BEAUTY

The Most Iconic Hair Moments of the 1990s


Courtney Love

Gone were the blowouts of the 1980s; in their place, the 1990s brought forth a new cadre of iconic hair styles that assumed their rightful place on stage (Gwen Stefani, Courtney Love, Whitney Houston) or on camera (Lisa Bonet, Jennifer Aniston). From Friends to Sliding Doors to Madonna’s “Bedtime Stories,” here are the most iconic hair moments of the ’90s.

1

Demi Moore

When the tears streamed down from beneath Moore’s heavy mopsy-topsy fringe in Ghost, crying became an acceptable form of flirtation.

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2

Lisa Bonet

Dreadlocked, corn-rowed or naturally curled, the oldest Cosby kid embodied street cool.

Photo by Images/Getty Images.

3

Gwen Stefani

Glamour and bad-ass were never so seamlessly interwoven. Whether in mini pigtails all over her head or coiffed in a Forties set, Stefani’s hair and scarlet pout competed for icon status.

Photo by Sam Levi/WireImage.

4

Gwyneth Paltrow

She had her locks shorn for her role in Sliding Doors, but it was kind of adorable how the style twinned her with then-fiancé Brad Pitt, right down to the highlights.

Photo by The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images.

5

Sinead O’Connor

Her shaved head turned O’Connor into such an ethereal beauty that wonders why it took three decades for another Brit (Ruth Bell) to remind us how lovely peach fuzz can be. Do we blame G.I. Demi? Or the Pope?

Photo by Martyn Goodacre/Getty Images.

6

Courtney Love

The queen of grunge not only made pinafores cool, she was also the poster child for smeared lipstick and bottled blonde. Maybe pinafores will come back first.

Photo by Terry McGinnis/WireImage.

7

Madonna

Madge’s platinum “Bedtime Stories” waves brought to mind an updated version of Bert Stern’s “The Last Sitting.” Or maybe it was just the bedsheets.

Photo by Getty Images.

8

Kirsty Hume

Before Bessette or Paltrow, Hume was the one who brought ’70s Long ’n Silky waist-length locks back into vogue.

Photo by Steve Eichner/WireImage.

9

Whitney Houston

We can thank Ms. Houston for making both scrunchies and turbans stylishly acceptable hair accessories.

Photo by Michael Zagaris/Getty Images.

10

Jennifer Aniston

All these other ladies aside, the entire decade could really be summed up in two words: The. Rachel.

Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank.