Hair wear the 90s and 00s
November 12, 2014Hair wear the 90s and 00s
The 90s and 00s and how hair wear has changed – or has it?
The early nineties carried eighties trends through for the first few years. Hair styles changed gradually however, with the ubiquitous scrunchies still holding its own and hair bobbles making a comeback for grown-ups.
The big, big pony tail
1990s ponytail
Thick, wavy ponytails were worn high and to the side, or high up on top of the head. Bantu knots were tiny curly buns worn all over the head,and long plaits worn to the side and held together with a scrunchie were popular. Buns were also worn at the top of the head with the rest of the hair loose. A hat worn on the back of the head with the hair falling out at the front was a brief trend, as were “alien” buns worn at each side of the head.
bantu knots
Big hair and straight hair
We saw the DIY and the pageboy bob, big hair worn to the side and volumised, and of course the Rachel cut. Gradually, volumed hair gave way to poker straight hair in Europe with hair straighteners becoming more widely used. Grunge brought dirty hair, and skater hair is best forgotten, with brutal centre partings for the boys, and ironed hair worn with bandanas, hoop earrings or the dreaded sideways baseball cap.
skater
Complicated ponies and zig zag hair knots…accessories we’d rather forget
Apart from hats, bobbles and scrunchies, the 90s also saw snap in hair clips in different colours, bandanas and small butterfly clips. Hair claws, zig zag hair bands, and topsy tails that helped you to pull a pony tail through the back of the hair were popular, for a short time thankfully. Using the topsy tail involved using a piece of plastic with a loop to pull your hair through the rest of your hair at the back, and would only be achieved once you’d come close to fracturing both your elbows with the strain. Once removed, zig zag hair bands had usually taken at least half your hair with it, lying on the bathroom floor, stretched out of shape, with dead hair knots tangled in its teeth.
assorted-plastic-zig-zag-hair-clips-4-pack
In to the noughties
With the rise of reality TV, we had fake tans and “scouse brows,” ombre or solid colour hair. While some still straightened their hair, afro slowly came back for a more natural look and a break from the damage hair straighteners had caused.
As the 2000s went into full gear we saw straight hair gain momentum and as we reached the 2010s onwards we saw the arrival of slim fit clothes and a return to grunge and skater fashion. Plaits evolved into the fish plait and volumised hair worn to the side evolved into long hair worn to the side with the opposite side shaved above the ear.
The pony, the bun and the wave of the mermaid…
Today,looks from the 90s have evolved into newer, fresher styles. The pony tail is still alive and kicking, but worn glossy and slick with centre partings – or finger waved at the front. Pony tails create the illusion of plaits with elastic bands worn at intervals down the back of the hair (stock up on elastic bands for this!). Ballerina buns are big and rather than being worn at the top of the head, they’re worn at the back, with a wet look, or the illusion of messiness– so keep a good stock of hair grips and bands.
Mermaid waves with the hair hanging loosely down the shoulders and back with a side or centre parting are in keeping with a natural look and are reminiscent of the Pre-Raphaelites.
So we may not go back to the days of those wild and childlike hair accessories now, in favour of something more subtle, more natural – but if you really can’t live without zig zag hair bands and claw grips, then why not? After all fashion is always about reinvention, that’s why we love vintage so much. So if you want a scrunchie evening – please go ahead.
dramatic-bun
1970s-Afro Hairstyles-for-Women
Brooke Shields in ‘The Blue Lagoon’
Mermaid waves 1
