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Thirty instances of hair that is (almost) as famous as the woman it belongs to.
Written By Evelyn Crowley
— Actress Audrey Hepburn / Photographed By Dennis Stock, Trunk Archive
From Bette Davis’s $28,000 waist to Heidi Klum’s $2 million legs, insuring a body part is common practice (and common sense) for those who make a living off their looks. And while VIOLET GREY is the last to claim insight into the actuarial business, we do have an eye for the kind of exceptional beauty that warrants safeguarding.
While contracts for lips, legs and cleavage abound, there’s an alarming dearth of hair insurance, something that was noticed by the VIOLET GREY community prior to the recent launch of #VIOLEThair. Naturally, a list was drafted of deserving policyholders: Curly, straight, waist-length or bobbed, what these 30 women all have in common is a truly memorable, certainly traffic-stopping and seriously bankable head of hair.
Addendum: Given the glossy and covetable nature of the insured, benefits including professional blowouts, high-performance Japanese boar-bristle brushes and unlimited canisters of dry shampoo are guaranteed within each policyholder’s full-coverage plan. Read on.
While contracts for lips, legs and cleavage abound, there’s an alarming dearth of hair insurance, something that was noticed by the VIOLET GREY community prior to the recent launch of #VIOLEThair. Naturally, a list was drafted of deserving policyholders: Curly, straight, waist-length or bobbed, what these 30 women all have in common is a truly memorable, certainly traffic-stopping and seriously bankable head of hair.
Addendum: Given the glossy and covetable nature of the insured, benefits including professional blowouts, high-performance Japanese boar-bristle brushes and unlimited canisters of dry shampoo are guaranteed within each policyholder’s full-coverage plan. Read on.
Violet
Celebrates
1
/30
Is a fashion show really a fashion show if Wintour's bob isn’t visible in the front row? Presumably not. Behind the laser-sharp precision of Wintour’s signature blunt bob is (one can assume) a regular schedule of blowouts and trims. It’s yet another example of the Vogue editor-in-chief’s commitment to perfection.
Anna Wintour / Stephen Lovekin, Getty Images
2
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An elegant updo accentuated with swept-aside boyish bangs, Hepburn’s signature 1950s coiff was as much a part of her gamine appeal as her delicate, doe-eyed features.
Audrey Hepburn / Popperfoto, Getty Images
3
/30
Derek's cornrows in the 1979 romantic comedy 10 (in which she stars opposite a duly love-stricken Dudley Moore) rank among the most iconic hair moments in cinematic history. Unfortunately, as would-be imitators discovered, the hairstyle wasn't particularly flattering on anyone who didn't look like Bo Derek.
Bo Derek / Photoshot, Hulton Archive via Getty images
4
/30
If Bardot’s 1960s hairstyle could talk, it wouldn't. It would coo. With long, tapered bangs accentuating her kohl-rimmed eyes and mussy layers hinting at an illicit afternoon romp, Bardot’s coiff was as unapologetically sexy as the actress herself.
Brigitte Bardot / botti, Gamma Rapho via getty images
5
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As evidenced by her recent VIOLET GREY photo shoot, the 49-year-old supermodel’s glossy, caramel-toned mane is as enviable as ever. Her secret, she says, is her hands-off approach. “I don’t wash and dry it every day,” said Crawford in her interview. “I try to make a blow-dry last. I’m definitely kinder to it now.”
Cindy crawford / ron galella, ron galella Collection via getty images
6
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Part Cruella de Vil, part Victorian governess, Guinness’s graphic hairstyle is as much a part of her eccentric persona as her haute couture wardrobe and enigmatic tweets.
daphne guinness / Ben pruchnie, getty images
7
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In an era when natural curls were considered a styling faux pas, the former Supremes singer embraced her frizz with a gloriously full and bold look that has since been co-opted by everyone from Rihanna to Solange Knowles.
diana ross / rob verhorst, redferns via getty images
8
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The designer’s naturally curly tresses are as iconic as her wrap dresses. But she wasn't always a fan of them herself. “As a little girl I suffered because of my hair,” she wrote in her 1976 instructional guide, Diane von Furstenberg’s Book of Beauty. At one point, she even tried to iron out the curls, a straightening technique that, while effective, “is definitely not recommended.”
diane von furstenberg / gabe palacia, Getty images
9
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While the late costume designer created hundreds of elaborate ensembles over the course of her career, she adhered to a spartan all-black uniform herself. Her hairstyle, a severe chignon with blunt bangs, was similarly consistent. To wit, she didn't change it once in 30 years.
edith head / Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
10
/30
Farrah Fawcett's hair is so famous, there’s even a song written about it. Her feathered, flippy curls served as one of the defining styles of the 1970s, imitated (to varying success) by women everywhere.
farrah fawcett / ron galella, ron galella archive via getty images
11
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Beach hair is “Gisele” hair. The Brazilian supermodel brought the look of windswept, sun-kissed tresses to the masses. Alas, if only her Amazonian proportions and flawless bone structure were as easily attainable.
gisele bundchen / John Shearer, wireimage via getty images
12
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Coddington treats her flame-colored hair like her best accessory, relying on it to give her otherwise-understated ensembles a bit of pop. It’s also worth noting that her longtime boyfriend is a hairstylist (Didier Malige)...which is to say she’s living every woman's fantasy.
grace coddington / taylor hill, filmmagic via getty images
13
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The Academy Award winner’s sense of perfectionism extends to her tresses, which she wears immaculately stick-straight with nary a hair out of place. The color, meanwhile, is best described as bicoastal, with golden Southern California highlights adding warmth to Upper East Side luster.
GWyneth Paltrow / steve granitz, wireimage via getty images
14
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Pixie cuts used to be the purview of winsome, delicate blondes like Mia Farrow and Jean Seberg. Berry added the spunk. Her choppy, touchable crop gives the cut the edge it was missing. No wonder the actress, who debuted the look in the mid ‘90s, can't seem to commit to longer locks.
halle berry / steve granitz, wireimage via getty images
15
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True, they’re just bangs. But what bangs! Mussy, schoolgirl short and endearingly uneven, Birkin’s ‘70s-era fringe is nearly as iconic as the handbag that bears her name.
jane birkin / reporters associes, Gamma-Rapho via getty images
16
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With her sleek, side-swept bangs, generously teased roots and big-barrel flip, the British supermodel’s coppery coiff is basically the platonic ideal of Swingin’ Sixties hair.
jean shrimpton / david montgomery, premium archive via getty images
17
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“The Rachel” may have put her on the map, but Aniston is far from a one-hit (haircut) wonder. Working with longtime stylist Chris McMillan, the actress has debuted a slew of winning looks over the years, from an asymmetrical bob to swingy, slept-in waves.
jennifer aniston / mirek towski, the life picture collection via getty images
18
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Lush and exuberant, Roberts’s Pretty Woman curls
came dangerously close to upstaging the actress's trademark smile (itself reportedly
insured for $30 million). More than 20 years later, her hair — which she
currently wears in loose, honey-toned waves — continues to inspire adoration. Of
course, it would be wrong to mention Roberts’s hair without paying homage to the
man behind the mane, her longtime stylist, Serge Normant.
julia roberts / ron galella, ron galella collection via getty images
19
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Kloss evokes a rare mix of sporty wholesomeness and urbane sophistication with her wavy bob, which also sets her apart from her fellow, long-tressed Angels on the annual Victoria’s Secret runway. One of the first hair icons to emerge from the millennial set, the model will no doubt be inspiring styling trends for years to come.
karlie kloss / mike coppola, getty images
20
/30
Moss could make a poodle perm look cool. But fortunately for the millions of women who emulate her style, she opted for a more accessible look. Her lived-in layers (also known as bed head) exude a louche glamour that could make even the shyest wallflower look like a rock goddess.
kate moss / david m. benett, Getty Images
21
/30
Why settle for Bergdorf blonde when you can be Bergdorf silver? The New York department store's longtime style arbiter would be virtually unrecognizable without her trademark
whisper gray bob. Chic and trend-proof, it speaks to why she got the job in the first place.
whisper gray bob. Chic and trend-proof, it speaks to why she got the job in the first place.
linda fargo / david kotinsky, Getty images
22
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Arguably no woman’s name is as synonymous with a haircut as the 1920s film star’s. Her short, graphic bob signified liberation from restrictive Victorian mores and was a must for any self-respecting flapper.
louise brooks / john kobal foundation, moviepix via getty images
23
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Monroe’s transformation from starry-eyed Norma Jean ingenue to international sex symbol meant trading her shoulder-length, brunette locks for short, peroxide-blonde waves. Paired with a slick of red lipstick and a heavy lash, it hit the bombshell bull's-eye.
marilyn monroe / alfred eisenstaedt, THe Life Picture Collection Via Getty Images
24
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It was the chop heard 'round the world. When Farrow cut off her flowing tresses on the set of the 1968 film Rosemary’s Baby, it made international headlines (so daring! so modern!) and, according to Hollywood lore, prompted her then-husband Frank Sinatra to serve her with divorce papers. Today, of course, it’s revered as the ne plus ultra of pixie cuts.
mia farrow / pictorial parade, moviepix via getty images
25
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Moffitt incorporated Vidal Sassoon’s legendary five-point cut into her madcap mod ’60s style (which also included Rudi Gernreich designs and heavy, kabuki-style makeup). At 74, she remains admirably faithful to the look that brought her fame.
peggy moffitt / The Hulton Archive, getty images
26
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Long, lustrous and buttery blonde, Huntington-Whiteley’s tresses are the stuff of pure hair fantasy. (And further proof that life can be patently unfair.)
rosie huntington-whiteley / dominique charriau, Wireimage via getty
27
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Parker's ombré Sex and the City curls had the world at “hello.” Even today “Carrie Bradshaw hair” remains an oft-heard request at salons across the country (not to mention an object of worship on Pinterest) — proof that a truly great hairstyle never goes out of fashion.
sarah jessica parker / ron galella ltd, ron galella foundation via getty images
28
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Thick, stick-straight and oh-so-glossy, Wang’s tresses deserve their own shampoo commercial. Note also how their color and cut go perfectly with her minimalist style in what amounts to an excellent study in the art of hair-wardrobe
coordination.
vera wang / bryan bedder, getty images
29
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Lake always made sure a curtain of her Champagne-blonde mane fell over her right eye, giving the actress an air of mystery that was perfect for the femme fatale characters she played in such 1940s noirs as Sullivan’s Travels. Today the peekaboo hairstyle, with its cascading waves and classic Hollywood associations, has become a staple look on the red carpet.
veronica lake / transcendental graphics, getty images
30
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A complete history of Beckham’s hairstyles would necessitate multiple volumes. But it's the sleek, graduated bob she wore in the mid-aughts that seems best remembered. It even had a name: “The Pob” (a portmanteau of “bob” and “Posh Spice”).
victoria beckham / antony jones, uk press via getty images
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