12 Iconic ’70s Hairstyles That Totally Defined the Era
Ask anyone who lived through the 1970s, and they'll tell you it was an era filled with glitz and glamor.
Bold fashion, luxurious fabrics, and, yes, big hair, defined the period. Trends in hair and fashion in the '70s reflected the changing social landscape — women’s liberation, the anti-war movement, the Black Power movement and counterculture.
Hair is an important form of self-expression, so I gathered iconic hairstyles that defined the 1970s. While other hairstyles were popular in the '70s, I chose hairstyles worn by the biggest stars at the time or were iconic in their own right.
Feathered Hair
Perhaps one of the biggest stars at the time, Farrah Fawcett was known for her signature feathered, voluminous blonde locks. Fawcett’s role in the iconic television show Charlie's Angels, which premiered in 1976, not only “transcended Hollywood gender norms at the time” but also introduced the world to the iconic Fawcett winged hair.
Face-framing bangs, fluffy flipped-out curls and big volume were key components of Fawcett’s trademark hair. Who exactly created the feathered look is up for debate, but hairstylist Allen Edwards claims to be the inventor of “The Farrah” and the reason so many women around the world rocked the feathered look throughout the '70s.
Curtain Bangs
Curtain bangs are having their moment. But before they were the go-to cut for Instagram influencers and TikTok beauty gurus, they were known as the iconic 70s disco bang.
The blunt, thick face-framing bangs were worn voluminously and swept to the side — imagine two curtains swept to the side, lightly hanging down in the middle to frame a window. The bangs frame the face perfectly while looking effortless but still glamorous.
Wispy Beehive
In my opinion, one of the hairstyles that captured the glamor of the early '70s and gave that oomph factor is the beehive updo. Popularized in the 1960s, many people adored the big updo (until they didn't — shame on them!).
Eventually, women in the '70s transitioned to preferring looser and shag-like hairstyles. Nowadays, hairstyle enthusiasts have made their own twists to the traditional beehive.
Sleek and Long
If you think of sleek, extra-long, and parted down-the-middle hair, then the first thing that probably comes to mind is Cher’s iconic tresses. The glamorous music and fashion icon’s look was synonymous with disco and the glamor of the '70s.
The sleek middle part was also worn by many other notable figures at the time, including Marcia Brady in The Brady Bunch and Ali MacGraw in the movie Love Story. It’s rumored that some women pressed their hair under a brown paper bag to get it pin straight.
Afros
The natural hair movement for African Americans began in the 1970s alongside the Black Power movement. For the first time, women were wearing and embracing their natural hair in real life and on the big screen.
Pam Grier was one of the biggest stars of the '70s Blaxploitation film era, starring as Foxy in Foxy Brown. The role was iconic for Grier as the first on-screen Black, feminist crime-fighting vigilante. But even more iconic was the afro she wore in the film and how it became a symbol of the '70s and the Black civil rights movement of the era.
The Shag
The shag was everywhere in the '70s. Choppy ends, texture, and fringe were key to getting the fringe right.
The shag quickly became one of the most popular cuts of the '70s and the poster hair for '70s rock stars after Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac adopted the lived-in wavy fringe look. The shag was cool then and is still loved by some people today.
The Pageboy
Not all the hairstyles popular in the '70s were the nicest to look at. The pageboy appeared as if you took the bowl cut and somehow made it less flattering.
Like a bowl cut that goes around the face and the nape of the neck, the pageboy added its flair with the ends either flipped in or out. Toni Tennille and Dorothy Hamill were two big stars credited with bringing the haircut into the mainstream at the time.
Birkin Bangs
Besides the coveted Hermès Birkin bag, Jane Birkin was credited for creating the Birkin bangs. The original cool girl, Birkin, sported wispy eyebrow-length bangs that became iconic in their own right and a symbol of bohemian '70s style.
Similar to curtain bangs, Birkin bangs gave off an effortlessly chic look that the British-French actress and singer-songwriter was known for. The Birkin bang is still popular today, with variations in length and style to create a more modernized version.
Disco Curls
Contrary to the bohemian, pin-straight hairstyles that were in the '70s, big, voluminous roller curls were also popular. Worn by superstars like Tina Turner and Donna Summer, disco curls were the hairstyle of choice for a Saturday night at Studio 54.
Disco curls were a statement piece, and just like many other trends in the '70s, the bigger the better. “The fullness of the curls gave volume to flat hair in the ’70s, but over time, the trend has progressed from a frizzier, teased look to a more defined curl,” said celebrity hairstylist Meechie De’Franco in an interview with W Magazine.
Boho Braids
Small but mighty, the tiny face-framing braids of the '70s were a statement piece all on their own. Often worn by hippies at the time, the small braids were generally a style symbolic of counterculture and the anti-war movement.
The micro braids were also worn throughout the head as a sort of accent piece. It was also popular at the time to wear braided headbands to go along with the accent braids for a real boho look.
Extreme Side Part
Before her star status today, Meryl Streep was a talented young actress trying to get her start in films like Julia and The Deer Hunter in the late 1970s. Streep became known for her girl-next-door look with long, blonde locks and a dramatic side part.
Another girl-next-door of the '70s, Jerry Hall, was also known for her blonde hair and dramatic side part, which became another iconic hairstyle of the era. The extreme side part was a symbol of the natural, approachable look of the '70s.
Locs
Locs grew in popularity alongside the afro during the natural hair movement of the '70s. Popularized by Reggae artist Bob Marley, locs were a symbol of cultural pride.
There are many different ways to style and create locs, including freeform locs and microlocs. Locs are still a popular style today and have been worn by many celebrities, including Lauryn Hill and Whoopi Goldberg.