10 Popular Hair Styles from the 70s You Might Have Rocked

In the immortal words of the Hair musical: Hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair. The 70s was a time for follicle experimentation. Gone were the perfectly coiffed locks of the previous decade. Bee hives were out, and bold new styles were in. From the Fawcett feather to sleek, shiny hair with a center part, the 1970s gave rise to some of the most iconic hairstyles to date. If you were a young person in the 70s, there’s a pretty good chance you might’ve rocked a few of these looks. Here are 10 popular hairstyles you might just remember.

1. The Feathered Style

Before Jennifer Anniston and The Rachel, there was Farrah Fawcett and The Farrah. The feather bangs and voluminous curls became a part of the actress and model’s signature look. Soon, ladies everywhere flocked to salons, hoping to replicate Fawcett’s ‘do. “It changed the way women wore their hair because it was a new soft hairstyle and worked on everyone in some shape or form,” says celebrity stylist Ted Gibson.

2. The Afro

Black musical icons like Diana Ross and The Jackson 5 popularized the afro in the 1970s, but according to The Hair Routine, the hairstyle can be traced back to Ancient Africa when hair was used to define roles, status, and hierarchy within tribes. Popular with both men and women, many African-American entertainers rocked the style, including Jimi Hendrix, Marsha Hunt, and Prince.

3. The Shag Haircut

From Stevie Nicks to Jim Morrison to Joan Jett, many celebrities in the 70s embraced the shag haircut! This versatile style was actually created for actress Jane Fonda in 1971. “I simply said to [hair stylist] Paul McGregor, ‘Do Something’ and he did,” Fonda wrote in her autobiography. “It was the haircut that became famous in ‘Klute’, the shag, and he dyed my hair darker, like it really was. I looked like me! I knew right away that I could do life differently with this hair.” ⁣

4. The Shaggy Bob

While we often associate the ’70s with flowing tresses, it was also a time for short hair to shine! Anyone who lived in the decade remembers Debbie Harry, frontwoman for the popular band Blondie, and her signature platinum-blonde bob. It was Harry’s take on the shag trend, a ‘do that made her look both effortlessly stylish and ahead of her time.

5. Long and Loose with a Center Part

Who can forget Cher’s long, flowing locks? While the singer and actress experimented with many looks, none are quite so iconic as her gorgeous, stick-straight, waist-length hair. Cher herself agrees if a 2023 interview with Good Morning Britain is any indication. “I just can’t believe I will be 80 at some point, sooner than I wish, and I will still be wearing my jeans, and I will still be wearing long hair, and I will still be doing the same stuff I’ve always done,” the 78-year-old actress said.

6. Curtain Bangs

Curtain bangs have made a comeback in recent years, but you might recall when they first became popular in the ’70s. Celebrities like Olivia Newton-John rocked these shaggy, face-framing bangs that, according to some celebrity stylists, suit every face shape. “Curtain bangs are the gateway to bangs because they’re super versatile,” opines Emily Heser, a stylist at the New York City-based Cutler Salon. “They’re long enough to grow out or pin back if you want, but they can also be cut into a shorter look.”

7. The Wedge

Love it or hate it, The Wedge was one of the most popular hairstyles of the 1970s. Alternatively known as the Dorothy Hamill look, this breezy cut was invented by Vidal Sassoon protégé Trevor Sorbie in 1974. It exploded in popularity after figure skating champion Dorothy Hamill rocked it at the 1976 Olympics. The look was so iconic that it was part of the 2002 HAIRevolution Exhibition at a mall in Denver, Colorado.

8. Disco Curls

It’s only appropriate that the “Queen of Disco” herself, Donna Summer, sported the ever-popular disco curls at the height of the dance music craze. The “I Feel Love” singer’s hair was voluminous and bold, inspiring countless women to try and replicate her perfect ringlets. Like bellbottoms and crop tops, disco curls are coming back in fashion. If ever a hairstyle deserved a renaissance, it’s this one!

9. Sideswept Curled Bob

Bianca Jagger, ex-wife of The Rolling Stones Frontman Mick Jagger, was called a style icon for a reason. The Nicaraguan-born beauty pioneered the modern-day Italian bob that celebrity extensionist Priscilla Valles describes as “a blunt cut with face-framing edges, rounded to fall just about chin length depending on how you style it.” Did you ever rock the side-swept curled bob in the 70’s?

10. The Pageboy

The pageboy had actually been around since the 50s when English actress Joanna Lumley brought it to greater prominence in her role as Purdey on The New Avengers. “[Lumley] knew she wanted to bring a new look to the part, something to contrast against the fashionable long hair of the time seen on stars such as Farrah Fawcett,” wrote Kate Beavis from True Entertainment. “This had not been seen before, and Joanna had to work hard to convince the producers to go with it.”

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