If you’ve picked up a magazine, kept your eye on the red carpet, visited your stylist, or kept up with the the LAYER Blog in the past year – you know that bangs are the hottest accessory for your hair. Celebrities are sporting them from left to right in a variety of styles inspired by years past. Follow along as we take a peek at 5 decades worth of bang evolution.
1970’s-Feathered Fringe
70s hair icons Pam Grier, Cheryl Tiegs, Farrah Fawcett, Jane Fonda, Stevie Nicks
Feathery locks, layers, and uneven cuts were iconic ’70s hair and bang styles. Recognize some of these looks? You should because a lot of styles worn today are inspired by this time period. Jane Fonda looked fabulous in straight, brow-skimming bangs, Cheryl Tiegs opted for the subtle, wispy look, Farrah owned the side-swept feathered bang, and Stevie Nicks and Pam Grier (when she wasn’t rocking that power ‘fro) lived on the edge with an uneven trim – all styles still widely popular today.
1980’s-Punk Rock Power Bangs
80s hair icons Tina Turner, Paulina Porizkova, Madonna, Joan Jett, Debbie Harry
Grab your electric guitar and hairspray for this decade! The ’80s exuded punk rock and had the hairstyles to prove it. Tina Turner and Madonna owned the sky-high hair and bangs look, which inspired many fans across the globe to go big. Take a peek at your parent’s yearbook for verification! Rocker babes Joan Jett and Debbie Harry opted for a little less volume, but a lot more edge with choppy, uneven cuts, while supermodel Paulina Porizkova pulled off flawless brow-skimmers.
1990’s-Sky-High to Sophistication
90s hair icons Drew Barrymore, Gwen Stefani, Tiffani Amber Thiessen, Naomi Campbell, Candace Cameron
The early ’90s had a hard time letting go of the sky-high 80s bangs! (Ahem, Kelly Kapowski and DJ Tanner!) America’s favorite TV sweethearts were perfect examples of ’90s power bang enthusiasts, and were rarely spotted without amped up fringe. The mid to late ’90s began to transition into a more sophisticated look, with blunt and choppy brow-skimming bangs gracing the faces of starlets Drew Barrymore, Gwen Stefani, and Naomi Campbell. The ’90s were definitely a hefty dose of awkward in the hair department, but the best is yet to come!
2000’s-Side-Swept & Brow-Skimming
hair icons of the 2000s Beyonce, Britney Spears, Heidi Klum, Jessica Simpson, Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Richie
The 2000’s were a game-changer in the bang department. The awkward ’90s stage was behind us, and beautiful bangs blossomed in its wake. The side-swept bang was HUGE in this decade, and was sported by the likes of Jessica Simpson, Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Richie, you, your best friend, that girl in your Algebra class, and so on. Eye-brow skimming fringe also remained a popular style, but a little more edgy and a little less blunt. These styles were just a preview of the great styles to come.
2010’s-The Big Bang Frenzy
bang hairstyles Kim Kardashian, Katie Holmes, Emma Stone, Camilla Belle, Jessica Biel, Jennifer Hudson
bang hairstyles Zooey Deschanel, Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Reese Witherspoon, Mena Suvari
Bing Bang BOOM! Bangs are hotter than ever in the 2010s! Wispy, blunt, long, straight, side-swept, choppy – they are all popping up over Hollywood’s hottest heads. Today’s trendiest bangs are inspired by years past, but with a little more knowledge behind them. We now know that certain bang cuts can conceal signs of aging, that certain bangs work best on different face shapes, that a certain bang style looks best with a specific hairstyle, etc. Stylists keep these factors in mind when perfecting their bang craft, and the result is the gorgeous hair that starlets and women alike are flaunting today.
Bang history does repeat itself, but we have come a long way since it all began. We are seeing a resurgence of inspired looks with modern twists, and are excited for the future of our favorite hair accessory.
A wise friend of Napolean once said, “I like your bangs.”
