If there's one thing I have learned through writing about hair trends for over 10 years it is that everything really does come back around. Everything from hair colour trends to of-the-moment haircuts move in and out of fashion in constant cycles. And recently, while I was looking into the upcoming spring hair trends, I realised something—with a move towards more classic looks, there are some key iconic hairstyles that truly never age.
Trending bob hairstyles, from the square bob to the bouncy bob, are all just modern takes on an iconic style. And the same goes for colour trends, too—everything from copper hair to lowlights and highlights have been around for decades.
And this got me thinking. Although I'm constantly writing about trending hairstyles, the truth is, the looks that really deliver and dominate the trend circuit are the ones that possess a certain element of timelessness. I can round up all of the most beautiful hairstyles of the moment, but nothing really compares to the original inspiration.
So, if you're looking for a hairstyle that will continue to look chic and elegant for years to come, take my advice: use any of these iconic hairstyles as inspiration.
1. Birkin Bangs
Style Notes: Fringe hair trends come and go, but Birkin bangs are forever. The name Jane Birkin epitomises everything that French style has come to stand for—nonchalant, effortless chicness—and her piecey, wispy fringe still sets the precedent for bangs far and wide.
The Hero Product:
Created by fellow French icon, Violette, this powdered dry shampoo can be brushed into bangs to absorb excess oil and deliver a lived-in, slightly dishevelled look.
2. Jackie Bob
Style Notes: With bouncy bobs firmly back on the style agenda (not that they ever really left), the "Jackie" '60s bob, complete with voluminous waves and a shedload of volume at the roots, is one of the most elegant short hairstyles ever worn.
The Hero Product:
This hot brush dries hair and creates unparalleled volume and lift at the same time.
3. Alicia's Braids
Style Notes: Braids have been worn for for millennia, but in the modern day, Alicia Keys has become somewhat of a braid icon, thanks to her ever-changing styles and looks.
The Hero Product:
This nourishing, lightweight gel is great for keeping braids and twists hydrated and set without any unwanted crunch.
4. The Rachel
Style Notes: Before there were wolf cuts and jellyfish cuts, layered haircuts were soft, subtle and versatile. And, the truth is, layers and feathering are still used in most hairstyles to create movement and volume. Jennifer Aniston's "The Rachel" might have defined the '90s, but its impact on modern-day looks will live on for eternity.
The Hero Product:
GHD's Platinum+ Styler is, in my opinion, still the most effective and impressive hair straightener on the market.
5. Supermodel Hair
Style Notes: Our on-going collective quest to achieve '90s supermodel-esque hair via the best volumising hair products is in part down to the impact of Cindy Crawford's trademark volume. Consider this one of the original forms of the modern-day bouncy blowdry.
The Hero Product:
A great set of heated rollers, like this, is one of the best tried-and-tested ways of achieving supermodel-esque bounce and height.
6. Disco Curls
Style Notes: We can thank Diana Ross for a plethora of iconic beauty and style moments, from thick statement lashes to cat-eye liner, but it is perhaps Ross' loose disco curls that have made the greatest impact. Similar styles still look every bit as chic today as they did in the '70s, as more people continue to lean into the natural texture of their hair.
The Hero Product:
This hydrating lotion doesn't just smell divine, it also helps to nourish and activate your natural curl pattern for beautiful definition.
7. Princess Crop
Style Notes: If "The Diana" isn't referring to Ross' disco curls, it's referring to the crop cut of Princess Diana. More modern iterations of this look embrace a slightly edgier approach to styling, as seen in this season's dolce vita crop, but the core foundations of Diana's iconic style remain.
The Hero Product:
The secret to a soft and fluffy crop, like Diana's, is volume at the root, and this spray is one of the very best ways to achieve it.
8. '70s Lengths
Style Notes: I'm not going to try to hide it, Cher is my personal hair icon. Her super-long and super-glossy hair, worn in a middle parting, is everything I strive for. Sure, short hairstyles might be having their moment, but '70s-esque, relaxed lengths will never not epitomise cool. The secret to this cool-girl look? Keeping a slight natural wave in thinned-out ends.
The Hero Product:
Hair this long requires regular brushing to prevent breakage, and this detangling brush isn't just one of the most effective around, but also the most beautiful.
9. Shaggy Bob
Style Notes: There can only be one queen of the shaggy bob cut, and that is Debbie Harry. The shag haircut has slipped in and out of fashion for decades, but this choppy, sliced bob, complete with bleached lengths and a root smudge could easily belong in any of the past four decades.
The Hero Product:
Any lived-in, fringed shag hairstyle requires texture, and this 2-in-1 volumiser and texturiser is widely considered the best way to achieve it.
10. Polished Pixie
Style Notes: Audrey Hepburn might have debuted her pixie cut way back in the '50s, but this short hairstyle hasn't fallen out of favour since. While choppy pixie cuts have since surfaced, the key to this look is polished layers that are pulled forward over your hairline and set into place.
The Hero Product:
For a glossy, polished finish, your pixie cut can be set with this Elnett formula, specially created to boost shine.
11. Honeyed Balayage
Style Notes: When balayage really took off in the early 2010s, Beyoncé's honeyed lengths became the style everyone wanted to copy. And while many of us thought the hand-painted colouring technique would prove a quick micro trend that leant itself to the lived-in aesthetic of the time, I can officially confirm we were wrong. This warm, balayaged style continues to be a go-to for people the world over.
The Hero Product:
Keep your blonde balayage warm, honeyed and syrupy with this hair gloss treatment.
12. Bardot Bangs
Style Notes: French women have really led the way when it comes to fringe trends throughout history. If wispy Birkin bangs aren't your thing, then perhaps Brigitte Bardot's curtain bangs are. Worn in a middle parting and swept out to the sides, hair stylists often recommend allowing your hair to air dry with your fringe tucked behind your ears to achieve the style without heat.
The Hero Product:
Apply this air-drying cream to just-washed hair and tuck your centre-parted fringe behind your ears for effortless Bardot bangs.
13. Picked-Out Afro
Style Notes: It would be a crime to discuss iconic hairstyles and not talk to the impact that Angela Davis' afro has made on history. As a prominent U.S. Civil Rights activist in the 1960s, Davis wore a picked-out afro during a time in which straight and fine European hair wasn't just the ideal, but also the norm. Pedestaling her natural hair texture as a Black woman in the public eye made a political statement that resonated with Black women throughout the wider Western world, and paved the way for natural texture to be embraced without fear for decades to come.
The Hero Product:
A plastic, wide-toothed pick, like this one, minimises the chances of pulling, catching and snagging as you comb your hair through.
14. Carrie Curls
Style Notes: Sarah Jessica Parker (and Carrie Bradshaw) was the hair icon of the late '90s and early '00s thanks to her long, curly, balayaged look—and this was before the term balayage was in our daily lexicon. The desire to nail those slightly dishevelled, rolled-out-of-bed curls paired with a thrown-together yet painfully chic outfit is still, undeniably, present in 2025.
The Hero Product:
Incorporating this conditioning hair mask into your wash-day routine can help you save on styling time in the morning. You'll find your curls are soft, defined and volumised after just one use.
15. Dirty Blonde
Style Notes: When I asked the Who What Wear UK office what they define to be the most iconic hairstyles ever, at least three editors shouted the name "Sienna Miller" in my direction. Miller's dirty blonde colour paired with a root smudge and her piecey style has come to define the cool-girl, bohemian look of the late '00s and 2010s that we still see underpinning a lot of our hair choices in 2025.
The Hero Product:
The beauty of this look is that it is supposed to look lived in. This dry shampoo from Olaplex absorbs oil at the root and delivers a gentle texture that doesn't leave hair looking matted.
16. Fluid Lengths
Style Notes: The difference between Naomi Cambell's fluid lengths and Cher's aforementioned '70s style is in the super-straight, liquid nature of the look. With a poker-straight, high-shine finish, Campbell's hair has a liquid aesthetic that looks seriously expensive.
The Hero Product:
Ask any celebrity hairstylist around and they will agree that this high-shine finishing spray is the secret to red-carpet gloss.
17. Roberts Red
Style Notes: In recent years, we've seen cowgirl copper, cherry-cola and pumpkin-spiced hair dominate red hair colour trends, but Julia Roberts' curly copper hairstyle in the '90s has proved entirely timeless. Not quite red, not quite brunette, not quite blonde, this hair colour is one of the softest and most versatile around.
The Hero Product:
Dyed red hair is notoriously difficult to maintain, but this colour-boosting conditioner makes things much easier.
18. The Twiggy
Style Notes: If Twiggy's iconic crop had debuted in 2025, we might have called it a bixie cut due to its longer length. Sitting somewhere between a bob and a pixie cut, this side-parted crop is still favoured by celebrities thanks to its refined elegance and versatility.
The Hero Product:
The key to this look is in its sleek finish, and this wax stick will take care of any flyaways you might face.
19. Fawcett Blowout
Style Notes: It is impossible to think of voluminous hair and not have images of Farrah Fawcett's iconic blowout come to mind. The shaggy cut comprised of different layers all being blown away from the face and flicked out at the ends. Because of this look, Fawcett is considered to have been in possession of, possibly, the best head of hair in history.
The Hero Product:
While Fawcett's look was no doubt created by the hands of an experienced hair stylist via a blow dry, this air styler means you can achieve the look at home with minimal expertise.
20. Piecey Pixie
Style Notes: While Hepburn's polished pixie cut was all about neat ends and clean lines, Halle Berry's piecey pixie offers a more wearable, everyday take on the popular cut. Styled with volume at the roots and flicked-out ends, the overall look is both softer and edgier all at once.
The Hero Product:
A texturising pomade will help add volume at the roots, while also creating that piecey hair look.
21. The Shaggy Mullet
Style Notes: Tina Turner was a trailblazer for many different hairstyles throughout her long career, but has probably become most associated with this shaggy, mullet-inspired look. While so many shag haircuts in the '70s were worn in short, straight styles, Turner's crimped, rockstar look embraced an edgier approach that went on to define '80s hair trends.
The Hero Product:
Laying the groundwork for this look starts with a super-volumising, thickening mousse, like this one, applied to wet hair before blow drying.
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