Most Popular Hairstyles Of Every Decade

Retro is in! Not only, but also on our heads. The last few decades have all produced their own trends and hairstyles, which we are only too happy to learn from today. Be it for the next theme party or simply because you think a special decade is really great - here you will find the most popular hairstyles from 1920 to today!

The 1920s: Marcel Wave

It's not for nothing that the 1920s are also called the "Roaring Twenties". Economic and cultural development in Western countries was at its peak and life was booming, especially in cities like Berlin, London, Paris, Chicago, and New York. Jazz bars, art deco, and flapper girls shaped life - and the look on the heads of women.

A short bob haircut with water waves or the slightly longer Marcel wave was particularly popular in the 1920s. The Parisian hairdresser Francois Marcel Woelffle not only invented and patented the technique of curling hair with curling tongs, but we also have him to thank for the first electric curling iron. With one of these, you can still miss the Marcel Wave today. You can find out how in this YouTube video.

Style icons of the 1920s: Coco Chanel, Josephine Baker, Greta Garbo

The 1930s: Pageboy with Pin Curls

In the 1930s, hairstyles got a little longer again but still remained quite tomboyish. One of the most popular hairstyles is the pageboy - often combined with the so-called pin curls. With the Pagenkopf or Pageboy, the approximately shoulder-length hair is straightened and the ends are rolled inwards. A big fan of this hairstyle was a movie star, Ginger Rogers. For her style on the picture above - from the film "Vivacious Lady" - you also put a pin curl at the height of the ear, which is placed upwards and backward.

Style icons of the 30s: Ginger Rogers, Marlene Dietrich, Jean Harlow

The 1940s: Victory Rolls

Even if the fashion in the 1940s was not as playful as in the previous two decades with shoulder pads, rows of buttons, and blazers and appeared more masculine, the hairstyles became a good deal longer and therefore more feminine. World War II had a major impact on the lifestyle of the time, and so it is a wartime aerial maneuver that gives its name to the decade's most popular hairstyle: Victory Rolls.

The hair is cut off at the top of the head – similar to the half-up hair, which is still popular today. Here the top hair is now pinned back in voluminous rolls. There are many variations in this hairstyle, in terms of the number of victory rolls or the styling of the bottom hair.

40s style icons: Katherine Hepburn, Ingrid Bergmann, Rita Hayworth, Lauren Bacall

10 Decades Of Hairstyles During the 20th Century (2023)

The 1950s: High ponytail with a hairband

On the one hand, the 1950s are characterized by a more classic role model in which women no longer assume the more emancipated role of wartime, but rather that of a housewife and mother. On the other hand, there is – especially among the younger generation – rock 'n' roll, pin-up girls, and above all one hairstyle: the high ponytail!

In the 50s it was often combined with a short fringe and a colored hairband.

50s style icons: Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly

The 1960s: Beehive

When it comes to the biggest sex symbols in cultural history, after Marilyn Monroe, Brigitte Bardot has to be mentioned pretty quickly. The French woman showed off her hot curves in many films in the '60s and was also one of the biggest fans of the most popular '60s hairstyle: the beehive!

You can see pretty quickly what the hairstyle has to do with a beehive. Whether in a braid or with half-down hair that is only tied together at the top of the head - the back of the head impresses with a lot of volumes. Therefore, for this hairstyle, it means either backcombing as much as you can or using a hair pad.

Style icons of the 60s: Brigitte Bardot, Twiggy, Sophia Loren

The 1970s: Center parting

In line with the hippie movement and its “flower power” motto, hairstyles in the 70s also became very natural. Long, loose hair with a center parting – perhaps adorned with a flower crown or necklace. Ready! If you wanted something a little more impressive, you could blow-dry your hair out in big outer waves à la Farrah Fawcett.

'70s style icons: Farrah Fawcett, Jane Fonda, Cher

The 1980s: Perm

Break out the hairspray! The hairstyles in the 80s were as colorful and flashy as the fashion. Perms, volume, clips, and braids - the more at once, the better! If you want to recreate the look but don't want to commit to a perm, a hair crimper is your best friend! Then tease everything well throw it on one side of the head and fix it with lots of hairsprays - done!

Style icons of the 80s: Madonna, Cindy Lauper, Nena, Tina Turner

The 1990s: "The Rachel"

In the '90s (and yes, we're probably at a time when you've sported one of these hairstyles too) it became one thing above all else: cute! Braids, butterfly clips, space buns or simply pulling your hair out of your face with bobby pins: hello, girlie look! But we would like to highlight one hairstyle from this decade. Because many of us went to the hairdresser in the 90s and wished for "the Rachel".

Jennifer Aniston as Rachel in the series "Friends" caused a real hype about her short layered haircut. But a little secret on the side: As Jen later revealed in an interview, she thinks the hairstyle is pretty terrible in retrospect.

Style icons: Jennifer Aniston, Gwen Stefani, Cindy Crawford, Kate Moss

The 2000s: Block Highlights

By now we're all guilty of one of these hairstyles, right? At the beginning of the new millennium, we liked to wear our hair in feathery layers, with thin strands intended to “frame” our faces. We also rediscovered highlights. thick highlights. Like a skunk.

Style Icons: Britney Spears, Mandy Moore, Mischa Barton, Kelly Clarkson

The 2010s: Wavy Clavi Cut

Welcome to the now! We're in the 2010s right now and – as you've probably noticed by looking through it – we're happily rehashing the trends of the past decades. Well, at least a little bit. Today's looks seem a little toned down and even though many of us add variety to our heads with space buns, rainbow hair, and other color experiments, the most popular hairstyle today is probably: loose hair with natural-looking waves. Preferably as a clavi cut or long bob – half the length is super popular!

Style icons: Jennifer Lawrence, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, the Kardashian/Jenner clan