The 81st Golden Globes proved meaningful to Jennifer Aniston for two reasons – it was her first red carpet since the death of her close friend Matthew Perry, and it marked the return of "The Rachel."
The popular haircut, characterized by a choppy layered style, often found with highlights that frame the face, was a staple for her character Rachel Green during the '90s and '00s, and was one of the biggest trends of the era.
It seems like good things never go out of style, though, as the 54-year-old star gave the style an updated look on her latest red carpet, and the 'do remains as viral as ever.
Hair experts at GetHair reported that the style was the most popular cut of 2023, particularly on TikTok, with the tag "#rachelgreenhair" appearing on videos that have racked up over 39 million views in the past year.
Hair transplant expert Dr. Tayfun Oguzoglu speaks with HELLO! about the phenomenon and explains what makes the style so popular. "The proven popularity of Jennifer Aniston's iconic 'Rachel' hairstyle, as much so now as when it first debuted in the '90s, can be attributed to the actress' celebrity influence, the nostalgia of the show and the timelessness of the hairstyle."
He continues: "The style encapsulated the carefree spirit of the '90s comedy series, which many are continuing to try and emulate."
Dr. Oguzoglu also elaborated on her bringing back the style in a new way and how that was adding to its appeal while explaining how the subtle changes made to the look helped.
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"The star's new take on her original style, 'The Rachel', takes inspiration from the iconic look whilst bringing a more toned-down and softer version of the haircut. To create a modern take on the style she has a softer layered look with more natural highlights."
He concluded: "The beauty of 'The Rachel' hairstyle is that it is versatile, and can be adapted to suit everyone. The layering works to frame the wearer's face and can be styled to suit each person's face shape.
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"This brings with it the timeless appeal of the look, as layered, voluminous hair continues to be popular year after year." The popularity could be attributed to a resurgence in rewatches for Friends after Matthew's death.
Jennifer has been a fixture of several red carpets already this year, thanks to her nominated work in The Morning Show, but was absent at the Emmys despite a rumored reunion with her Friends co-stars.
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Several early reports suggested that the five living stars of the iconic NBC sitcom would reunite for a tribute to their late Friend, but in a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Emmys executive producers Jeannae Rouzan-Clay and Jesse Collins revealed that it wasn't in the cards.
Explaining that it felt "too fresh," Jesse shared: "I can imagine, from their side, they're mourning someone who was still very close to them. I can't speak for them, but we all have to respect that they were their own family. It was probably just a little too soon."
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