Rachel cut (Jennifer Aniston)

Rachel cut (Jennifer Aniston)

Fashion Synopsis

The hair that launched a thousand episodes (okay, maybe just dozens)… Jennifer Aniston of Friends fame had her face framed with the famous locks called the ‘Rachel,’ named after her character on the show. Not since Farrah’s aerodynamic wings on Charlie’s Angels had TV hair created such a sensation.

The ‘Rachel’ cut was a modern version of the 60’s shag made famous by the likes of Jane Fonda and TV’s Carol Brady. But the ‘Rachel’ was sleeker, with longer layers and face-framing highlights. It was the perfect combination of style and casual coif for the modern girl. Rachel hair caused such a stir that hairdressers found themselves doing 20 cuts a day for months straight, with nary a single other request during that time.

Hair fads come and go, and new styles continue to tease the reluctant few who refuse to break free of 8th-grade hair. But just when you make that leap and shear yourself for style’s sake, the hair gods have a good laugh in your honor. As soon as you lop off your butt-length hair to the newest pixie cut, long hippie hair takes its place next season (and be reminded that hair grows ¼” a week—how are we ever supposed to stay stylish when it’s against nature?). And when you’ve just spent a fortune on highlights and layers for sex kitten hair, super-sleek bobs are all the rage. So it was with the Rachel, and so it ever will be…

In the hair game, you just can’t win, but you can be at the height of style and look absolutely faaaaabulous for a week or two. Or at least until the beauty dictators coerce you into the latest coif. It’s enough to curl your toes…um, hair.

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