The Trendiest Hairstyle the Year You Were Born

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 23 April 2016

They've changed so much over time (there was the iconic '20s bob—and who could forget the Farrah waves of the 1970s?). But more importantly, what was the most memorable look during your birth year?

1925: Brushed Out Waves

As soft and ethereal as the early films this style was worn for, brushed out waves gave actresses like Mary Pickford a feminine silhouette.

1926: Browband

A thin, sometimes jeweled piece of fabric worn around the forehead, this style was dubbed the "headache band" — not exactly an appealing accessory nickname, but it looks so chic!

1927: Blunt Bangs

The total opposite of the era's fluffier looks, blunt bangs framed the face (and thin '20s brows) in the most literal way possible.

1928: Bright Red Hair

Sure, films were in black and white, but when the public heard that movie star Clara Bow dyed her hair red, henna sales went through the roof.

1929: Eton Crop

One of the most famous wearers of the Eton crop, Josephine Baker rocked her stunning slicked-down style with a "kiss curl," a thin swirl of hair on her forehead intended to add a touch of femininity.

1930: Finger Waves

A style that is still as stunning nowadays as it was then, finger waves was a heavily-styled look (shown here on actress Alice Day) that gave softness to sharp, crisp bob haircuts.

1931: Shingle Cut

Here, Louise Brooks shows off her thin eyebrows, bee-stung lips, and chic angular bob cut with swooping ends that was so popular during the '20s and '30s.

1932: Waves Pulled Low

Unlike the looser styles of the decade, many women, including Greta Garbo, preferred to pull their hair tight and low into a dramatic 'do.

1933: Deep Side Part

A trend that has yet to go out of style, the deep side part was beloved by stars including Carole Lombard as well as millions of women alike. Check out our simple tutorial on how to get it yourself.

1934: Soft Sculpted Waves

Delicately shaped waves a la Marlene Dietrich took hold of trend lovers during the mid-1930s.

1935: Marcel Wave

Similar to finger waves, the Marcel wave was a highly styled wave worn by the likes of Jean Harlow, among many other actresses. Hairdresser Marcel Grateau is often credited for inventing the technique, which involved using hot curling tongs to give hair deep, defined waves.

1936: Pin Curls

Pin curls may have taken wearers a long time to properly accomplish (each piece is literally twirled into a circle to set the curl), but wow, were they worth it.

1937: Rolled and Tucked

Dorothy Lamour, among other actresses, touted a less curly style that had hair rolled into a neat silhouette.

1938: Updo with Flowers

Though she was known primarily for her iconic voice, Billie Holiday's stardom also popularized elegantly accenting hairstyles with flowers — specifically white gardenias.

1939: Curled Pigtails

Starring in her most famous role as Dorothy in 1938's wildly popular Wizard of Oz, Judy Garland helped popularize the curly pigtail look.

1940: Half-Updo

Vivien Leigh's famous portrayal of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind featured a throwback Southern belle look with rolled-back hair.

1941: Snoods

Worn during World War II by women employed in factories, this headpiece, made of cloth or yarn, held women's hair away from their neck.

1942: Glam Pin Curls

Not content to keep things basic, stars like Betty Grable brought pin curls and finger waves to the next level with bold blonde hair, red lipstick, and fun fashion.

1943: Peekaboo Bangs

With the femme fatale at the forefront of both fashion and cinema, stars like Veronica Lake ushered in sexy hairstyles that hid just one eye for an air of mystery.

1944: Soft Waves

Delicate curls and waves brought softness to thick bangs and long bobs like Barbara Stanwyck's.

1945: Victory Rolls

After the war, many women signaled their celebratory feelings with a voluminous style dubbed "victory curls" — a 'do that would become one of the era's most famous.

1946: Loose Curls

A softer curled style stayed popular throughout the era, with stars like Rita Hayworth maintaining a deep side part and full waves.

1947: Crown Braid

During the '40s, braided hairstyles rose to prominence, with stars like Billie Holiday donning crown braids and braided buns, occasionally weaving in pieces of fabric or hair in contrasting colors.

1948: Elegant Updos

As the result of an emphasis on mimicking actresses like Joan Fontaine and Lana Turner, stylish women opted for glamorous hairstyles like thick, polished chignons, sometimes accessorizing them with clips or pins.

1949: Brushed Out Waves

Linda Darnell and other famous starlets popularized soft waves without harsh edges or heavy products.

1950: Chignon

The ever-stylish Grace Kelly donned elegant hairdos that influenced American women in the early '50s, prior to her marriage to Prince Rainier III of Monaco and subsequent retirement from acting.

1951: Pinup Bangs

With her sex appeal, outrageous personality, and iconic style, Bettie Page and her famous bangs influenced those who desired an edgier take on traditional looks.

1952: Italian Cut

Inspired by Italian actresses, starlets like Dorothy Dandridge rocked this chic, short cut (similar to a poodle pixie, a curly short cut) featuring sculpted locks and a rounded silhouette.

1953: Short Crop

Making the short cut more accessible to the masses was Audrey Hepburn, aka America's eternal sweetheart. After chopping her hair in 1953's Roman Holiday, women fell in love with the modern, easygoing style.

1954: Blonde Bombshell Hair

The age of the blonde bombshell was ushered in by no other than Marilyn Monroe, the most famous of them all.

1955: Barrel Curls

Full, rounded curls brought a bouncy vibe to blonde bombshell locks like Jayne Mansfield's.

1956: Ponytails

At long last: The super simple style we all know and love, pushed into popularity by none other than French sex symbol Brigitte Bardot.

1957: Soft Full Curls

Soft, elegant styles marked the mid-'50s — though all that would soon change.

1958: French Pleat

A chic vertical roll of hair that keeps your locks out of your face, the French pleat is as perfect for career women nowadays as it was then.

1959: Flipped Out

Bringing a totally new silhouette to the era's style, stars like Sophia Loren popped a cute curl right at the end of the hair.

1960: Stacked Updo

Unlike the neat, polished updos of years prior, women opted for messier, imperfect styles to achieve a sexy look.

1961: Pageboy

A little softer and more flattering than the unfortunate '90s bowl cut, actress Hayley Mills and other stars donned this round chop with smoothed-under tips.

1962: Bouffant

As one of the most influential figures in fashion, First Lady Jackie Kennedy Onassis popularized this voluminous style.

1963: The Beehive

Women saw the likes of the Ronettes and Brigitte Bardot piling hair atop their heads to reach as much height as possible.

1964: The Bob

Ah, the bob. After initially popping up in the '20s, Vidal Sassoon reinvented it during the mid-'60s, making it chic again among stylish women.

1965: Five Point Cut

Taking the same bob a step further, Sassoon popularized the modern, geometric look on women including Mary Quant.

1966: Long and Straight

As hippies influenced mainstream style, women flocked to copy the ever-trendsetting Cher by wearing their hair long, straight, and silky.

1967: Short and Natural

While many black women wore wigs over their hair, Cicely Tyson famously went natural during her role on East Side/West Side, prompting women everywhere to cut their hair short in imitation of the actress' gorgeous look.

1968: Mop Top

Hey — the Beatles loved mop top styles, so why wouldn't women love 'em, too? Here, Julie Driscoll rocks a super-straight, shaped cut.

1969: Modern Bouffant

Starring in Julia, a role that made her the first black actress to have her own TV show, Diahann Carroll helped propel this chic, voluminous style to popularity.

1970: Long and Center-Parted

After 1970's Love Story starring Ali MacGraw and Ryan O'Neal became the hit of the year, women started rocking center-parted straight styles.

1971: The Shag

After hairstylist Paul McGregor cut Jane Fonda's hair into this funky short-and-long style for the 1971 film Klute, women began asking their own hairdressers for this unisex look.

1972: Afro

As more black women began wearing their hair in natural styles (as opposed to relaxed or covered with a wig), Pam Grier and her voluminous curls became one of the decade's most iconic looks.

1973: Cornrows

Actress Cicely Tyson once again inspired a beauty trend by wearing her hair in cornrows for her role in Sounder, leading the braided style into popularity.

1974: Loose Waves

As one of the decade's most recognized models, Lauren Hutton's glamorous waves inspired many women to try flowing, loose locks.

1975: Voluminous Curls

While some women preferred defined waves, many women desired a curlier, more voluminous style like that of supermodel Beverly Johnson.

1976: Wedge Haircut

Designed by Trevor Sorbie — a protégé of Vidal Sassoon himself! — the wedge style featured a triangular silhouette that cut off right around the ears. Olympic figure skater Dorothy Hamill helped popularize the style after winning the gold medal in 1976.

1977: Bleach Blonde

Bringing punky hairstyles into the mainstream, Blondie singer Debbie Harry rocked a shaggy, bleached look.

1978: Farrah Waves

Farrah Fawcett and her unforgettable hair on Charlie's Angels inspired countless women to highlight their hair and blow it out into full, sweeping waves.

1979: Spiky Punk Hair

Musician Siouxsie Sioux and her goth-meets-punk style brought wispy, all-over-the-place hair into popularity.

1980: Edgy Shag

Jane Fonda may have put shag on the map, but Joan Jett's long, razored style made it a must-have for trendsetters and rock lovers everywhere.

1981: Topknot

Now a lazy day staple for women everywhere, actresses and models like Iman helped bring this style to the beauty sphere.

1982: Asymmetrical Updo

Admit it: If you grew up in the '80s, you wore this gloriously unbalanced hairstyle at least once.

1983: Girl-Next-Door Hair

Brooke Shields and other "All-American girl" types inspired women everywhere to grow their hair long and give it as much volume as possible.

1984: The Mullet

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.

1985: Wrapped Up

The original Queen of Pop, Madonna's hair helped define the '80s — including this teased 'do wrapped up by a headscarf.

1986: Crimped

Another unfortunate trend of the '80s, crimped hair found its place in society and stuck around on and off throughout the 1990s.

1987: Red Ringlets

When Molly Ringwald showed up with her glorious mess of red curls, the world fell in love.

1988: Feathered Bangs

Among other stars, Sarah Jessica Parker rocked this incredibly '80s do, inspiring American women to follow suit by teasing their bangs and perming their locks.

1989: Gelled Curls

Continuing the trend of heavy product use, Julia Roberts and other celebs gelled their curls for a slick-down style.

1990: Regal Short Cut

Ever the trendsetter, Princess Diana influenced women of the world to go short with her famous crop created by hairstylist Sam McKnight.

1991: Tumbling Updo

Glam supermodels including Cindy Crawford popularized over-the-top updos with face-framing pieces.

1992: Grunge Hair

As one of the biggest names in the early '90s grunge music scene, Courtney Love's messy bleached locks inspired tons of teens and twenty-somethings to try a wilder style.

1993: Box Braids

As a result of her style as the starring role in 1993's Poetic Justice, Janet Jackson inspired women to wear their hair in long box braids.

1994: The Rachel

By now, we all know that Jennifer Aniston secretly hated the style that launched a thousand (or a million) haircuts: "The Rachel." Still, it's impossible not to feel nostalgic over the Friends star's famous cut.

1995: Butterfly Clips

Okay, so the '90s featured a few style mistakes, not the least of which was the butterfly clip trend. Yikes!

1996: Wild Streaks

Leave it to the Spice Girls — especially daring member Geri Halliwell, a.k.a. Ginger Spice — to lead millions of girls to beg their moms and dads to let them get streaks in their hair of bright red, orange, pink, and other colors.

1997: Spiky Pixie

The '90s saw a chic, edgy style of pixie come into focus after Winona Ryder debuted her cool look in 1997.

1998: Pigtails

Why, oh why, did pigtails on adults come back? Two words, one name: Britney Spears.

1999: Two Front Strands

There may not be an official name for this style, but everyone in the '90s was guilty of it: Two tiny strands, just lingering at the front of the face.

2000: Face-Framing Highlights

Leaving behind the crazier styles of the '90s, the 2000s started to see more wearable colors and cuts like Beyonce's wavy, honey blonde hair.

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Sam's enthusiasm for makeup is only rivaled by their love of all things relating to cats. In their spare time, they enjoy watching scary movies, putting avocado on everything, and seeing how many shades of the rainbow they can dye their hair before 30.