Generation Y is executing a full-fledged plan of action to restore the decade that made them: the ’90s. Nostalgia-prone tastemakers have influenced big-name designers and celebrity hairstylists to leverage that time when Nintendo ruled our TV sets, Clarissa explained it all, and you couldn’t go ANYWHERE without an extra scrunchie in your mini-backpack.
And then, there were the ‘dos. From crimping to grunge-inspired wispiness, it was a decade of wild experimentation. Ahead, the ’90s hair trends we’d like to take into the future with us.
Kiss Curls
Think the perfectly plastered baby hair of Chilli from TLC. With the ever-growing popularity of the selfie, people are seeking out up-close-and-personal facial-feature enhancements. Need inspiration? FKA twigs (seen here”> and Zoe Kravitz get the kiss curl right — every single time.
Wispy Bangs
Every teen-thriller actress had stringy bangs that just so happened to fall over her eyes while she was being chased through the neighborhood by a masked serial killer. One of our biggest inspirations is Courteney Cox, who had crush-worthy bedhead bangs that charmed us every time we watched (and continue to watch”> Friends — move over, Jen Aniston. It Girl Alexa Chung takes the trend into 2015.
Bantu Knots
Rihanna has played a major role in the revival of this craze. She wore bantu knots to the iHeartRadio Music Awards and in an editorial for i-D magazine. But, lest we forget our ’90s crushes who made bantu knots edgy enough for the runway, yet still sufficiently mainstream for an MTV music video — back when MTV only played videos.
Crimped Hair
Recently, Beyoncé debuted a crimped version of her signature, pin-straight honey-blonde tresses and as usual, we fell in love with the crimping iron all over again. Weave and wig companies took note, as we are now seeing tons of crimped human-hair extensions online and in beauty-supply stores around the world.
Freeform Locs
Remember Kriss Kross’ hit single “Jump”? Of course you do, and that means you also remember those parted-down-the-middle baby locs. Rapper duo Rae Sremmurd and others have been bringing back this too-cool-for-school look.
Protective-Style Lobs
Brandy’s self-titled 1994 album showed the starlet’s natural hair in choppy, protective-style braids, and Maxine from Living Singlerocked hers with exuberant confidence. Today,we’re seeing a slightly revamped version of the long bob in the form of chin-length box braids. That icy-blue hue adds a fun little something-something, doesn’t it?
