Jane Fonda's Hair Evolution
From 1960s film comedian, to '80s work-out star, to hilariously relatable on "Grace and Frankie," Jane Fonda has been gracing our silver screen.
The model-actress-activist has maintained a staple look while varying her hair style. Comfortable in layered looks and bangs, Fonda has adapted her favorite styles to new trends or cuts throughout the decades. From her iconic '80s workout looks, to her red carpet gowns, and even her staple red coat during the "Fire Drill Fridays" climate change protests, we can only wish to look as good as Fonda throughout our lives.
The 83-year-old has had quite the fun experimenting with different looks, opting for both long and short hair, dark and light colors, and straight and curled hairstyles. All of this comes secondary to her award-winning performances over the years, and we've been lucky enough to witness her hair transformations. So whether she's walking the red carpet or getting arrested at a climate protest, this is Jane Fonda's hair evolution.
Workout-proof blowout curls
When Fonda first started gaining fame in the '80s with her workout videos, she did so with an iconic headband and flawlessly blown out curls. The bouncy blowout had just the right amount of movement for the videos and had just the right amount of volume to give us all hair envy (via Byrdie). In her then-signature dark brunette color, Fonda's hair was seemingly sweat-proof as it maintained its bounce throughout her exercise routines.
The blowout curls were also a Fonda staple before her workout video fame. In the late 1960s, while living in France with beau Roger Vadim, Fonda also rocked the curls. This time, Fonda stuck to a side-swept look in her natural honey blonde that looked effortlessly chic (via Prevention).
While her hair may be shorter now, the 83-year-old continues to keep up with her fitness routines. During the early lockdown and quarantine of 2020, she even created TikTok workouts to get everyone, from the youths to the elders, up and moving.
Bang bang bang
Throughout her years Fonda has pretty consistently maintained a stylish set of bangs. Side-swept or middle-parted, straight or curled, Fonda surely knows how to keep bangs interesting.
Starting in the 70s, Fonda embraced the punk-rock look by going for straight brunette bangs. It was with this look, alongside a mullet-inspired cut, that she sported when she won her first Oscar for her role in "Klute" in 1971 (via Prevention). Two years later, after her divorce from Vadim, she let her hair grow out as she protested the Vietnam War and rocked the middle-parted bang look. "I didn't realize this haircut was going to be so iconic — I just thought, 'I can handle this on the front lines,'" she told ELLE.
By the '90s she'd adopted a newly voluminous bang look. Soft-set and brushed to one side, Fonda's bangs are easy to recreate with a set of hot rollers. Pull them up and continue getting ready as they set, before spraying them with hairspray to ensure the volume lasts (via Byrdie). Though she isn't afraid to experiment with a shaggy look to the bangs, the effortlessly swept look has remained a favorite of Fonda's.
Never go wrong with layers
Fonda is clearly a fan of texture and movement in her hair. Throughout her different cuts, the actress-activist has always relied on layers to add dimension to her hair. Sometimes she'll add the layers in the form of choppy cut, opting for an edgier look. At the 64th Cannes International Film Festival (above) Fonda went back to blonde and rocked a choppy bob with outward-facing layers (via Prevention).
For a more romantic look, Fonda has kept her hair longer and added face-framing layers. At the premiere of her 2014 film "This is Where I Leave You," she kept her shoulder-length hair straight and added layers with her side-swept bangs. The softer style complemented her facial features and created an approachable look to offset her sheer black dress and statement earrings (via Byrdie).
Even when rocking her silver pixie cut at the 4k revival of the 1972 docufilm "FTA," she kept the layered approach (via Byrdie). Even within the silver, highlights and lowlights added dimension to Fonda's short cut, with layers beautifully framing her face. She kept up with the silver layers later throughout the 2020 quarantine and rocked a silver lob (a long bob) at the 2021 Golden Globes (via ELLE).
Updo galore
While Fonda's simpler haircuts and looks may be what she's noted for, she's also been known to grace events with an elegant updo or two. Not letting the short hair stop her from embarking in the world of updos, Fonda is quite the fan of a romantic updo with wispy, face-framing hair. Although she's drawn to the effortlessly romantic look, she's been known to also opt for some tighter looks.
At the premier of "Our Souls at Night," Fonda paired a black-collared gown with a french twist (via Byrdie). Tight at the nape of the neck and a slight lift at the crown, Fonda did not compromise volume for elegance.
Following her romantic streak, Fonda wore an intricate braided updo to the 68th Cannes International Film Festival. The mixture of pinned-up sections and loosened wisps, the updo achieved the perfect balance between done and undone (via Byrdie). The front featured loose face-framing hairs that were curled to add a dose of classic romance.
To finish it off with an edgier look, Fonda rocked a super sleek high ponytail with straightened bangs in the 2017 Emmys. Paired with a bright pink gown, the look proved that you can never be too old to be wearing extensions (via Love Hairstyles).