Listicle: 10 haircuts that defined the look of the time

To be a young woman in the 1990s is to have spent hours in the bathroom with a hair dryer and round brush, coaxing shoulder-length (possibly balayaged) hair into the voluminous face-framing, layers that Jennifer Aniston had on Friends. Hairstylist Chris McMillan’s layered bob (He called it a lob, ugh!) allowed for movement but still held its shape. Aniston admits that even she couldn’t style it without help. How could her mere-mortal fans?

On any other head, this middle-part, curtain haircut would seem like the styling was done in prison, with only a bowl for a guide. But on boy-band heartthrob Nick Carter’s blonde locks, it was a pop-culture moment. Young men asked for it. Befuddled hairdressers obliged. The men ended up less attractive than before. Except Chris Hemsworth, who tried it recently. Even Nick’s curtains can’t cover his cuteness.

Frankly, this is all anyone remembers from the OG Charlie’s Angels show. Celebrity hairstylist Allen Edwards’s flipped-out waves, dirty-blonde, glossy, flying away from Fawcett’s face, would have been impossible for any real-life spy to maintain. Working women and housewives spent hours with their hair in heating pods, hoping to replicate Fawcett’s look of confidence and liberation.

Middle part. A little greasy. Ending thickly around the ears. A scowl to match. Khan’s role as Radhe Mohan is inseparable from the hair. Stylist Aalim Hakim told interviewers at the time that the look added depth and symbolised Mohan’s inner pain and intensity. What it did was get Bhai fans to mimic the look, scowling through the grease and inevitable forehead breakouts.

She wore body-hugging kurtis and popularised winged eyeliner back when stylists were unheard of in cinema. Then, in Love in Simla (1960), she debuted forehead bangs inspired by Audrey Hepburn and suggested by her husband RK Nayyar. It was all the rage -- it let Indian women to keep their hair long but still sport a stylish new look. Bonus: It hides a large forehead, as it did for Sadhana.

The story goes that Winehouse asked her hairstylist Tracey Cahoon for a beehive. Cahoon gave her the most badass one she could. The rest is history. It referenced the mod and soul vibe of the ‘60s and set her apart from the sexy-but-simple hair of the 2000s. A backcombed bouffant on top,wisps in the front. Loads of winged liner to balance the look. It became so iconic, designer Karl Lagerfeld did a beehive-themed show in 2008.

Part your hair down the centre all the way to the back. Tie two low ponytails near the earlobes. What could go wrong? It worked for Simran’s bubbly, youthful character. On everyone else, it was a test of hair quality – the style makes no allowances for frizz, flyaways, split-ends or a flaky scalp. Even Kajol stops wearing it as the film progresses. Why bother once you’ve snagged your Rahul?

Fun fact: George Lucas took inspiration from the hairstyles of Southwestern Pancho Villa women revolutionaries in Mexico. It’s a fuss-free style, befitting a warrior. Leia‘s unconventional cinnamon-roll-like side buns are so recognisable, they show up in cosplays, in Halloween costumes and fan art. But they’re only popular with real women on galaxies far, far away.

First of all, Veronica is a goddess. The hair is just part of the sophisticated package. The voluminous puff at the crown adds height (Deepika is already tall). Supported with a ponytail or loose waves, it’s boho-glam without looking retro. Hairstylist Gabriel Georgiou’s style made many women in India carry extra clips in their bags to secure the puffs. And it made volumising mousse a beauty staple.

Jay Gatsby gets the girl. He also gets the best hairstyle. Even today, YouTube tutorials on recreating hair designer Kerry Warn’s decadent, glam, side-swept, slicked-back look from the 2013 film have a steady stream of viewers. It’s not easy. Too much gel and it looks like a wig. Too little and that wave falls apart. Our tip: Use a light serum, blow dry to set, pray.