13 Childhood Hair Idols That Were Totally Yours Too
Over the past month, the B + C Book Club has been diving into all things related to one of our major obsessions: hair! From DIY hair masks to LOL-worthy stories about embarrassing cuts, we’ve shared hair tales in honor of the powerful, provocative and fun read, Me, My Hair, and I: 27 Women Untangle an Obsession. It’s a book that’ll make you reminisce about past cuts, reflect on the fights you may have picked with your mom over your locks (#guilty) and appreciative of how other people do their ‘dos. We’re wrapping up our November book club pick by reveling in nostalgia. Scroll on for the stylish and surprising stars who inspired our first hair crushes.
1. Victoria Haas, Channel Marketing
Avril Lavigne was my hair idol… pretty much anyone with straight hair. You can imagine why. I have very curly hair. It’s actually curlier than you see on a day-to-day basis, but I’ve learned how to use a curling iron to calm it down. (Photo via Scott Gries/Getty)
2. Kelly Bryden, DIY Editor
Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen for sure! The cover photo of their movie, Passport to Paris, was my inspiration for years. I would always ask for those layers, but my hair is too full and frizzy to ever look like them. I was obviously never happy. (Photo via Warner Home Video)
3. Kimberly Wang, News Editor
Christina Aguilera on the cover of the Genie in a Bottle album cover was my hair idol. I loved her casually criss-crossed, parted, face-framing blonde bob. She was my hair hero, but there was no way I could get that look without bleaching my hair to within an inch of its life. Plus, I was in middle school in Asia at the time, and they didn’t let kids color their hair. (Photo via RCA)
4. Katie Bond, Community Editor
Felicity’s curls were everything I wanted my hair to be! As a curly-haired gal, I envied her frizz-free locks and tight curls. Sadly, my hair is more in the loose curl club, so I can’t really get that look. I may or may not have tried once with a super slim curling iron. Let’s just say it wasn’t pretty…. (Photo via Touchstone Television)
5. Mariaclara Golfo, Senior Designer
I tried everything to convince my mother that I could pull off Mary Kate and Ashley’s look. She tried to hear me out but ultimately decided my hair was beautiful long, and girls with curly hair can’t get that haircut. This was before the life-changing discovery of the flat-iron. I was not allowed to have a say about my hair until I turned 12. It was one of the happiest days of my life… and it also took me two weeks to develop the worst knots I’d ever seen. I hid them in a bun until my mother noticed. She regained control for another year until I learned how to detangle it for myself. (Photo via Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen)
6. Ashley Fischer, Digital Sales Planner
So many hair idols, so little time! I was obsessed with Gwen Stefani growing up — she was my fashion icon. When people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, it was Gwen. I was too scared to dye my hair entirely blue, so I added blue highlights and wore jewels on my forehead to high school one day. My new look did not go over well with conservative Catholic teachers. (Photo via Brenda Chase/Getty)
7. Cortney Clift, Associate Editor
Like most ’00s kids, I grew up watching Lizzie McGuire and ogling her super cool hair. Whether she was rocking crimped hair, some butterfly clips or a bird’s nest-type situation, I almost always tried to copy her look after the show was over. (Photo via Disney)
8. Caitlin Silva, Customer Service Specialist
Angelina Jolie was my hair idol. All I wanted was to grow my hair out super long! (Photo via Kevin Winter/Getty)
9. Angela Velez, Community Editor
Ariana might have current dibs on the high pony, but JLo definitely pioneered the look. I wanted to rock her cascading locks and rhinestone hoop earrings so badly in middle school, but my principal instituted a strict no-hoops policy that left me missing out! (Photo via George De Sota/Getty)
10. Andrea Kasprzak, Assignment Editor
Growing up, I was really into Lady Lovely Locks. She was the star of an animated series and had this really luscious hair. The best part was that her friends were these fantastic, strange little colorful creatures called the Pixie Tails and they would burrow in her hair. I also really loved the woman on the original Herbal Essences shampoo bottle and Daryl Hannah’s character in Splash.
11. Lisa Raphael, Editorial Director
I was a big fan of celebrity hairstyles over the years. I definitely had The Rachel (I think in like sixth grade?!) In eighth grade, I wanted to do my hair “like Dharma from Dharma and Greg,” so I got a pretty serious chop. Unfortunately, without a team of stylists and without having everrr dyed my thin locks, the ‘do (very literally) fell flat. Thankfully, cheap bobby pins and clips were very hot back then.
12. Beth Wischnia, Associate Editor
Even though we have totally opposite hair colors, Reese Witherspoon was always my hair idol when I was growing up. I remember taking a photo of her flippy haircut a la Sweet Home Alabama into the salon with me when I was in elementary school and saying, “I want my hair to look like this.” I’ve always loved her hair because I think we have similar face shapes and she’s always been a bangs muse for me.
13. Marisa Kumtong, Junior Designer
As a child, I rocked a strong bowl cut. I grew up watching too much Sailor Moon, so I used to dream about rocking her long blonde pigtail locks. I still do to this day!
Who was your celeb hair idol growing up? Let us know in the comments below!