The classic cult-favorite sitcom Friends is widely loved for many reasons. But for fashion and beauty aficionados, the plot, jokes, and love triangles were not the main motivations for tuning in weekly and eventually binge re-watching. The style, hair, and makeup choices of the female leads provided more than enough entertainment and inspiration for a generation and beyond — especially Rachel Green’s hairstyles. Played by Hollywood darling Jennifer Aniston, Rachel served as inspo for those who love preppy-chic fashion. But the character’s biggest contributions were her ever-so-bouncy hairstyles.
In the show’s 10 seasons the character went through a variety of lengths, styles, and even colors — from a short flippy bob, to the voluminous inverted lob she became known for, and even a tousled wavy look very similar to Aniston’s own natural texture.
Though the show ran from 1994 to 2004 any hairstyle Rachel wore could easily fit in with today’s beauty zeitgeist — which makes sense as 2021 through 2022 have seen somewhat of a ‘90s trend resurgence. Lead hairstylist for the show was Richard Marin though Chris McMillan is Aniston’s longtime hairstylist in real life and was responsible for ‘The Rachel’ haircut. Each look was an extension of Aniston’s own personal style at the time but also perfectly captured Rachel’s bubbly, preppy suburban girl essence with each hairstyle, while also reflecting the character’s growth throughout the seasons, and providing endless inspiration for generations to come.
Below see some of the iconic character’s best hairstyles.
Layered Choppy Bob aka ‘The Rachel’
What would become known as the ‘Rachel Haircut’, this piece-y layered bob sported by the character in season two of the series, is known for its volume and choppy layers. Sitting right above the collarbone, with a slight inward flip, and face-framing highlights, this look is as Rachel as it gets.
Voluminous Blowout
Many people may not recall this look from the early seasons of the show, but it truly is so memorable. The length, the volume, the highlights, and the layers all worked together for a va-va-voom meets girl-next-door look that is essentially Rachel’s whole vibe.
Flippy bob
Ah, the quintessential ‘90s flippy bob. While Rachel wasn’t the only character to sport this look on the show, her version was arguably the best — complete with long face-framing bangs, an early version of today’s ultra-popular bottleneck bangs.
Long & Dirty Blonde
One of her more luxe hairstyles, Rachel opted for long silky stands in her signature dirty blonde color while working in the corporate office at Ralph Lauren. The hairstyle served as the perfect anchor for the character’s all-American, preppy working woman aesthetic that season.
Wavy Lob With Curtain Bangs
This style could work just as well in 2022 as it did in 2002. Curtain bangs seem to stay in the trend cycle, and for good reason. The chic cut works on virtually every face-shape. Paired with this wavy lob, Rachel is the picture of effortless beauty.
Straight Layered Lob
Towards the end of the show, Rachel’s hair fell nicely just below her collarbone in an angled, layered cut that the It girls of today are constantly replicating. Not to mention her golden locks made the style that much more polished and covetable.
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