Historically, hair styles can be mapped to time periods and niche communities with delightful accuracy. From the curly white wigs of the 18th century to the Jheri curls of the 1980s to the feathered bangs and finger waves of the 1990s, trends in how we wear our hair are a big part of how we remember (and study) different moments in time.
It’s a wonder we are finally arriving at a place where there isn’t a consensus on hairstyles. At the same time, when it comes to documenting street style, hair has become as important as clothing when it comes to expressing individual taste. Dyed hair? How about every color? Long? Short? Both in one? Because anything goes, this could arguably be the best era for hair ever — or at least the hardest to definitively pin down in 20 years.
What I found, after photographing hundreds of people this past season at various fashion weeks, was a complete democratization of coifs: braids, curtain bangs, bobs and pixie cuts — nearly every popular style from the 1960s onward was represented on the streets and at the shows. More and more people are taking risks with their hairstyles, bringing them closer to the ultimate style dictum: Make it personal. Nothing feels more “now” than that.
Face-Framing Curls
