This eclectic look was made famous in the 1980s when it turned heads paired with bold colours and accessories. It had a brief revival in the early 2000s, when it was sported by celebs including Tyra Banks, Christina Aguilera, and Britney Spears. Now, crimping is getting a makeover for the 2020s.
Was crimped hair an 80s or 90s style? The 80s first popularised crimping due to the big hair trend, but it had a resurgence in 1990 after Christina Aguilera sported the look at the LA Billboard Awards.
Crimped Hair
As we mentioned, the '80s were all about volume and texture, so naturally, crimped waves dominated the decade. While they used to feature tiny zig-zag waves, they're now often created with a wider crimping tool for more modern, loose and (almost beach-like) waves.
Yes, we're talking about crimped hair, which, to either your dismay or delight, seems to be making a major comeback from its '80s and '90s heyday. For those who somehow missed out on the decade of excess, crimping is styling straight or straightened hair so it gets a zigzag-wavy look to it using a crimping iron.
Crimped hair, a technique of styling straight hair, dates back to the '80s. Using a crimping iron, the hair falls in a zig-zag, wavy pattern, but not beach weaves or loose curls. It is a statement-making hairstyle that saw a major revival in the 2000s.
A crimping iron has parallel heated plates designed with a flat S-shaped repeating groove. In 1972, the modern crimping iron was invented by Geri Cusenza, the original founder of Sebastian, for Barbra Streisand's hair. Crimping peaked in mainstream popularity during the mid-1980s.
The 2000s sported many different kinds of hairstyles, the lustrous bob, ultra-long cuts, pin-straight and glossy dos were seen frequently. In the first half of the decade, long, curly dos like Debra Messing wore in "Will and Grace" were very popular, with shoulder length curls and long layers cut in.
This eclectic look was made famous in the 1980s when it turned heads paired with bold colours and accessories. It had a brief revival in the early 2000s, when it was sported by celebs including Tyra Banks, Christina Aguilera, and Britney Spears. Now, crimping is getting a makeover for the 2020s.
There wasn't just one look that defined the'90s. “The short cropped bob, voluminous, bouncy blowouts, long hair with blunt ends and face-framing layers, sleek updos with face-framing pieces, and voluminous bombshell updos with face-framing pieces were all popular during this time period,” says Marjan.
Crimped hair is definitely back in style. While it's not for everyone, this textured effect certainly adds character to any look. To ensure your crimp looks modern and on-trend, keep it wide-spaced – aim for deep and defined waves rather than tight and tiny crinkles.
"Generation Alpha" applies to children born between 2011 and 2025. They will be raised in smaller and constantly evolving families, digital natives, more tech-savvy than previous generations, globally-connected, diverse, and will live and interact with many more generations.
There are many different types of crimp connectors but the most common are barrel and open barrel. With barrel type connectors the stranded wire is inserted into the cylindrical metal opening (hence, “barrel”) and then crimped.
Hairstyles in the 1980s included the mullet, tall mohawk hairstyles, jheri curls, flattops, and hi-top fades, which became popular styles. Amongst women, large hair-dos, puffed-up styles, permanent waves, and softer cuts typified the decade.
Barbra Streisand, an American singer,and actress, is the one who made crimping hair popular. She has been seen rocking this look ever since the 1970s. Geri Cusenza was then inspired to invent a modern crimping tool in 1975 because of Barbra.
Once shunned for its rather ostentatious volume, the Hollywood blow-dry is making a major comeback in 2025. Ultra-trendy in the 00's, crimped hair is back in style this year. Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Beyoncé - all the pop stars of our time once relied on this particular style to highlight their hair.
In the mid-1980s and through the mid-1990s it was common to see women of all ages from girls, tweens, teens, college and beyond wearing high ponytails or high side ponytails held with a scrunchie.
Crimped Hairstyle
Beginning in the late 1980s and taking off in the following decade, hair crimping is a method of creating small, sawtooth waves in naturally straight hair. Nineties girls and women would achieve this popular look by braiding wet hair overnight or by using a crimping iron for perfectly crimped hair.
'Friends' debuted in 1994 and the straight hair of Jennifer Aniston, who played the character Rachel, was an instant hit with salons being inundated by women asking for a 'Rachel cut'. It remained one of the most popular cuts for a decade, taking over from the curls that were popular in the previous decade.
Historically speaking though, most of us prefer “cramp” to “crimp” when we say, “Don't cramp my style.” However, since there's some occasional confusion over these two similar-sounding verbs, we decided to unpack them. Also, a listener asked us to, and we love our listeners. “Cramp” started off as a noun in the 1500s.
Hexagonal crimping is the most frequent type of crimping for cable lugs and connectors. Hexagonal crimping is one of the more traditional crimping profiles. It is most frequently used in practice, as it is suitable for both copper and aluminium conductors.
In the 80s, people would braid their hair and leave it overnight. To recreate this, you can simply use a crimper. Hair crimpers are styling tools with zig-zag plates that add textured waves to your hair. You can use a crimper to create a unique, all-over style or to add volume to your hair.
Some of the popular hairstyles in the 90s were the bob, the pixie, the 'Rachel,' space buns, and crimped hair. People loved voluminous hair and distinct styles that stood out. What did the 90s style look like? The 90s style was a mix of pop culture and grunge.
From spiky buns to zigzag parts and baby braids, 2000s hairstyles are having another moment, and we're into it. But the resurgence of these trends isn't always exactly how you remember. Today's Y2K inspired looks are a little more modern — and a little less bubble gum.