21 Hairstyles That Defined the '90s

As Ryan Murphy’sAmerican Crime Storyhasreacquainted mod audience with the 1995 O.J. Simpson run , we ’ve also been introduced to another unerasable vista of the earned run average : bad ' 90s hairsbreadth . The nationalfascinationwith prosecutorMarcia Clark ’s atrocious permwas one of the biggest hairsbreadth - interrelate stories in a decade delimitate by we - can’t - believe - that - in reality - materialise hair minute .

permit ’s take a look back at the perms , the layers , the fade , and the bob , plus Hillary Clinton ’s prep - school headband , Gwen Stefani ’s miniskirt fanny , and every Nickelodeon hotshot ’s compulsion with butterfly clips while we ’re at it .

The Don’t Give a Fuh Prince Valiant

Johnny Depp , Keanu Reeves , and River Phoenix all gambol this ' do in the other ' ninety , hop to one day star in their own version of Tom Cruise’sLegend .

The Middle Part From Hell

Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Rider Strong made it all right for kids on their respective sitcom . Jon Stewart bridged the gap for adults while sporting it onShort Attention Span Theater . David Beckham slip away it on to the jock . But , no , that ear lobe - distance middle part thing never work . Jon Hamm is our dwell proof .

The Jack Dawson

WhenTitanicbecame the highest - grossing movie of all time , Leonardo DiCaprio’sBop - approved haircut became its own bit of ' ninety ephemera . This was every other cool surfer dude look gone right on – too down on his luck to get a haircut , too packed into the golden proportion to ever look anything less than perfect . God , it even calculate good frozen in the Atlantic Ocean ! Pure dark illusion .

The Caesar

Two thousand class after it was all the rage , George Clooney revive this clean slash while on the pop dramaER . One thing all doctors love : you do n’t want hair to strike across your languorous eye while performing CPR .

The Sinead O’Connor Bald

The Irish singer ’s shaved skull was unfeigned revolt , exaggerate the fragility of her hit single " Nothing Compares 2 U , " and welcoming derision ( the full of it : " The Sinatra Group , " where Phil Hartman refers to O’Connor impersonator Jan Hooks as " Uncle Fester " ) . We ’d all remember who did it first when Demi Moore adopted the facial expression in G.I. Jane .

The Hillary Clinton Headband

It is n’t well-to-do to be a woman in the public eye , something that Hillary Clinton has known for decades . Back in the ' ninety , the first lady ’s hair was almost as much a source of national enchantment as her husband ’s bedfellows ( well – close , but no cigar ) . The medium constantly criticized the first lady ’s ever - germinate ' do , reserve peculiar invective for herbeloved , so - preppy - it - hurts headbands .

The “Hit Me Baby One More Time” Pigtails

There have been almost as many incarnation of Britney Spears as there have been of Madonna , but we ’ll always have a soft touch for " … babe One More Time " Britney , and the way she see when she first bounded onto the scene and into our nerve back in 1998 . Her debut single made Brit - Brit an international superstar and launch a decade of iconic looks , start with the demure , elevated schoolgirl pigtails that were a double-dyed match for her fresh - faced , innocent girl - next - door theatrical role ( although neither would last for long ) .

The Hi-Top Fade

Some of the most iconic ' doh of the ' 90 were really carry - over from the late ' eighty , and that ’s in spades the case with the fade sway by Kid ' n Play in the 1990 hitHouse Party . There ’s no better bet to help you pull ahead adance - off .

The Rachel

IfFriendsis the quintessential ‘ 90 show , and Jennifer Aniston the quintessential ' 90s golden daughter , then " The Rachel " is the essence of the decade distilled into haircut form . The iconic look , which debuted on the show ’s twentieth episode , became an external champion and turned Aniston into an unimpeachable elan ikon , as char across the macrocosm flocked to their stylists clutching magazine clippings of Rachel Green ’s floaty , multi - hue layered lob ( even if Aniston herself could n’t put up the thing ) .

The Marcia Clark Perm

Throughout the 1995 O.J. Simpson murder trial , prosecutor Marcia Clark ’s perm became a source of fascination and derision for the imperativeness , who devoted almost as many words to her dreadful ' do as they did to the dupe themselves ( if you guessed sexism was a factor , you would be correct ) . When Clark eventually ditched the bottle screw curls mid - run , it was front - page news , evidencing the inane and out - of - control media carnival into which the “ trial of the century ” had devolved .

The Fluffy Mullet

The go - to look for whiny situation comedy small fry , roided - out pro wrestlers , and Miley Cyrus ' dad , the fluffy mullet had some body to it . Get out of here with your Joe Dirt mullet .

The Elaine

While not the most style - forward show of the decade , few appearance remain as consociate with ‘ 90s style asSeinfeld , whose work party of lazy narcisssists embodied the normcore look way before normcore was a thing . Leading the pack is Julia Louis Dreyfus ' Elaine Benes , whose singular rumpled look – crowned by a mane of brassy frizz swept up into a front pouffe – is an inherent part of her IDGAF heroine condition . Along with Keri Russell and Sarah Jessica Parker , Elaine was a beacon for the girls with " a big wall o ' hair’s-breadth ” in a sea of silklike manes .

The Ramen Noodle Hair

In a bid for reputability , Justin Timberlake later turned his back on the look that made him a ' 90s heartthrob . It ’s OK , Justin : we ’ve dumbfound thetrading bill of fare .

The Brandy Braids

From her essential UPN sitcomMoeshato the iconic"The Boy Is Mine"video , Brandy ’s braid secret plan was always strong . Just reckon at her accept us back to those simple times when Ray J was just a goofy kid and not , uh , this guy .

The Cool Guy’s Pompadour

Popularized byBeverly Hills 90210 ’s Jason Priestley , this was the hairstyle that said , " you may trust me , miss . Let ’s go hang out at the Peach Pit . " But beneath all that product , there was usually a heart of gold .

The Hanson

The Brothers Hanson took tweens by violent storm with " MMMBop , " repair shoulder - pasture hairstyles in the process . Too bad most pubescent boys forgot the vital trick to make this look appeal : shampoo .

Angela Chase’s Red Dye Job

There are few actions more dramatic than a dyestuff job for asserting your independency as a adolescent , andMy So name Lifestar Angela Chase ’s crimson hair’s-breadth struck a chord with like - minded viewers trying to shock their parent and equip in with edgier new friends . " When Rayanne Graff told me my hair was holding me back , I had to listen , " Angela told us in her stylemark affectional vocalism - over . " ‘Cause she was n’t just talking about my whisker , she was talking about my life . " Feelings !

The Head Full of Butterfly Clips

The ' 90s were molest by a butterfly stroke infestation , as the cute critter derived most of theirstrength in numbers . The clips ' ubiquity impel strangely architectural styles into mode .

The Coolio

Apologies to Weird Al , but only Coolio could pull this one off .

The Baker’s Dozen

Gwen changed up her hair always , but there ’s no doubt ( drab ) that these baby buns were her most memorable style .

The Felicity Curls

Keri Russell set herself ( and Felicity ) asunder from the ruck of ' XC WB starlets with her unruly curls . So Felicity ’s gift barbershop head trip in season two was the snip heard ' round the world – even though many blame the change - up for the series ' ratings decline – and Keri carried the effortless pixie into the new millennium .

Rachel Green Played By Jennifer Aniston in Friends