There are so many great things about the ‘90s, but the hairstyles may be the exception. This list of classic ’90s hairstyles, many of them inspired by the hottest celebrities of the decade, is proof that some things are best left in the past. But mostly, it’s clear that what’s old often becomes new again. From Brandy’s braids to Missy’s waves, reminisce on these “hype” and “sophisticated” looks that (if you’re of a certain age) you remember dog-earing in your favorite black hair magazines.
Let’s be honest, bangs don’t work for everyone. But after Tyra Banks rocked them all over magazine covers, everybody sure thought they could. No one carried the flag for bangs like the supermodel.
If cut and styled properly they look gorgeous. The problems come when people try to do it themselves, ruining the front of their hair for weeks. While none of us are ever going to look like Naomi or Tyra, bangs have a habit of getting hot and cold, depending on which way the trends are blowing. They never really go out of style, they just get pushed to the back of the line.
If you watched A Different World, and wanted to be an activist like Freddie, the first step was doing the tight natural curls. Actress Cree Summer’s hair always had this extra character to it, making it stand out on the show. And as more young women went natural, versions of Freddie’s look popped up at college campuses across the country.
Call it the Halle Berry, the Toni Braxton or the Nia Long, but the short haircut was one of the most popular hairstyles of the ‘90s. From Halle’s slightly longer do in 1992's Boomerang to Nia’s ultra-short style in 1995's Friday, this look required a regular touch-up to remain in top-notch shape.
Ask for Poetic Justice-style braids and every black hairstylist oughta know exactly what you want: box braids. These thick, rope-like braids were also worn by Jamaican singer Patra, who released her debut album, Queen of the Pack, in 1993, the same year Janet Jackson rocked them when Poetic Justice was released in theaters.
Mary J. Blige wore platinum blond tresses on the cover of her second album and has kept up with blond hair of different hues and styles ever since. She wore it in long braids on the cover of My Life and has since worn her hair in bobs, ponytails and cropped dos. Several other artists in the ’90s donned golden locks as well, including Eve, Lil’ Kim and Faith Evans.
Micro braids are the small, take-all-day-to-install cousin to box braids. Brandy Norwood popularized the style on the hit ’90s show Moesha. She had black girls everywhere running to braiders from South Central to the South Bronx to look just like her. Brandy wore numerous types of braids—from shorter, slightly thicker ones in the “I Wanna Be Down” video, to longer, thinner ones in the video for “The Boy Is Mine.”
Back when music lovers flocked to Sam Goody or their local music store to cop CDs in the ’90s, Missy Elliott’s cover art for “Hit Em Wit Da Hee” featured the rapper with a hairstyle so wavy you might get seasick. Missy sported finger waves on this cover and in her epic music video for “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly).” Your favorite auntie probably rocked ‘em, too.
After a fresh perm or a press, perfecting that side part was crucial to guarantee that your swoop was one in a million, just like Aaliyah’s. The singer’s second studio album cover—and video for “One in a Million”—is the greatest example of the coveted swoop. Maintenance was also key for keeping this look tight. Wrapping your hair every night guaranteed a longer-lasting do. Did anyone else take pics from magazines to their hairstylist to achieve the look?
I don’t think styling your baby hair ever went out of style. But in the 90s, it was definitely a thing. You know the routine: Slick that hair up into a high ponytail, then lay those edges down with a little water, an old toothbrush and some gel. Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas wasn’t the first to rock baby hair, but she might win the crown for keeping up with them the longest. Her edges are still laid for the gawds.
If you don’t immediately remember this hairstyle as the “mushroom,” just call it the black girl hair hat: a short, almost-bowl-cut-style hairdo, where the bangs are long and the back hangs at about the same length. Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins wore a rendition of the hairstyle in the 1994 video “Creep,” with a few longer strands on both sides of her face.
Every ’90s girl knew the “Just for Me” song—even if you didn’t have a perm. Black radio played it out, and the jingle was just too cute to not catch on. “I want style, body and shine. A look that’s to-tal-ly all mine. Hair so soft, silky and free …” You know the rest. To get that sleek, straight look, young girls and grown women were spared a long sitdown with the hot comb in favor of a few minutes with the tinge of the creamy crack.
In the ’90s, the French roll was designated for days when your hair needed a little extra flair. Need a fancy updo for a wedding or special occasion? Ask your beautician for a sleek French roll. Whitney Houston pulled one together on New Year’s Eve in the first scene of Waiting to Exhale. And then again, the next year, in The Preacher’s Wife for her date with Denzel.
From the moment she burst onto the scene with “Baduizm,” Erykah Badu has captivated listeners with her smooth neo-soul sound. And her style has always been just as popular as her music. Ms. Badu always makes a statement. But in the 90s, she was almost always seen with her long locs wrapped in a colorful turban.
Jada Pinkett Smith has had lots of looks, but in the late 1990s, this short blonde do was everything. You have to be living under a rock to not know that a joke about Smith’s short hair at the 2022 Academy Awards inspired the slap that had everyone talking. But Pinkett Smith has been candid about living with alopecia, the autoimmune disorder that has caused her recent hair loss.