The 1920s were an important period for women’s hair. Women took more control over their own appearance (and lives), in that they rejected many of the conventions which society dictated was acceptable. The shorter, bobbed cuts coincided with the rise of the cosmetics industry, when it became fashionable to imitate the look of actresses such as the film star Clara Bow.

People have been styling their hair since time began,” she said, “for the same reasons that we do today. Practicality, decoration, tradition or customs, and to show allegiance or involvement in a particular group or part of society. Hairstyles signify a huge amount.” But then there’s the times when a certain cut can enchant the world. One example is ‘The Rachel’, as worn by Jennifer Aniston’s character in the US sitcom Friends. The cut debuted in a 1995 episode and its inventor, stylist Chris McMillan, had people fly to his salon in Los Angeles specifically to get the same cut from him.

Rocking the Ice Age

But that’s no new thing. People copied The Rachel just as others emulated the styles of kings and queens centuries before. Rachael said: “One of the key differences in modern celebrity society is that the speed of these changes is more immediate thanks to social media, and that looks are perhaps more achievable thanks to advances in technology and a broader availability of affordable wigs and hairpieces.”