonde hair became integral to her legend.
Her hair, down to the platinum colour and her face-framing, chin-length waves, has been mimicked by everyone from Madonna to Scarlett Johansson and Kim Kardashian.
