Best 90's Hairstyles We Loved

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 31 March 2015

As children of the '90s, we fancied ourselves guinea pigs for the hairstyles we saw on Nickelodeon, MTV, or courtesy of Dualstar. Whether it was styling our hair with kitschy accessories or adventures in crimping, we tried it all and have the embarrassing #TBT photos to prove it. To stoke our nostalgia, were looking back on the most ridiculously amazing hair trends of the '90s as worn by celebrities—because even they weren't safe from them.

Scrunchies

Once upon a time, a Miss Carrie Bradshaw denounced the scrunchie, claiming that no New York women would be caught dead out and about in one. Behold Sarah Jessica Parker, Bradshaw's creator and a born-and-raised New Yorker, wearing just that.

Butterfly Clips

Hair accessories are to the '90s what hairspray was to the '80s—and plastic butterfly clips were the most sacred of all. Whether used sparingly à la Kirsten Dunst or decorating the whole head, you could never go wrong with wings.

Crimping

Crimping irons have a bad rap, but star of Wayne's World Tia Carrere proves the wavy hairstyle can be chic. In fact, sawtooth curls have made waves on the runways of Chanel, Stella McCartney, Giorgio Armani, and Zac Posen.

The Half-Bun

The epitome of nonchalant '90s cool, Gwyneth Paltrow couldn't be bothered with a polished updo—she simply throws up her California blonde hair into a wispy half-bun, a look that's experiencing a revival at this very moment.

Twisty Pieces

A ballet bun? As if. Updos in the '90s were nothing if not spikey and topped off with twisted strands, as you can see here on Clueless icon Alicia Silverstone.

Raver Knots

No one did the '90s better than Gwen Stefani, due in large part to her neon double topknots. As of late, the look has been revived by Miley Cyrus and the Marc by Marc Jacobs Spring 2015 runway—but trust, no one can do it better than Gwen.

Hair Jewelry

Topanga, a.k.a. Danielle Fishel, managed to don practically all the '90s hair trends at once, including our beloved hair crystals applied in meticulous fashion.

Color Streaks

Picking up hair mascara at the mall without our parent's consent was our favorite way to go rogue back in the day. However, as far as recreating Christina Aguilera's badass color streaks went, it didn't fair quite so well for us.

The Hair Flip

Copying the Olsens was always a fail-proof way to be cool in the '90s. The twins took a page out of Drew Barrymore's book and helped popularize the girl-next-store flipped bob.

Bandanas

There are few things that make us more nostalgic for our childhood than a square bandana. Embroidered with a classic paisley pattern, they were the hair accessory. Today, they've experienced a comeback, but mainly worn tied around the neck. Sorry, Madge.

Lauren Valenti is Vogue’s former senior beauty editor. Her work has also appeared on ELLE.com, MarieClaire.com, and in In Style. She graduated with a liberal arts degree from Eugene Lang College, The New School for Liberal Arts, with a concentration on Culture and Media Studies and a minor in Journalism.