The timeline
Every hairstyle with a known date, decade by decade. Pick a decade to see each year.
The 1990s 3 hairstyles
🇳🇦 Namibia and 1 moreBox braids
Square-parted protective braids with synthetic extensions.Braid · Coily and kinky hair · 1990
WorldTemple fade
A short haircut tapering from the scalp to a longer length on top.Cut · 1990
🇺🇸 United StatesThe Rachel
Voluminous layered cut popularised by FriendsCut · Straight hair · 1995
WorldFrosted tips
Short spiky hair with bleached ends.Cut · Any hair · 1998
The 1980s 7 hairstyles
🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreMullet
An asymmetric haircut with short hair at the front and sides, and long hair at the back.Cut · Any hair · 1980
EuropeCaesar cut
A short, evenly layered haircut featuring a straight horizontal fringe.Cut · 1980
🇨🇳 China and 3 moreRattail
A long strip of hair at the napeCut · Any hair · 1980
🇺🇸 United StatesJheri curl
A glossy, wet-look perm popular in the 1980s among Black communities.Curls · Curly hair · 1980
The 1970s 5 hairstyles
🇸🇩 Sudan and 4 moreDreadlocks
A hairstyle of rope-like hair strands formed by matting or twisting.Natural · Coily and kinky hair · 1970
🇺🇸 United StatesMohawk
A hairstyle with shaved sides and a central strip of longer hair.Shaved · Any hair · 1970
🇯🇵 JapanHime cut
A Japanese style with straight cheek-length sidelocks and long back hair.Cut · Straight hair · 1970
🇺🇸 United StatesDevilock
A punk style featuring short sides and a long front section combed forward.Cut · Any hair · 1970
The 1960s 5 hairstyles
🇺🇸 United StatesDurag
Close-fitting head cloth for hair protection and style maintenance.Wrapped · Curly hair · 1960
🇺🇸 United States and 3 moreNatural hair movement
A social and cultural campaign for wearing textured hair without chemical straightening.Natural · Coily and kinky hair · 1960
🇺🇸 United StatesAfro
A rounded style of combed-out natural hair.Natural · Coily and kinky hair · 1960
🇺🇸 United StatesBeehive
A conical updo piled high on the crown.Updo · Any hair · 1960
The 1950s 6 hairstyles
🇫🇷 France and 2 morePompadour
High-volume hair swept up and back from the forehead.Updo · Any hair · 1950
WorldPixie cut
A short hairstyle with a longer top and very short bangs.Cut · 1953
🇬🇧 United KingdomQuiff
A voluminous front sweep with short sides and back.Styled · Any hair · 1950
🇬🇧 United KingdomPageboy
Straight hair hanging below the ear with an inward turn.Cut · Straight hair · 1950
The 1940s 1 hairstyle
The 1930s 1 hairstyle
The 1920s 5 hairstyles
🇺🇸 United StatesCrew cut
A short, graduated men's haircut with upright top hair.Cut · Thick hair · 1920
WorldShort hair
A general category for haircuts kept above the shoulders or chin.Cut · Any hair · 1920
🇺🇸 United StatesFinger wave
S-shaped waves set by hand with comb and gelStyled · Straight hair · 1920
🇺🇸 United StatesConk
Chemically straightened hair popular with African-American men mid-20th century.Styled · Coily and kinky hair · 1920
The 1910s 1 hairstyle
The 1900s 3 hairstyles
🇫🇷 France and 1 moreBob cut
Short to medium haircut ending at the jaw or shoulders.Cut · Any hair · 1909
🇺🇸 United States and 3 moreCornrows
Tight three-strand braids woven close to the scalp in straight or curved lines.Braid · Coily and kinky hair · 1902
WorldWaves
A ripple pattern formed by brushing short curly hair flat.Curls · Curly hair · 1900
The 1890s 1 hairstyle
The 1880s 1 hairstyle
The 1870s 3 hairstyles
WorldFrench braid
A three-strand gathered plait from crown to nape.Braid · Any hair · 1871
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 morePerm
A chemical or thermal treatment that sets permanent waves or curls into the hair.Styled · Curly hair · 1872
WorldMarcelling
A heat-styled curl technique from the 1870s.Curls · Any hair · 1872
The 1800s 1 hairstyle
The 1790s 1 hairstyle
The 1780s 2 hairstyles
The 1770s 1 hairstyle
The 1740s 1 hairstyle
The 1690s 3 hairstyles
🇮🇳 IndiaKesh
The Sikh practice of keeping hair uncut as a religious observance.Natural · 1699
🇮🇳 India and 3 moreDastar
A turban worn by Sikhs to cover uncut hair and signify faith.Wrapped · Any hair · 1699
🇫🇷 France and 1 moreFontange
A towering headdress and hairstyle popular in late 17th century Europe.Wrapped · 1690
The 1640s 1 hairstyle
The 1600s 3 hairstyles
🇮🇱 IsraelUpsherin
A first haircut ceremony for Jewish boys, typically held at age three.Cut · Any hair · 1600
🇯🇵 JapanChonmage
Traditional Japanese topknot worn by men, historically by samurai and now by sumo wrestlers.Updo · Straight hair · 1603
🇵🇱 Poland and 1 morePolish plait
A matted hair formation viewed as both a medical condition and a folk amulet in Eastern Europe.Styled · Coily and kinky hair · 1600
The 1590s 1 hairstyle
The 1580s 1 hairstyle
The 1500s 1 hairstyle
The 1400s 1 hairstyle
The 1300s 1 hairstyle
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Upsherin: Vered Peer, CC BY 4.0, source
- Mohawk: Duke.emerson, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bob cut: 147 Company, CC BY 4.0, source
- Hime cut: kxz Chen, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Dreadlocks: Richard Mortel, CC BY 2.0, source
- Mullet: Wordzandguitar, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Fontange: Francesco Solimena, Public domain, source
- Tignon: François Fleischbein, Public domain, source
- Quiff: Anefo, CC0, source
- Titus cut: Adrien Pierre François Godefroy, Public domain, source
- The Rachel: ABC Television, Public domain, source
- Czupryna: Nieznany malarz polski, Public domain, source
- Durag: The original uploader was Calliopejen at English Wikipedia ., CC BY 2.0, source
- Snood: Adolph von Menzel, Public domain, source
- Kesh: Carl W. Damman, Public domain, source
- Dastar: Photography by Harkanwal Singh., CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Gache: KIYOUNG KIM, CC BY 2.0, source
- Mantilla: Museu Valencià d'Etnologia, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Khăn vấn: André Salles, Public domain, source
- Chonmage: not listed, Public domain, source
- Cornrows: Rod Waddington, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Queue: Lai Afong, Public domain, source
- Perm: Louis Calvete, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bangs: Circle of Girolamo Mocetto (Active 1490-1530), Public domain, source
- Polish plait: Adrian Grycuk, CC BY-SA 3.0 pl, source
- Jheri curl: Olugold, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Pouf: After Jean-Baptiste André Gautier-Dagoty, Public domain, source
- Short hair: Alex Neman, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Afro: Jason Melcher, CC BY 2.0, source
- Natural hair movement: livepict.com, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- French braid: Stilfehler, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Peineta: Hiart, CC0, source
- Bowl cut: Audun Gjerdi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Pixie cut: dvna creative agency: https://www.dvna.fr/, CC BY 3.0, source
- Undercut: Dick Thomas Johnson, CC BY 2.0, source
- Pompadour: Pearson Scott Foresman, Public domain, source
- Buzz cut: Fadi El Benni of Al Jazeera English, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Crew cut: greginhollywood, CC BY 2.0, source
- Pageboy: Jacometto Veneziano, Public domain, source
- Beehive: MGM, Public domain, source
- Box braids: Randen Pederson, CC BY 2.0, source
- Devilock: mitchbuchannon, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Sangtu: Internet Archive Book Images, No restrictions, source
- Marcelling: The Bridgeport times and evening farmer, Public domain, source
- Lovelock: Sir Anthony Van Dyck (1599 - 1641) Details on Google Art Project, Public domain, source
- Finger wave: Unknown author Unknown author (Either deceased family member or work f, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Caesar cut: Luděk Kovář, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Conk: NBC Television, Public domain, source
- Waves: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Temple fade: Eva Rinaldi, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- French twist: SWinxy, CC BY 4.0, source