It was the decade immediately leading up to the Y2K and the apocalyptic outlook that came with the new millennium. On the more entertaining side, it was the decade that witnessed the rebirth of rock n’ roll, the global popularity of Alicia Silverstone, and another British invasion courtesy of The Spice Girls. “The Blair Witch Project” marked the beginning of the Indie films era, and Tim Burton was just getting started as the next visionary filmmaker with the box office success of “Edward Scissorhands”.
It was the decade that saw Leonardo DiCaprio’s rise to superstardom and the sinking of the Titanic. All the teenage girls were in love with Axl Rose, Mariah Carey was ruling the charts, Christina Aguilera was a pretty genie in a bottle, and Britney Spears begged to be hit one more time. Grunge, checkered coverups and cargo pants were in fashion. The hair style trends though were a little bit trickier — long hair, pixie hair, kinky hair.
Back to the 90’s: All about the ‘do!
The 90’s are clearly making a swift comeback in mainstream fashion. It’s safe to assume that the hair styles are following suit. If you’re looking to be the most fashion forward in your clique, you can start exploring the 90’s hair trends and see which one you may be able to warp to the present and own as your new signature look.
Below are your top choices:
- Demi Moore barber cut in “The Ghost”. This is the movie that gave everyone the courage to cut their hair short. Make barber cut your next, “Oh my love, my Darling”. While you’re at it, you might also want to put on those suspenders or overalls to complete your 90’s Demi look.
- Winona Ryder pixie cut in “Alien: Resurrection”. Everybody got hooked to short hair and ‘dos were cut even shorter when they saw Winona Ryder’s angelic face framed in short spikes. Prior to that, she wore another hairstyle, the short shagged look, that was her signature hair style in the movie every 90’s baby loved, “Reality Bites”.
- Courtney Love and her messy hair. One of the most loved and yet loved to be hated celebrities of the 90’s, Courtney was the wife of late Nirvana frontman, Kurt Cobain who goes down in history for his fame and suicide. Courtney is best remembered in the 90s for her messy, tossed up hair, and since everybody had a crush on Cobain, everyone wanted to rock her locks.
- Gwen Stefani’s mini buns. When she and the rest of No Doubt came out with the hit single, “Don’t Speak”, the band was watched both for their break-free music as well as Gwen’s style sense. Her mini buns and brightly colored hair were just the start of her fame in fashion. The ruby lined faces were next and the rest is history.
- Cristina Aguilera and shaggy hair. The genie everybody grew to love was first seen in an MTV that featured her shaggy, shoulder-length blondes framing her face. The diva in the making quickly became a music and a fashion icon after that.
- Claire Danes and her red, one length hair. She first became famous as Angela Chase in “My So-Called Life”. Her auburn hair was a knockout but not for everyone. Her one-length cut though fit anybody and became one of the hair style trends that defined the 90’s.
- Alicia Silverstone and her long, blonde, flowy hair. The locks she sported as Cher Horowitz in the worldwide box office, “Clueless”, was simple and flattering. The hair started this entire shift to use less products — the birth of the natural look, if you will.
- Brittany and Cynthia Daniel’s long, sleek & blonde hair. The twins who became popular for bringing to life the main protagonists of “Sweet Valley High”, Jessica & Elizabeth Wakefield, solidified the return of the long and straight hair.
- Melissa Joan Hart’ butterfly clips. Disney’s ‘Sabrina: The Teenage Witch” has a magical addition to 90’s hair trends too — the cutesy, bitsy little clips holding small, multiple portions of hair.
- Sarah Michelle Gellar and her shoulder length, soft curled & blow dried hair. She became one of the most promising actresses of the decade after successfully acing her role as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”.
Conclusion
The 90’s is characterized by fashion wants and wont’s. So, when you decide to go back to this decade for hair inspiration, make sure you’re following only the trends worthy of resurrection.
