Fashion

These 'Sex And The City' Hairdos Are Majorly Dated

by Tyler Atwood

The 1990s and early aughts were aesthetically exquisite and relevant in a myriad of ways, but some of the epoch's cultural contributions were somewhat questionable. Case in point, the hairstyles on Sex and the City 's early seasons were an ode to curling irons and crimpers, pins and pomade. Though tousled waves and straightened locks continued to dominate pop culture long after Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, and Samantha took their final bows, the vast majority of hairdos displayed on the show didn't exhibit similar longevity.

Read more: The 10 Best Hair Clips For Thick Hair In 2022

However, gazing back at the tress trends that graced each episode is akin to taking a nostalgic stroll down memory lane. Charlotte's headbands and crimped hair recall middle school hair experimentation, Carrie's fierce curls harken back to a time when owning a straightening iron wasn't yet a beauty necessity, and Miranda's angular pixie cuts bring to mind the era when every female celebrity under the sun was toying with a drastic cut. Take a seat in front of your computer, pour yourself a cosmopolitan, and toast to 12 Sex and the City hairstyles so dated you can actually pinpoint your age when the episode first aired.

1. Charlotte's Crimped Locks (212, La Douleur Exquise)

Whether an iron or tight braids were your crimping tool of choice, crinkled locks were all the rage in the '90s and early aughts. Of course, Charlotte's foray into the style only lasted for the length of an episode, but the look remains iconic.

2. Miranda's Tousled Crop (101, Sex and the City)

Season one of Sex and the City saw Miranda with fiery orange locks and a lightly ruffled crop that betrayed her devil-may-care attitude about dating in the Big Apple.

3. Samantha's Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy Baby Blonde Layered 'Do (101, Sex and the City)

Baby blonde locks a la Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy ruled the streets of New York City in the '90s. As Sex and the City's resident trend guru and public relations pundit, Samantha simply had to test-drive the style, layered locks and all.

4. Samantha's Streamlined Half-Updo (201, Take Me Out To The Ballgame)

An unusually prim Samanatha exhibited another of the decade's most notorious looks when she sported a streamlined half-updo modeled to look like a partial french twist, most likely achieved utilizing a tortoiseshell claw clip.

5. Carrie's Sleek, Flat-Ironed Locks (211, Evolution)

The era of the straightening iron, whose end date still remains to be seen, was ushered in by a freshly curl-free Carrie. Though Sarah Jessica Parker would likely appear radiant even with second-day bedhead, the loss of her signature spirals was a shock to viewers around the world.

6. Carrie's Bump It 'Do (508, I Love A Charade)

Admittedly, the Bump It hasn't completely disappeared from mainstream culture, but Carrie exhibited the style during the show's fifth season, when the look was at its height of popularity.

7. Charlotte's Pageboy Flip (110, The Baby Shower)

Few styles evoke the spirit of the '90s more than the prim, polished pageboy flip, a style adored by the equally elegant Charlotte during the show's first two seasons.

8. Carrie's Wild Curls (112, Oh Come All Ye Faithful)

Both insouciant and utterly youthful, Carrie's windswept curls are easily traced to the show's first two seasons, when the 1990s and the era of naturalistic grunge were winding to a close.

9. Carrie's Cropped Curls (503, Luck Be an Old Lady)

The early aughts were a time of stylistic experimentation, and a number of valiant celebrities led by Sarah Jessica Parker herself played with a dramatic haircut now known as the Lob.

10. Charlotte's Coiled Updo (109, The Turtle and the Hare)

The late '90s ushered in an obsession with theatrical updos featuring all manner of coils, curls, twists, and knots, a look favored by Charlotte in Sex and the City's first season.

11. Charlotte's Headband (310, All or Nothing)

A fiercely traditional Charlotte clung to the 1990s by displaying a headband and smoothed layers well into Sex and the City's third season.

12. Miranda's Voluminous Pixie Cut (207, The Chicken Dance)

Miranda's pixie cut experienced a number of metamorphoses during the series' first several seasons, but the 'do's voluminous, mousse-laden rendition clearly demarcated the show's second year.

Images: HBO