The senior year of high school is filled with so many major life decisions. Figuring out the best hair option for your yearbook photo was one of them. Did you follow one of these popular trends of the time? We’ll admit that some of them seem a bit silly now, but this being said, we’re sure people looking back on the hairstyles of the 2010s (including celebrity hairstyles) might think we’re a little out there too.
Victory Rolls – 1950
Perhaps no hairstyle is as iconic as Victory Rolls. Coming of age during the height of World War II, the look was termed by actress Lana Turner, pictured here, who donned the do in the 1942 film Somewhere I’ll Find You.
It was she who first called it ‘victory hair,’ referring to air acrobatics by WWII fighter pilots who would celebrate a direct hit by triumphantly spinning their craft through the air. To achieve the glamorous look, locks of hair are rolled from the tip to the crown and secured with hairpins.
The Poodle Cut – 1951
This style was so popular that by 1952, 3 out of 5 women requested the Poodle clip at salons. First worn in the late-40s by actresses like Peggy Garner and Faye Emerson, Lucile Ball made the look legendary.
A mop of curls gathered on top characterize the elegant updo so reminiscent of the pampered pooch.
Short Curls – 1952
Marilyn Monroe epitomized the glamour of Hollywood’s Golden Age with this bundle of platinum waves.
The classic vintage style she introduced is created by curling wide strands of hair with a large barreled iron or rollers, which are then shaped with gel.
The Cap Cut – 1953
Elizabeth Taylor made this modified pixie cut popular with young American women in the early 50s.
Also known as the Italian cut, Italian screen actresses Gina Lollobrigida and Sophia Loren did their part to glamorize the short wavy curls.
The Sabrina – 1954
Here is Audrey Hepburn’s iconic pixie cut featuring her natural cowlick, noticeable in the little curl at the side of the part. The rest of her hair is swept to the opposite side of the part delicately framing her features.
Hepburn went short during the filming of Roman Holiday a year earlier. Her character chopped it all off in an act of youthful independence.
Center Part - 1955
Vivien Leigh framed her face equally, down the middle, in tight sculpted curls.
The actress’ hairdo was created in stark contrast to the popular deep side part, which characterized the glamorous looks of Monroe, Taylor, and Hepburn.
Classic Wave – 1956
Grace Kelly epitomized the elegance of the classic wave. Her sleek curls turned under, soft and smooth as silk at the shoulder, is a very popular 1950s style.
The pageboy-length look can be achieved by using a 1-1.5-inch barrel curling iron and hair clips.
Soft Curls – 1957
Rita Hayworth wore her soft curls with a deep side part, effectuating a cascading pile of wavy curls flowing off her shoulder.
The actress, who the press liked to call “The Love Goddess” was not the only Golden Age Hollywood starlet to bring soft curls into vogue. Elizabeth Taylor also plastered the silver screen with her head of dark, soft textured curls.
Platinum Blonde – 1958
The platinum blonde sex-pot look was popularized by Marilyn Monroe, but Jayne Mansfield played the Hollywood role with panache.
Twentieth Century Fox debuted her on film with The Girl Can’t Help It, just when Monroe’s future with the studio was becoming uncertain.
The Chignon – 1959
“Chignon,” translated from French means bun, but in English, the meaning is more like a formal bun or a vintage bun.
The style was so trendy in the 50s that women with short hair purchased chignon buns to pin to their heads.
Stacked Updo – 1960
Pretty much any style would look stunning on French film actress Brigitte Bardot, but this stacked updo is quite attractive.
It’s a bundle of curls piled on top, a bit messy since we are in the Sixties now, with curled bangs to daintily frame the face.
Pageboy - 1961
Here’s Hayley Mills with a pageboy cut for her role in the original 1961 film The Parent Trap.
Ends are curled under, creating a smooth and delicate look, much more becoming than the old bowl cut!
Bouffant – 1962
At JFK’s swearing-in ceremony in 1961, Jackie Kennedy Onassis wore her hair styled in a bouffant do. By 1962 nearly every housewife did too.
The Bouffant, which means swelling in French, is created by teasing, spraying, and curling.
The Beehive – 1963
The enduring Beehive was invented in 1960 and made famous by The Ronettes, pictured here, and also by Brigitte Bardot and Jackie Kennedy Onassis. Today, singers Adel and Amy Winehouse keep the trend alive.
Like the bouffant, the beehive is created with lots of teasing and hairspray. The teased hair is covered with a smooth, nicely combed layer.
The Bob – 1964
The bob enjoyed some popularity in the 20s, but Vidal Sassoon delivered it to the 60s.
It’s a cut that usually follows the jawline at a straight angle and is often framed with bangs.
Five-Point Cut – 1965
The five-point cut developed as Vidal Sassoon added some drama to the bob cut.
The very modern-looking geometric wash-and-wear cut was preferred by British designer Mary Quant who brought us the miniskirt. The original cut has never been outdone.
Long and Straight – 1966
Cher and Sonny Bono’s duet, “I Got You Babe” catapulted Cher’s fame and her unique flair made her a fashion icon. Long and straight hair became the ubiquitous hippie look by the 70s.
Women used standard irons to smooth locks down. Later, flat irons for hair were invented.
Short and Natural - 1967
The natural hair craze is officially credited to Cicely Tyson who chopped her smooth, straightened bob to this short and natural cut she wore in East Side/West Side.
Later, in Sounder, she introduced cornrows as a hairdo option.
Mop Top - 1968
When we think mop-top, we think John, Paul, George, and Ringo. But girls dug the style too. English pop singer and actress Julie Driscoll let her mop-top encroach until just her features were framed.
She was known for covering hits by musicians like Bob Dylan.
Modern Bouffant – 1969
Diahann Carroll is responsible for this voluminous hairstyle catching on like wildfire. She wore a modern bouffant on her television show, Julia.
She was the first African American actress to star in her own show as well as win an Emmy.
Long and Center-Parted - 1970
Ali MacGraw’s long and center-parted very natural hairstyle perfectly suited the wholesome portrayal of Jenny in the influential film Love Story.
She became the “It Girl” overnight, defined, in large part, by her all-one-length long, glossy hair.
The Shag - 1971
This look is not for everyone, but Jane Fonda’s appeal had many women trying it out. Hairstylist Paul McGregor developed the cut on the actress for the 1971 film Klute.
The unisex shag is typified by a full crown and feathering with layers creating a long full or side fringe.
Afro – 1972
Taking the short and natural look to longer lengths leads to the afro. The casual, yet strong statement became an icon of the civil rights era.
Pam Grier did her part to lead black power identity with this groovy ‘fro. Viewed widely in 1970s blaxploitation films, her badass characters left their mark on American cinema.
Shoulder-Length Flip – 1973
Olivia Newton-John in shoulder-length curls is very sweet.
The singer and actress wore the soft and flowing center-parted shoulder-length hairstyle with flipped ends as demure Sandy in Grease.
Loose Waves – 1974
Model Lauren Hutton made waves with this flowing bundle of large soft curls. It’s no wonder.
The fashion icon made the cover of every U.S. pinup magazine.
Voluminous Curls – 1975
Taking the loose waves hairstyle a bit further, model and actress Beverly Johnson wore her locks in a mass of tight, voluminous curls. She was Vogue’s first black model and her hairdo was emulated everywhere.
In fact, voluminous curls would come back in style in futurity, known as the infamous 80s “big hair.”
Wedge Haircut - 1976
Vidal Sassoon’s protégé Trevor Sorbie designed the wedge cut. The “Hamill wedge,” however, is much more well-known than its creator.
Olympic champion figure skater Dorothy Hamill first wore the short and shingled clip performing worldwide on the ice. Women and girls everywhere began asking stylists for the “Hamill wedge.”
Bleach Blonde – 1977
Debbie Harry’s post-punk bleach blonde shaggy look went front and center with the immense success of Blondie.
The 1970s were all about the blonde bombshell, and Blondie’s lead singer fully embraced the typecast, making it her own.
Farrah Waves - 1978
It’s difficult to overstate the popularity of Farrah Fawcett’s feathered hair. As a Charlie’s Angels star and on countless magazine covers, her look soon became ubiquitous, but never truly emulated.
The hairstyle, full of sweeping waves blown out with a dryer to perfection, is not easy to duplicate on just any hair type.
Spiky Punk Hair – 1979
Siouxsie Sioux’s spiky punk hair with wisps of goth perfectly identified the Londoner’s new wave punk band Siouxsie and the Banshees.
Her Egyptian-influenced hair and makeup started a thing in the 80s, but it came from her earlier punk roots, jamming with Sex Pistol’s Sid Vicious.
Edgy Shag – 1980
The most recognized shaggy rocker hairstyle goes to Joan Jett. Razor-cut and layered into a rough-around-the-edges mop, fans and trendsetters around the world tried on this jet-black hard rock look.
Joan Jett and her all-girl Blackhearts loved rock ‘n’ roll, and everyone heard about it!
Topknot – 1981
Actress and model Iman sported a classy topknot in the early Eighties.
Today, it’s a popular trend from the man-bun to the standard bun, a quick and easy updo.
Asymmetrical Updo – 1982
As hair got bigger in the 80s, an asymmetrical updo was one trendy look, piling the voluminous curls over to one side.
We're sure you know at least one person who rocked this style. Just pull out your parents' old photo albums.
Girl-Next-Door Hair – 1983
Just call it Brooke Shields Hair. Cover model Brooke Shields epitomized the girl-next-door look in the 1980 film The Blue Lagoon with long, flowing, easy-going beach hair, and here, in a stylized version.
If only we could really get our hair to look like Brook Sheilds's hair without top hairstylists.
The Mullet- 1984
A notably dark time in our country's history, the Age of the Mullet lasted too long and affected too many. If you survived the '80s without getting this tragic cut, we commend you.
Today, it’s a popular trend from the man-bun to the standard bun, a quick and easy updo.
Wrapped Up- 1985
The original Queen of Pop, Madonna's hair helped define the '80s — including this teased 'do wrapped up by a headscarf.
Because like Madonna, girls just want to have fun!
Crimped – 1986
Crimping was a unique style that came out of the 80s. Chart-topping pop singer Taylor Dayne mixed crimps and curls when she sang, “Tell it to My Heart.”
Maybe you still have your old crimping iron and those Taylor Dayne 45s?
Red Ringlets – 1987
Molly Ringwald’s curly bob and pouty lips made her an “It Girl” sensation.
Though her hair color and curls are au naturel, girls all over tried to emulate her look.
Feathered Bangs – 1988
Sarah Jessica Parker wasn’t the only celeb to go big with teased and feathered bangs.
To get a full head of curls, women would perm their hair.
Gelled Curls – 1989
Enter hair gel. In the days of Depp, hairstyles all over were slicked-down and sleeked-up.
Julia Roberts is showing off her “wet-look,” as we called it in the 80s, with long but casual ringlets.
Regal Short Cut -1990
Princess Di, the most royal princess of all, influenced countless women to go short.
Her distinguished crop, created for her by her stylist Sam McKnight, helped make her one of the most influential fashion icons of the century.
Tumbling Updo – 1991
Here’s supermodel Cindy Crawford in a tumbling updo.
Tendrils of flowing tresses frame her face with piles of curls up on top.
Grunge Hair -1992
Grunge hair upended highly stylized big hair in exchange for hairstyles that call for sleeping on it for a night and finger combing in the morning.
It’s somewhat similar to Madonna’s messy-sexy bleached-blond look but other than that it leaves the Eighties behind.
Box Braids - 1993
Box braids hit the scene in 1993. In that year, Janet Jackson showed them off while sharing the big screen with Tupac in Poetic Justice. Also, that same year, Jamaican musician Patra debuted her first album wearing the long rope-like braids.
The traditional style from Africa had officially made its way to U.S. fashion trends.
The Rachel - 1994
Not every Hollywood star has a hairstyle named for them, but Jennifer Aniston does. Never mind that she is known to have said she loathed her Friends show look, women loved it! At the salon, all they had to say was, “give me ‘the Rachel’.”
One hairdresser said, in the day, 40 percent of client requests were for the cut. Stylist Chris McMillan was responsible for designing the popular hairstyle for the “Rachel Green” character.
Butterfly Clips - 1995
In the 90s, butterfly clips were a fun new trend, but very short-lived. Some truly regretted it.
Here’s Kirsten Dunst sweetening her adorable look with a single butterfly clip.
Wild Streaks - 1996
This is Ginger Spice sharing a vibrant and beautiful example of wild streaks.
Spice Girl Geri Halliwell influenced girls all over the world to add vibrant and colorful streaks to their hair.
Spiky Pixie - 1997
The pixie cut is always in style, but Winona Ryder’s spiky pixie is one to remember. Her chic and messy spin debuted in the 90s.
The sassy style frames her features and emphasizes her dark and prominent eyes.
Pigtails – 1998
We can thank Britney Spears for bringing back pigtails. But that was in 1997 when her music video “… Baby One More Time” dominated MTV airwaves.
The pop star tied her braided pigtails with pink ribbon and held them with fluffy scrunchies.
Front Tendrils – 1999
The late-90s brought us dual face-framing tendrils. Just two wisps on each side of the face created the style.
The look seemed to be gone forever, but in the late twenty-teens, it began making appearances once more.
Face-Framing Highlights – 2000
The 90s brought some chic and wild hairdos. The 00s circled back to a palette of more feminine and natural styles.
Beyonce’s golden-blond face-framing highlight waves influenced many women.
The Fan Piece – 2001
Full House twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen played Michelle, the adorable youngest Tanner, and have been hair influencers ever since.
Here, a half-up, half-down fanned flip catches our eye. Bobby pins and a butterfly clip keep it all in place.
Crimped Pieces – 2002
Crimping came back in the 2000s, but with a welcome twist. The 90s went over-the-top with full heads of corrugated hair, while the 00s brought in just a touch of crimping.
Select strands of hair were crimped, like Britney Spears pictured here at the MTV VMA awards.
Flipped Layers – 2003
These flipped layers of beachy locks do look pretty low-key. But the look inspired by Farrah Fawcett requires a lot of styling and pricey texturing spray to achieve.
Mandy Moore wore this flipped-out blondie look for the Teen Choice Awards.
Colored Strands – 2004
Jessica Simpson put a little punk rock in her hair when this style first caught on.
Streaks of color, reminding us of Ginger Spice, took off in the mid-00s. Looking edgy was never so easy.
Voluminous Ponytails – 2005
Fifteen years ago, the poufy ponytail was a thing. Hilary Duff rocked it best. But you never know when a style is going to resurface.
To be prepared, be sure to have some superpower volumizing hair products on hand. Apply it before blow-drying, blow-dry upside down, and then do some teasing. Go easy on the superpower product!
Headbands - 2006
Headbands, or headache bands, as some like to call them, came back in the mid-00s. They add a chic streak to a plain hairstyle. In fact, headbands are a versatile accessory for virtually any hairdo.
They come flowery, beaded, woven, silky—in practically any design. From the roaring 20s to the hippie 60s, headbands create a variety of stylish looks.
Super Straight Hair – 2007
Lauren Conrad’s shiny, easy-going beach dos have been the envy of many for years. When she was flourishing her glamorous style on MTV’s Laguna Beach and on The Hills, girls liked to know how she did it.
To keep her hair shiny, LC says she uses a different shampoo every day and she does not use any product, “not even hairspray.”
Beach Waves - 2008
The Olsen twins, all grown up in matching beachy waves, display a popular style from the late-00s. Their hairdresser, Mark Townsend, says he uses an R Session Tools Nalu Waver. It creates “bends” instead of curls.
Another way to create bends is by putting the hair up in a bun right after blow-drying with a round brush. The bends are set with the heat.
Side-Swept Bangs – 2009
The perennially popular side-swept bangs took over in the late 2000s.
Practically everyone decided to try bangs out ten years back, and those who already had them wore them swept to the side.
The Snooki Bump — 2010
Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi is known for her poufy Snooki bump.
All you need is a comb, hairspray, and bobby pins. (Lots of hairspray!) And, you, too, can rock the Jersey Shore guidette hairdo.
The Ombré Trend — 2011
The ombré trend peaked in 2011, with many experts agreeing that the freshest way to wear it was to do it less extreme with a more natural-looking twist.
With hair that gradually blends from one color at the top to another towards the bottom, it was one of the most popular ways to color your hair in 2011 and it still remains popular to this day.
Trendy Bob — 2012
From the asymmetrical razor bob to the more natural-looking wavy lob, there was a real resurgence when it comes to bobs in 2012. It’s a street style that’s as chic as anything.
The subtle layers would draw attention to the face while the soft texture—best achieved on fine to medium hair—adds a feminine feel.
Blunt Bangs — 2013
Blunt bangs are nothing new — we first saw them on Louise Brooks in the 1920s and this haircut was having a moment back in 2013. But blunt bangs aren't for the faint of heart.
This style of bangs is quite heavy so not everyone can pull it off. Despite that, there were many celebs who love to don this look. From Zooey Deschanel and Emma Stone to Taylor Swift and Jessica Biel.
Messy Plaits — 2014
This can be filed under the category 'For those of us who aren't perfectionists!' These lived-in locks were huge for 2014 and messy plaits were the epitome of that trend.
The season of 2014 was either glossy or matte, but always messy. This look can have many variations, from a low side parting for a romantic feel to french plaits, twist braids, or dutch braids.
Bold Hair Color — 2015
For hair color, 2015 saw quite a few trends we couldn't help but notice, from pastel pink, silver, blue, and purple, to balayage hair.
Could it be because Rihanna sported silver hair at the very end of 2014 and Katy Perry showed up at the Grammys with purple hair?
Platinum Hair — 2016
Trying out a new hair color as the seasons change is a beauty tale as old as time. And thanks to color chameleon Kim Kardashian, platinum blonde hair became the biggest trend of 2016.
This look gives off a very futuristic vibe and other stars like Cara Delevingne and Kylie Jenner also opted for silvery platinum blonde.
High Pony — 2017
We made it through another lap around the sun! And this time we're featuring the high pony. This slicked-up look was seen all over the red carpet.
It can be done in rumpled texture or stick-straight. The high ponytail adds both elegance and ease to every ensemble.
Going Retro — 2018
2018 may still be considered modern, but when it comes to hair, many people were getting inspired by decades past.
From wavy styles seen on Margot Robbie to major volume on Zendaya, that looks a lot like a hairstyle we would've seen in the '70s.
Shaggy Hair — 2019
To modernize the popular ‘90s style, 2019 saw a lot of people were looking for a change; they wanted more layers, something funky, something edgy—which is the shag, which has tons of short layers.
The layers are often feathered at the top and sides. The layers make the hair full around the crown, and the hair thins to fringes around the edges.
The Classic Bob — 2020
We'll be honest. 2020 wasn't exactly a banner year for hair, which meant the trending hairstyles were more functional than ever. And one hairstyle that reigned supreme was the classic bob.
To be completely honest, classic bobs are a timeless haircut that will truly never go out of style. This haircut works well with most hair types.
Intentional Roots — 2021
Here's one thing that 2020 taught us: Roots are fine. They shouldn't be hidden away and they even became popular.
Many people even requested 'root shadowing' from their hair salons, as it let you embrace your forever-growing roots rather than rally against them.
The Mixie Cut — 2022
The mixie is a marriage of a shorter version of the mullet, with a pixie haircut. It's basically a short pixie, but all the edges are a little longer, which lends a much softer look.
This hairstyle can work on straight, wavy, or curly hair and is sure to look edgy on anyone.