It's official: Your favorite old-school haircuts are making a comeback. With an influx of so
many retro haircuts and styles, there's never been an easier, or better, time to switch
up your look. From the "Castle" to the "shingle" bob, these are all the old-school haircuts
that are coming back.
In the 1950s, the "Italian haircut" reigned supreme. Stars like Sophia Loren sported this
chic, loosely curled pixie-type style. The style also earned a "'bad girl' reputation,"
after Rizzo from Grease debuted the style. Lena Horne and Audrey Hepburn also embraced
the no-fuss pixie in the '50s. In the '60s, the pixie cut was still popular, but it hit
the height of its popularity in 1966, thanks to model Twiggy's haircut.
The pixie's popularity eventually waned, but Harper's Bazaar revealed the old-school haircut
to be one of the most popular haircuts for 2020. Stars like Zoe Kravitz and Jurnee Smollett-Bell
have been spotted with the pixie. The Coach Spring 2020 show also featured models with
a fun 'do.
The bob has a surprisingly controversial history. It's known for being the rebellious flapper
look of the 1920s. Irene Castle, a ballroom dancer and fashionista, sparked a craze when
she was the first well-known woman to chop off her locks. Women had to go to barbershops
to get a bob because their hairdressers wouldn't cut their long, feminine hair. Once hairdressers
decided to start giving this haircut, thousands more hairdressing shops opened up in just
a few years' time. Everyone wanted to get their hair cut into a "Castle bob."
As it happens, the bob is having another a moment. Actress Laura Harrier wore her bob
with textured, voluminous waves to the 2020 Golden Globes and, at the end of 2019, model
Kaia Gerber posted a photo on her Instagram that showcased her super-short bob. Actress
Lucy Hale has also flaunted a fun old-school bob.
The old-school shag haircut uses lots of layers to add volume and frame the face. This look
is often shoulder-length, but it can work equally great with shorter hair. It has a
reputation as a hairstyle for the rebellious and adventurous. Jane Fonda was one of the
first famous ladies to wear it in the 1970s. You can see her rocking the iconic haircut
in the 1971 movie Klute. Singers Joan Jett and Debbie Harry continued the trend of the
shag haircut into the 1980s, and actress Meg Ryan brought the shag back into the '90s.
Jumping to modern times, Taylor Swift debuted her shag haircut in 2019 and Alexa Chung continues
to rock a shaggy 'do as of this video.
Farrah Fawcett's feathery waves found fame in the 1970s. Similar to the shag, feathered
haircuts are usually layered, but the ends are soft and fine instead of blunt. Fawcett
often wore the old-school style with her locks flipped out, but the hairdo is especially
obvious when layers are curled inward. In the 1980s, even Princess Diana tried the feathered
look on for size.
While you may not have imagined the style coming back, Southern Living predicted that
the lengthy, feathered style will be big in 2020. Paris Hilton and Tyra Banks have been
seen wearing their hair like Farrah Fawcett.
We've all had side bangs, right? It was probably the most popular hairstyle of the early 2000s.
Celebrities like Lauren Conrad and the Olsen twins showcased this look, along with pretty
much any Disney Channel actress on TV at the time.
Interestingly, the old-school style is making a comeback. In January 2020, Taylor Swift
graced the cover of British Vogue wearing a chic tweed jacket and, you guessed it, side
bangs. Versace's Fall-Winter 2020 show featured models with deep side bangs as well.
If you're interested in giving it a try, Good Housekeeping recommends applying glossing
serum to your bangs for a polished look. Adding hairspray will stop them from getting in your
eyes and, if you don't feel like wearing your hair down, side bangs can also soften the
look of an updo. Not to be confused with an updog.
"What's updog?"
"Nothing much, what's up with you?"
"... OH! Haha."
In the 1930s, curled short bangs became popular. These wispy bangs were a stark contrast to
the "Dutch boy" haircut of the 1920s, which featured bluntly cut, heavy bangs. In the
1950s, baby bangs came back on the scene; Audrey Hepburn wore them with her pixie cut
in Roman Holiday. Fellow actress Natalie Wood styled her bob with baby bangs during the
decade as well. Short fringe continued into the 60s, and were often worn with a pixie
cut like in the '50s, or with the beehive hairstyle, according to Allure.
Whether you're a big fan of tiny bangs or not, Good Housekeeping declared in late 2019
that baby bangs were officially coming back. In September 2019, Little Women star Eliza
Scanlen donned a pixie cut with short fringe as did actress Alison Sudol, some three months
later.
"Cool! Cool, eh?"
"Yes, it's just what I wanted."
The lob, aka the long bob, is obviously a trendy haircut these days, but it's not a
new trend by any means. This old-school long bob goes back to the 1930s, when actress Jean
Harlow wore hers in bouncy curls. A decade later, Vivien Leigh wore her hair in a lob
and victory rolls (the signature style of the '40s) in Gone With the Wind. In 1958,
actress Rita Hayworth wore her curly hair in a lob similar to Harlow's and, in the '1960s,
Dorothy Dandridge also embraced the lob.
In the '70s, Diana Ross went with the lengthy bob. Rock queen Debbie Harry even had one
in the '80s and Karyn Parsons from The Fresh Prince of Bel Air styled her curly hair into
a lob in the '90s. Yes, pretty much every decade had its iteration of the lob, and that's
not expected to end any time soon.
These days, celebrities from Hailey Baldwin to Gabrielle Union have rocked the lob. Obviously,
this style has stood the test of time. Lobs are especially flattering on round faces,
but the length of this cut looks good on everyone, and it's easy to maintain.
Long layers can be found on many characters in many early 2000s TV shows, like Summer
Roberts from The O.C. and Rory Gilmore from Gilmore Girls. In 2010, Cosmopolitan awarded
Angelina Jolie's long layers with the honor of being one of the "best hairstyles of the
past decade."
The love for long, layered hair didn't stop there. Celebrity hairstylist Andrew Fitzsimons
told Entertainment Tonight that this look is hot for 2020, especially for waist-long
hair. In late 2019, the stylist posted a photo of Kourtney Kardashian and her long layered
hair to his Instagram. Kourtney's sister Kylie Jenner, who shares the same hairstylist, appears
to have taken to this look as well.
The flippy, short hairstyle from the 1960s has been popping up on various high-profile
celebs in 2020, from Jennifer Lopez and Cardi B. Flipped ends can be worn with a variety
of haircuts, but medium-length cuts are especially similar to the 1960s style.
One of the first women to rock the look was Sophia Loren. In 1965, she wore her lob with
the ends flipped out for the movie Operation Crossbow. Another '60s actress who wore her
dark blonde hair similarly was Lesley Gore. This style reached all the way to the White
House: First Lady Jackie Kennedy famously had flipped ends.
For a modern twist on this look, you can take some inspiration from Kim Kardashian and wear
a high ponytail with flipped ends. A full ponytail that hits your shoulders gives the
illusion of a shorter cut, so this version of the style is great for long hair.
1960s sex symbol Brigitte Bardot wore her full bangs cut in the curtain bang style.
Old-school curtain bangs are traditionally parted in the middle and frame the forehead.
In the 1970s, Goldie Hawn also embraced the fringe cut in this manner.
This classic style was brought back into the mainstream in 2020. Camila Cabello wears her
hair with playful curtain bangs, as does Kacey Musgraves. To get the look for yourself, keep
in mind your hair texture. Experts advise applying a leave-in conditioner and then blow-drying
the hair in either direction so that it frames the sides of your face. Lastly, spray it with
hairspray so it sets.
Hairstylist Emily Heser pointed out to Glamour that curtain bangs can be worn several ways.
They can be cut short or you can keep them longer in order to have the option of clipping
them back. Curtain bangs are thankfully a little easier to get out of the way than traditional
bangs.
The 1970s featured lots and lots of round afros, aka the "lion cut" because of its similarity
to the big cat's mane. Back then, actresses like Tamara Dobson and Pam Grier showed off
their stunning natural curls in movies and iconic '70s singer Diana Ross was also known
for her big, bold afro. Disco was popular in this decade so ladies often donned curls
as part of their look.
Disco may be dead, but these old-school afros are not. Zendaya resurrected the style at
the Met Gala in 2017. Actresses Jessica Williams and Tracee Ellis Ross have also rocked a rounded
'fro. Celebrity hairstylist Irinel de León confirmed to Entertainment Tonight in January
2020 that not only have rounded curls begun gaining popularity, they will continue to
be trendy.
The expert also emphasized the importance of using hydrating shampoo that doesn't contain
sulfates or alcohol so that your style stays healthy and polished. And, while hair might
already grow this way, your hairdresser can shape it for you if not.
Bobs were super trendy in the 1920s and there were many variations of the haircut. The "shingle
bob" was one of those variations. It was a bob that had varying lengths; it started out
shorter in the back and got longer toward the front. In the 2000s, a longer version
of this look became trendy. Similar to the shingle bob, the "lob" iteration can be shorter
in the back and gradually lengthen at the front.
According to Allure, a take on the old-school bob is back in style. Instead of being shorter
in the back and longer in the front, though, 2020 calls for the haircut to be longer on
one side of the head and shorter on the other side. The shorter side is often tucked behind
the ear and the hair is parted toward the longer side. Demi Lovato has been spotted
wearing her dark hair in this cut, and so has fellow celeb Lucy Hale.
Hair that's one length and free of layers can look sleek and chic. Take it from Meryl
Streep, who wore her hair this way in the '70s. Maureen McCormick also kept her hair
at just one length for her role as Marcia Brady in The Brady Bunch, which was popular
in the early '70s. Perhaps most famously, '70s star Cher styled her raven hair in one
long length.
Old-school, one-length hair is in fashion again, according to Allure. Kim Kardashian
is a fan of the sleek style, as is Awkwafina. No layers means that this cut is easy to put
into fun updos without worrying about pieces coming out of place. It also grows out well
without needing much maintenance in between.
Is there a haircut that has ever been more famous than "The Rachel" cut? Ladies of the
'90s loved this Friends haircut so much that it became requested in salons all over. And
yet, the woman who started it all, Jennifer Aniston, actually hated this haircut. She
told Glamour that the old-school haircut was challenging for her to style without a hairstylist
there to help.
The Rachel is an ultra-layered cut that's similar to a shag haircut. The ends are curled
under toward the face to frame it. Even though Aniston didn't love the look, it seems that
this style is back for 2020. Hairstylist Adel Chabbi told Allure,
"Why do we like it so much? Mainly, it gives a lot of movement to a haircut, creating a
fabulous [look]."
It's flexible, too, since this cut can be styled to look bouncy or it can be left alone
to look more casual like a shag cut.
Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus, even more List videos about your favorite
cuts are coming soon. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss
a single one.