Jennifer Aniston’s “Soft Rachel” Hairstyle Is Both Nostalgic And New

There’s something about a layered, ’90s-inspired haircut. Feathery and face-framing, it’s pretty universally flattering. Jennifer Aniston would know all about it – she’s the woman whose “Rachel” haircut, named for her Friends character Rachel Green, defined the decade. Rachel bounded into the end of season 1 of the sitcom sporting choppy shoulder-length strands with chunky visible layers, and instantly inspired millions of women to book a hair appointment.

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“The original Rachel was so iconic because it was the mid-’90s and we’d just come out of this period of grunge; people were getting bored of this ‘no-hair hair’ and ‘no make-up make-up’,” celebrity hairstylist Luke Hersheson told British Vogue. “When Rachel Green appeared she was the opposite to all of that. She had a full on haircut – the kitchen sink of haircuts – and it was very layered and obviously cut.”

Hershesons The Multi-Tasker

Decades have passed since women were showing pictures of Rachel Green to their hairstylists, but Aniston apparently still carries a flame for her most famous hairstyle. Just yesterday, the star stepped out in New York City with a modern update on the sort of bumped-in ends that became a phenomenon in her sitcom heyday. Call this effortless, more wearable take the “soft Rachel”.