Can you believe it is 20 years since 1997!? Here is a look back at the hottest hair trends from that year…

The Double Bun

This style is the epitome of the 1990s, a whimsical take on the traditional bun but with an edge that quickly made its way into pop culture, grunge bands and music icons of the decade. 1997 showed no sign of this trend slowing down, bringing out the fun side of the 90s whilst grabbing attention with an avant-garde look. Gwen Stefani rocked this particular look with ease – its a simple matter of volumising double pigtails and wrapping them with a discreet hair doughnut. Simple, fun, and edgy!

The Rachael

Potentially the most asked-after hairstyle of the 1990s, ‘The Rachel’ premiered on TV screens in 1994 with the launch of the sitcom Friends and in particular, Jennifer Anniston’s Rachel Green. This do launched a thousand lookalikes, swept through hair salons and onto Hollywood red carpets. It’s definitive choppy layers, highlights and notoriously difficult maintenance meant this was a style that was admired, revered, but never topped. Arm yourself to the teeth with frizz-ease and a pair of ghd straighteners as you attempt perfect flicks that stylishly frame your face.

The Spice Girl

As soon as the Spice Girls made their debut in ‘94, raising the flag for ‘girl power’, Cool Britannia and dumping the rule book on ‘boy’bands, the Spice Girls’ fashion and hairstyles were as loved as much as their music. Their definitive personalities – Sporty, Scary, Baby, Ginger and Posh – brought along definitive hairstyles through ‘97:

  • Posh’s blut bob
    One of many styles that Posh Spice rocked over her time as a Spice Girl, the blunt bob accentuated her no-nonsense attitude, middle class background and stylish designer outfits.

  • Scary’s voluminous curls
    Flaunting her beauty with tight curls and highlights, Scary’s boisterous attitude was matched by her exotic curls that draped her neck effortlessly.

  • Baby’s blonde bunches
    Emma Bunton played up to her Baby Spice persona with blonde bunches and ponytails, dolling up on stage and 1997 had her showing off her sleekest, shiniest locks.

  • Ginger’s flicks

    Following in the footsteps of “The Rachael”, Geri Halliwell’s auburn, ginger, red and blonde highlights matched her Union Jack dress perfectly. In a world of dark browns and blondes, Ginger Spice kicked things up a gear into exciting layered reds.

  • Sporty’s sleek ponytail

    The signature strong woman had a signature sleek ponytail that always matched her elegant and powerful look. It was a simple yet classy style that told women that even in 1997, a well-made ponytail never goes out style.

The Curtains

For men’s dos in the 90s, there was nothing more decade-defining than the curtains. Everyone from Johnny Depp to David Beckham and Leonardo Dicaprio would be rocking this particular look: a longer style, centre-parted and possibly highlighted or frosted for extra punch, or given a dishevelled look with a quick tousle and mousse.

Will they be back?

There’s a certain amount of 90s nostalgia coming to salons across the country. Some of these beloved styles – like curtains for men and The Rachael for women – maybe won’t come back in true 90s form, but seeing these styles with a 2010s twist would be great to see.

We would love to see what hairstyle you were rocking in 1997… click the button below to head to our Facebook wall and share a pic with us :)