Hair has a long and culturally rich history. Hairstyles have always reflected the cultural mood of the time and you can see how they have changed and emerged through the ages. Most hairdressers and stylist will look for inspiration from the past - after all, it is hard to know where you are going, if you don’t know where you’ve been!

Currently we are seeing a lot of influences from the 1990’s.

Hair of the 1990s was rich in style and minimalism. ‘Friends’ debuted in 1994 and the straight hair of Jennifer Aniston, who played the character Rachel, was an instant hit with salons being inundated by women asking for a ‘Rachel cut’. It remained one of the most popular cuts for a decade, taking over from the curls that were popular in the previous decade. Along with the ‘Rachel cut’, American actress Meg Ryan’s hairstyle were the two most copied haircuts of the late 1990s. Meg’s layered, choppy textured cut was created by hairdresser Sally Hershberger for her role in the film ‘Sleepless in Seattle’.

The ‘cool girls’ of the 1990s that became the point of reference included Gwyneth Paltrow, Liv Tyler, and The Cosby Show actress Lisa Bonet. The ‘bad girl’ look that rocked a more grungy aesthetic was epitomised by Drew Barrymore, Courtney Love and Kate Moss. Moss rocked the short, grungy bob in the late 1990s and she remains one of the most loved models of all time. Blonde bombshell Pamela Anderson was one of the biggest pin-ups of the decade while famous supermodel faces that entered the stage included Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer, Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista and Tyra Banks.

Diana, the Princess of Wales, continued to be a hair and fashion icon for ladies around the world up until her untimely death in 1997. People all around the world remember exactly where they were when that news was delivered. For most of her life, hairdresser Sam McKnight tended to Diana’s tresses.

There is for sure a lot of buzz around 90’s hair at the moment, we’d love to hear what your favourite/s are!

If you are interested in reading more about hair trends and the different eras, find out more in our Elements Education book here