20 ‘70s Hairstyles to Try This Fall, from Funky to Sleek

All things ‘70s are back in a big way—including the hair. We’ve noticed more and more ‘70s-style hair flicks, curls, and long boho-inspired looks on the runways, all the while more celebs have embraced feathery layers and free-spirited chops. Take Matilda Djerf’s cascade of layers, Roz’s Cali-cool canyon waves, or Miley Cyrus’s big hair moment at the Grammys a few years back as proof: the decade has been calling, and we’re welcoming it back into our lives with open arms. (It truly was one of the coolest eras for hair, after all.)

From Farrah Fawcett’s big Charlie’s Angels feathers to Diana Ross’s disco-inspired afro and Cher’s impressive lengths, there’s a diverse collection of muses to take inspiration from. But it’s also hard to ignore how relevant each style still feels today. It’s true—you could easily plop them into our day and age, with hardly any changes, and they’d look just as awesome.

To prove just how epic this decade was for hair, we’ve gathered 20 of our favorite styles that showcase the range of the era. Scroll through our top picks for some amazing ‘70s hairstyle inspiration to get you feeling that Saturday night fever.

Classic Shag

The ultimate “cool kid” cut of the era, according to celebrity colorist Jeremy Tardo, the shag is as definitive and quintessential to the ‘70s as they come. “The shag has been deconstructed and reinvented in so many ways since its inception,” he says. Recently, we’ve been loving Mika Abdalla’s grungy layers with wispy curtain bangs.

Feathered Layers

The Farrah flip is legendary. Farrah Fawcett became a star when she was cast in Charlie’s Angels, and as a result, everyone wanted this hair during that decade (and well into the ‘80s, too). In fact, this iconic hairstyle is loved even to this day. You’ll need a decent barrel brush to help recreate this look.

Fringe Bangs

Feather-light fringe bangs (AKA Birkin bangs) are the wispy, French girl-esque cut we didn’t know we needed, and we love how they look on Jourdan Dunn. According to celebrity stylist Michael Dueñas, today’s version is slightly longer for the option to push to the side or wear in the front. “Have your stylist lay their comb at the start of your hairline going to the back of your head,” he says. “Where the comb lifts up is how thick your bang section should be.”

Shaggy Mullet

If you thought the day of the mullet’s resurrection would never come, you’re not alone. However, the ‘70s era shag mullet is just polished enough to always feel fresh. Miley Cyrus is consistently keeping us on our toes and paving the way with shocking new ‘dos that always seem to explode in the salons and Pinterest shortly after.

The Blunt Cut

Layers in the ‘70s were pretty much all or nothing. On one hand, you have the shaggy all-over-layers, and on the other, you have a hair that’s essentially all the same length. “Modern bobs are typically rough dried and flat-ironed with the ends being straight or a very light tousle to the hair,” Dueñas explains. “In the ‘70s, most were round brushed. You had more volume and beveled ends.”

Beehive Updo

Goldie Hawn has been awesome since... forever. While that’s mainly due to her incredible acting skills, her iconic ‘70s hairstyles don’t hurt. Celebrity stylist Cory Aaron Scott explains how to make the perfect voluminous beehive: “Blow dry your hair and over-direct the hair to create volume.” For that extra oomph, you can follow with hair rollers in half-inch sections, and don’t forget the flexible hairspray.

Low Pigtails

While the ‘90s had high pigtails, the ‘70s were all about keeping them low, loosely grouped together, light, airy, and without too much polish, Dueñas explains. To recreate, he suggests starting by rough drying or blow drying, then creating a middle part. “Back comb all the hair at your crown, down to your occipital bone, lightly spread that hair down the middle from crown to nape,” he says. “Bring to just below your earlobes and secure with an elastic, ensuring you keep the volume in your crown.”

Half-Up Beehive

The ‘70s loved their beehive, that much is obvious. This half-up rendition was popularized in the ‘60s, undoubtedly inspired by the iconic Brigitte Bardot, but people were still absolutely buzzing over the sultry goodness in the following decade. But can you blame them? Clearly, there’s some timeless magic happening here.

Scarf in the Hair

Scarf, bandana—anything you can tie up in the hair—the ‘70s (and the ‘80s for that matter) were living for this carefree, fun, and hippie-esque vibe. And to be fair, so are we today. Just look how adorable Alana Morrison is in her bandana-tied updo.

Long and Wavy With a Center Part

Ask anyone who was there in the ‘70s and they’ll tell you it was a time for long, free-flowing locks with a dead-center part. As Tardo puts it, “The allure of the ‘70s hair is perpetuated through the iconic time’s reputation for glamour and cool.” And this style is nothing if not glamorous and cool.

Long Shag

For pure hippie chicness, there’s only one person we can think of to copy, and that’s Stevie Nicks. It’s the one part rocker-chic to two parts Woodstock festival hairstyle, such as this long version of the classic shag, that really does it for us. 

Long Flipped Out Curtain Bangs

Feathery, flippy hair of the ‘70s has made its way back into modern circles, with swoopy curtain bangs paving the way. “The curtain bang I think is and will always be so iconic,” says Scott, adding “I have seen a lot of bangs and layers being blown out to create that feathered look.” To recreate, he he suggests using a round brush with a lot of tension and a good blow-dry. “I recommend blowing those pieces away from the face, letting the brush heat up. Then cool down and lastly, spray with a good flexible hairspray.”

Voluminous Roller Curls

For a rocker vibe, turn to none other than Tina Turner. The singer was, and still is, known for her shock of voluminous strands, but she kept it layered and wispy in the ‘70s.

Brow-Skimming Bangs

A time for bang exploration, another hot take to come out of the ‘70s was the short, straight across bangs that just barely kiss the tops of the brows. These typically came in a thicker, more blunt form than the wispy Birkin counterpart, but are also seen with varied amounts of piece-y separation here and there. To say we’re obsessed with Duckie Thot’s take on the ‘70s-era bangs would be an understatement.

Curly Shag

This decade was putting in overtime pumping different shag looks and one of our absolute favorites is the curly shag. Seen in more recent years on the likes of Khadijha Red Thunder, Zendaya, Alanna Arrington, and Sandra Oh, to name a few, the layered cut is complete with effortless curly bangs. Scott says to cut the bangs slightly longer to “anticipate them bouncing up and getting shorter as they dry.”

Accent Braids

If baby braids—whether placed as face-framing pieces or just strewn in random places throughout the hair—don’t absolutely yell ‘70s in all caps, we don’t know what does. “Braids are fun and whimsical,” Scott says. “I love when you create a classic braid securing the end with a band, then pulling it out so it is messy and undone. Clip to desired look—you can always place it wherever you want.”

Sleek, Long, and Straight

Sleek, long, and pin-straight is a resurfaced trend Tardo has noticed, “‘70s Cher and her immaculate mane come to mind immediately here,” he says. “Ask your colorist for a rich brunette gloss or an all-over clear gloss. This will amplify the shine in your hair and give a perfect silky finish, allowing you to realize your long hair middle part dreams.”

Natural Afro

We can’t talk about ‘70s hairstyles without mentioning the queen that is Diana Ross. During the iconic decade, Ross dominated with her music, and she became the first Black woman to co-host the Oscars. While she was known for many different hairstyles, her natural afro style was always one of our favorites. 

Voluminous Ponytail

If there’s anyone who can rock a ‘70s ponytail, it’s Ariana Grande. Full and voluminous was the only way to do a pony back in the day, and her side fringe is just the cherry on top.

Long with a Side Part

Once again, Meryl Streep proves that there’s nothing she can’t do, including incredible blonde ‘70s hair. For this decade, the actress rocked the natural look. It was very girl-next-door with an extreme side part. What’s not to love?