NBC Television // Getty Images “Fashion is ephemeral, but style is eternal,” goes the well-worn phrase, variously attributed to Coco Chanel and Yves Saint-Laurent. Though it may be a bit of a truism today, the sentiment was remarkably prescient for its time, as decades later, fads and fast fashion have reduced the life cycle of clothes to a couple of washes and wears. But what about hair? Hairstyles have always been a part of the ever-changing trend cycle, going in and out of style by the decade and even the year. But while clothes can be taken off, bought, and sold, hair is an essential part of ourselves, expressing biology and socially constructed identity. It can reflect where we came from, make a political statement, or communicate how we want to be perceived. Hair has been used to marginalize, while it has also been reclaimed and used as a tool of empowerment and liberation. In the last century, celebrity culture as it exists now began to take shape with the help of television, film, and social media, giving public figures progressively larger platforms and allowing them to be seen by greater numbers of people. Celebrities became trendsetters and influencers, modeling the most fashionable clothes and hair. Not all celebrity hair choices have been immediately celebrated, however. Some hairstyles were ridiculed, particularly if they subverted white beauty standards. Other figures were dismissed for having hair that went against gender norms. To show the evolution of hair and its relationship with cultural standards over time, Stacker compiled a list of 25 of the most influential hairstyles of all time–and the celebrities who wore them–from fashion magazines, news articles, as well as music and Hollywood history. Varying from lauded to loathed, these hairstyles nonetheless broke barriers and, in many cases, outlived their wearers. You may also like: Can you guess which actresses these real ‘Jeopardy!’ clues are about? Elvis’ pompadour Michael Ochs Archives // Getty Images Elvis’ voluminous, slicked-back black coif remains a quintessential part of his legacy and an unmistakable element of his look. Inspired by the looks of Black artists like Little Richard, Elvis dyed his hair jet black and used wax and pomade to keep it in place, cementing the pompadour as his signature on the cover of his 1957 album “Jailhouse Rock.” James Dean, who also wore the ‘do in the ’50s, helped cement the look as a classic, masculine style–a divergence from the pompadour’s origins, which date back to the reign of Louis XV and his mistress (and the style’s namesake), Madame de Pompadour. Brigitte Bardot’s tousled curtain bangs REPORTERS ASSOCIES/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images The French actor, singer, and cultural icon made waves not just in her own country but in the U.S., where her unbridled sexuality and style subverted the more buttoned-up conventions of the late ’50s. Her blond, messy curtain bangs played an important part in her mystique, departing from the perfectly coiffed and controlled hairstyles popular at the time. Bardot’s curtain bangs are still popular today, inspiring other trendsetters like Goldie Hawn and a generation of women. The Beatles’ ‘Arthur’ mop-tops Anthony Barboza // Getty Images When Janet Jackson starred in the 1993 John Singleton-directed drama “Poetic Justice” opposite Tupac Shakur, her iconic box braids were not the only thing that made a splash: At the time, there were few Black female leads seen on screen. Her braids, inspired by dancer Jossie Harris’ hair in the Michael Jackson music video for “Remember the Time,” set off a trend among Black women in the ’90s and remain popular today. You may also like: America’s 50 favorite actresses of all time Tia and Tamera’s natural curls Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc // Getty Images Twins Tia and Tamera Mowry starred in the series “Sister, Sister” beginning in 1994. The show premiered when they were just 15 years old, and they wore their natural curls for the first several seasons. In later seasons, however, the sisters straightened their hair, a decision that was made after experiencing racist pressure and microaggressions from the industry about their natural hair. The Mowry’s natural curls made a big impact, however, inspiring young audiences to embrace Black hair and beauty. Jennifer Aniston’s ‘Rachel’ cut Kevin Mazur/WireImage // Getty Images Jennifer Aniston’s haircut on the hit sitcom “Friends” was as influential as the show itself, becoming a symbol of ’90s style replicated by tens of millions of people worldwide–according to Haircutters Journal International, roughly 11 million women in Britain alone asked for the cut. First debuting in 1994, the “Rachel” is a choppy, layered look with light brown highlights and an effortless-looking bounce. Its legacy is still going strong: After the “Friends” reunion was announced in 2021, demand for the cut reportedly spiked significantly, keeping with current ’90s style nostalgia among younger generations. Justin Timberlake’s frosted tips Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic // Getty Images The former ‘N Sync heartthrob debuted this most famous–and mocked–hairstyle in 1998. Justin Timberlake’s frosted tips were so blindingly bright and curly that many likened the look to ramen noodles, but this didn’t stop the trend from taking off, particularly among young people in the late ’90s and early aughts. Now the Y2K style is seeing a resurgence, with younger generations, both famous and not, bringing back the look. Hayley Williams’ fiery orange locks Michael Loccisano/FilmMagic // Getty Images As the lead singer of the 2000s punk rock band Paramore, Hayley Williams has always been recognizable for her vibrantly dyed hair. Though she’s cycled through different colors over the years, her bright orange look, which she wore when Paramore started to make waves with their 2007 album “Riot!,” is probably her most recognized style. Her hair and style, a combination of hyper-feminine bows and skirts combined with combat boots, inspired a generation of Tumblr-era teens and younger Gen Z performers like Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, and Willow, both in their aesthetics and their music. Justin Bieber’s swoosh Ian Willms/Toronto Star via Getty Images When 15-year-old Justin Bieber burst onto the pop scene in 2009, it wasn’t just his angelic voice that earned him a loyal fanbase of tweens and teens–it was also his hair: a long, side-swept, helmet-like swoosh. A longer, more glossy version of the Beatles’ mop-top, the Bieber swoosh was so popular that it was, for a time, the go-to look for depicting teenage boys on TV. Despite its popularity, some stylists reported many of the teens requesting the cut were too embarrassed to refer to it as the Bieber. You may also like: Most famous actor born the same year as you
25 of the most influential celebrity hairstyles of all time
