The '80s have a not-so-great reputation for being a bad decade for hair. It tends to evoke memories of crimped curls, over-the-top mullets, and some extremely regrettable perms. And, to be fair, we did see some of that in the '80s. But we also saw a refreshing attitude towards hair volume, cool ways to style our bangs, a full-throated approval of waves and curls, and some more subdued versions of those big hair moments we remember. We also had an improved ability to change up our look more often, and our biggest celebrities (like Janet Jackson and Daryl Hannah) showed us exactly how many styles we could be capable of. Below, the best '80s-style haircuts you could emulate today.
Ellen Burstyn
Ellen Burstyn, who was by now an established actor in the '80s, has had numerous iterations of her short hairdo over the course of her long career. This is an easy-breezy cut, and a great option for people with thin, fine hair who don't want to have to get a trim every four weeks.
Jami Gertz
Actress Jami Gertz, of The Lost Boys and Sixteen Candles, had the biggest, bounciest, most brushed-out curls imaginable. But she sometimes wore it in a more "subdued" way, like this. If you like the "frizzy" look, this gently curled version is a great place to start.
Shelley Long
Shelley Long's hair was big, bouncy, and blonde in the '80s, making this pretty strawberry hair ever more surprising. I like it; it's still got some of her curls, but it's a much softer iteration. Plus, the volume on top is minimal but you still get some through the body.
Cindy Morgan
The actress, whom you probably know from Tron and Caddyshack, had a magnificent '80s hairdo (Cindy Morgan was one of the decade's signature blondes, in fact). This version is a darker, more natural color, with the front pieces curled gently to frame her face.
Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields is nearly 20 here and would have been in the show biz industry for a long time at this point. She's rocking a more adult, grown-up version of her signature brunette cut, with the front pieces pulled back in a half-up, half-down hairdo.
Glenn Close
When you think about Glenn Close in the '80s, your mind likely goes to her Fatal Attraction character (whose curly hair was—sigh—a sign of her instability). This softer version, while Close was attending the 1985 Academy Awards before Attraction even came out, is a glorious, layered curly bob.
Salt-N-Pepa
Salt-N-Pepa had a huge influence on casual, accessible street style (see also: their branded jackets and matching performance-wear). While the bright blonde might not be for everyone, the shaved sides and voluminous curls are still deeply cool to this day.
Sharon Stone
Sharon Stone changed her hairstyles according to the character she was playing: sleek and straight in the various thrillers she starred in, wild and curly in Total Recall. This photo, from the '80s while Stone was still on the rise, is a midway point between the two.
Diana Ross
Diana Ross went through quite a hair evolution during her time as a star. In the '80s, she wore her natural hair more and more, going big and bold in the process with this iconic shape. Granted, if you wear your hair like this, people will immediately know who your inspiration is, but is that really so bad?
Phoebe Cates
Phoebe Cates (Fast Times at Ridgemont High, the Gremlin movies) was known for her long, luxurious brown hair—so when she cut it into a choppier bob, it was a more mature and grown-up look for the star. The blunt, bang-free cut is still such a cute look.
Jennifer Gray
This is not the cut we most associate with Jennifer Gray—that would be the hair she had during Dirty Dancing, which is also on this list—but it's still pretty great. It's probably a cut called a "bixie," mixing the best parts of the bob and a pixie cut.
Farrah Fawcett
Farrah Fawcett really switched up her hairstyles in the late '70s and '80s—the "Farrah flip" had become so ubiquitous in the '70s that it's pretty inextricably linked with that decade. So in the '80s, Fawcett went curly, showing that her tresses were capable of more than just her signature 'do.
Sigourney Weaver
Our action queen, Sigourney Weaver managed to balance the "soft" femininity of her curls with the gorgeous strength of her features. This is so, so close to being a mullet, but just misses it thanks to the longer layers in the body. The female mullet is great, but if you'd rather not, just don't go too short on the sides.
Jamie Lee Curtis
Before she got her (very '80s) pixie, Jamie Lee Curtis had longer hair. This is probably a holdover style from the '70s, with the side bangs and bouncy curls—which makes sense since this photo was taken circa 1980. But it's a flattering style no matter what decade we're in.
Debra Winger
Actress Debra Winger had great curls. She often wore it like this, with varying degrees of layering and volume throughout, but usually with the curly bangs in front. Your mileage may vary on '80s-era bangs, but keeping the hair in its natural texture helps from making it look dated.
Tiffani Thiessen
It felt like every teen girl wanted to look and dress like Tiffani Thiessen's character Kelly Kapowski from Saved by the Bell. Kelly had very long, very '80s layers, but Thiessen's shorter and more face-framing cut is the modern iteration we should all strive for in our post-big hair eras.
Ally Sheedy
Admittedly, this is a very '80s hairstyle. But I actually don't mind this on Ally Sheedy, who's standing backstage at the 1987 MTV VMAs (and thus is wearing an extremely trendy cut for the time). Bring some of the front layers back instead of brushing them forward, and we're in business.
Kim Basinger
Kim Basinger has iconic hair in Batman. End of story! You can ignore the overly curled bang—it hasn't really had longevity past its popularity in the '80s—but if you've got the time, tools, and hair for it, these '50s-inspired waves are gorgeous.
Phoebe Cates
With her signature haircut, Phoebe Cates had a blend of youthful energy and sweetness. The bangs are a little side-swept and the impressive layering throughout gives her hair some bounce. It's a great "casual cut" if you don't want to do a ton to your hair every day.
Mariama Cartillier
Model Mariama Cartillier is displaying how to do a tightly curled hairstyle well (and without making it look dated in any way). It's got a cool shape without being huge, and there's a little curl in front to draw the eye downwards towards the face. Bonus: great earrings.
Molly Ringwald
Molly Ringwald's enviable red hair was often big and curly. I love this blunt banged bob even more, though, because it feels more modern. The thick, face-framing bangs and front layers keep it from feeling too dated; this does require more-than-average volume, so take note.
Kelly McGillis
Kelly McGillis in Top Gun inspired a whole generation of curly-haired women. It was a nice mix of styled and undone—some definition to her waves, in other words, but not so clearly defined as to look like she spent hours on it. Think: beach hair, but with curls.
Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson's big '80s hair was extremely influential and deeply cool—she wore it big and curly for her extremely successful “Control” tour. This is not quite so vertical, but it retains the '80s-style, deep side part and hair draped dramatically to one side of her face.
Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker's hair has been a thing of beauty for a long time. By her own admission, she has very wavy hair, so this look just requires 1) a similar curl pattern, 2) the Curly Girl method or similar to get as much definition as possible, and 3) the ability to resist the temptation to touch it once it's dry.
Jennifer Gray
A subdued version of Jennifer Gray's curly hair, this feels like a natural, unfussy cut (and, speaking from the perspective of someone who's had a similar hairdo, it grows out really well). With too many layers it might give you intense volume, but it would take a lot to obtain a truly vertical '80s 'do.
Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Pfeiffer is giving "'70s but make it a little more modern" here. Honestly, this feels not too far away from Farrah Fawcett's famous feathered fringe (say that three times fast), just with more curls through the body. It looks great—she could even have kept the bangs curly, as well.
Carole Bouquet
"Bond girl" Carole Bouquet had long, flowing hair in For Your Eyes Only—it was an important part of the sharp shooter's character. This short, shoulder-length version makes use of that impressive volume and has only a minimum of layers; it's not feasible for everyone, but if you have this type of hair, it's a great cut.
Whitney Houston
Whether it was with weaves, braids, other types of extensions, or her naturally curly hair, Whitney Houston really leaned in on volume in the '80s. This shape is so cool: a bob with some strategic layers, it is neither totally triangular or entirely circular.
Jessica Lange
This floaty, ethereal pixie on Jessica Lange is such a great short cut when styled correctly. The key is not to lean too heavily into the volume; let the pieces fall where they may, and don't make too much of an effort to keep it looking "styled." A few flyaways are fine!
Maryam d'Abo
Maryam d'Abo was the Bond girl in The Living Daylights (the one with the cello). She had a great blunt bob in the film, and this slightly more voluminous version is just as chic. It's got to be face-framing, though, so make sure you follow your jawline if you get a similar cut.
Daryl Hannah
Daryl Hannah had a bunch of curly and crimped cuts in her heyday (most notably as the mermaid in Splash). This sleek cut looks great on her, though—it's a still from the movie Reckless—with just a dash of '80s magic in the deep side part and "swoosh" in front.
Courteney Cox
Long before Friends, Courteney Cox was playing bit parts in TV and movies, including as Michael Fox's girlfriend in Family Ties. There's something so effortlessly classic about this cut; it feels quite '70s-inspired with the full bangs and front layers, but with a little more volume on top to remind you what decade you're in.
