The Evolution Of Jennifer Aniston's Hair
There's no getting away from the fact that Jennifer Aniston is a trendsetter — from the moment she barreled into the coffee house on "Friends" sporting a wedding dress and chic, stylish bob, her hairstyles — and of course, her fashion sense — have been deemed iconic. According to Elle, Aniston is renowned for her diverse range of hairstyles, from her beach-inspired waves and choppy bobs to hair extensions and slicked back ponytails. In just 30 years, Aniston has sported over 50 different hairstyles.
When asked which hairstyle she loved the most, Aniston told Glamour that her "long, natural-looking beachy waves" felt the most authentic to her. She also explained that while everyone else loved her iconic "Rachel" cut, she wasn't ever a fan.
"I was not a fan of the 'Rachel.' That was kind of cringe-y for me. Looking back — honestly, even during that time — I couldn't do it on my own," she said. "I needed [my hairstylist] Chris [McMillan] attached to my hip. Left to my own devices, I am not skilled with a hairbrush and blow-dryer."
So how has Aniston transformed over time, and what hairstyles has she opted for most often? We've got all the answers.
How did Jennifer Aniston's hair evolve in the 1990s?
As per Vanity Fair, prior to her starring role on "Friends," Jennifer Aniston played Jeannie Bueller in the 1990 NBC series "Ferris Bueller," which was based on the 1986 movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." According to Elle, in this role Aniston sported mid-length, straight, dark locks. Aniston's next iconic haircut is the style that every "Friends" fan thinks of as being the iconic Rachel look, aka Aniston's choppy bob, which debuted in early 1995. While fans loved this look, in 2011 Aniston told Allure, "I think it was the ugliest haircut I've ever seen."
Later in 1995, Aniston sported a longer bob cut that was sleeker and more chic, and described by hair stylist Chris McMillan as his famous "Rachel" haircut. In 1996, as her layers began to grow out, Aniston took to straightening her hair, making her bob cut look longer and sleeker. By 1997, Elle reported that Aniston was sporting a long bob, worn either straight or naturally wavy. During this time, Aniston also wore her hair in a sleek chignon style on occasion.
For Aniston, 1999 was a year of hair experimentation, starting with ringlets at the premier of "The Object of My Affection," moving onto a butterfly clipped hairdo at another event, followed by a tousled, beachy style at the 1999 Emmy Awards.
This is how Jennifer Aniston was styling her hair in the early 2000s
Cue long hair, because by March of 2000, Jennifer Aniston was sporting a longer hairdo thanks to hair extensions, as noted by Elle. But in the blink of an eye, Aniston changed up her look — by the end of 2000, she had her long locks chopped into a blunt bob, which she wore wavy. Just a year later, Aniston had returned to wearing a longer, angled style that she was famous for in the mid-1990s.
For her first Emmy win in September of 2002, Aniston sported a mid-length, curly haired style that was all kinds of boho-chic done right. But just a couple months later in the January of 2003, Aniston had added lots of layers to her hair, creating a longer, choppy style which on occasion she would pull back into a glossy ponytail, as she did at the Golden Globe Awards. Flash-forward a year and the "Friends" actress was seen with a fresh new look that featured choppy bangs and lots of layers. By February of that 2004, she'd grown her bangs out and created a subtle side fringe.
Thought we were done with the hair evolution? Think again. By October of 2005, Aniston had slightly trimmed her tresses and was wearing her hair in voluminous, shiny waves. 2006 was another year of experimentation, as she wore her hair in a range of styles, from poker straight to a wavy ponytail. The following year, Aniston opted for a sleek, long layered do and by 2008, she once again had bangs, which she adapted slightly over the next year.
How did Jennifer Aniston wear her hair in the 2010s?
Only someone with the iconic hair and fashion influence like Jennifer Aniston could get away with switching up her look so often, but as you may have guessed, the 2010s saw a number of different looks for "The Morning Show" star. As noted by Elle, 2010-Aniston featured honey-blonde gentle waves, cut to just below her shoulders. By November of that year, Aniston sported a slightly longer cut complete with long layers. By mid-2011, Aniston had jumped on the "lob" trend and cut a good chunk of her hair off. By the start of 2012, Aniston had grown her hair slightly longer and changed the color to a darker tone (honestly, we just want to know what vitamins she's taking to make her hair grow so fast).
By the middle of 2014, Aniston had chopped her tresses once again, this time into a bob, and darkened her hair to a honey brown tone. By November, she had once again lightened her hair into a more blonde-hued do. Over the next two years, Aniston returned to mid-length, honey-hued locks, only to lighten her blonde color shortly after. In 2017, Aniston once again returned to honey-hued hair, and by 2018, had chopped her tresses into a shorter, choppier look.
And finally, when she starred in the hit series "The Morning Show," Aniston emerged with a new wavy hairdo.