Cuts, celebrity style

Jennifer Aniston’s ‘Rachel’ haircut from the hit television series “Friends” is the most requested hairstyle of all time with almost 11 million women trying out the look.

The cut - bouncy and full of choppy, face-framing layers - was created by stylist Chris McMillan and first sported by Aniston when she featured as Rachel Green in the show in 1994, reports express.co.uk.

“I have noticed lots of beauty editors have been asking me recently for it (Aniston’s haircut) and it is still going strong after 15 years,” said Mark Woolley, a celebrity hairstylist in London. “It is a cut that flatters almost everyone, designed to make women look beautiful.”

Rose-Marie Jarvis, a representative of the company Goody, which commissioned the study of 3,000 women, said, “It is no secret that many women take inspiration from celebrities when it comes to their appearance. For women, hair is our most creative fashion accessory.”

Hairstylists in Pakistan agree that women are rather influenced by celebrities. Saba Ansari of Sabs told The Express Tribune, “My clients are impressed by Bollywood stars and they want hairstyles like that of Priyanka Chopra and Kareena Kapoor. There is a certain class of people in Karachi who want hair styling like that of Hollywood actors; but I must say they are definitely crazy about Bollywood.”

Ansari also mentioned a look for Maria Wasti she did to complement Wasti’s negative character in a TV show, and this “became a very famous hair style amongst my clients.”

Aliya Tipu of Allenora says, “Bollywood hair styles are ‘in’ these days amongst my clients.

People just love Deepika Pakudone’s hair styling and even that of Katrina Kaif. But dominant amongst these remain the all time favourites Priyanka Chopra and Sushmita Sen.”

“As far as hair colour is concerned my clients want to follow TV host Shaista Wahidi’s hair colour texture.”

But Tipu also believes this celebrity inspiration has its pitfalls.

“My clients request for a specific cut or colour because they want to follow a particular super star, regardless of whether it will suit them or not, which I believe should not be the case.”

Nina Lotia, on the other hand, thinks her clients do not have any such aspirations.

“No, they are not (charmed by such hair cuts)”, Lotia told The Express Tribune. “My clients are very individualistic. The Rachel Green stuff is no more. I don’t have a clientele of that kind.”

In the UK, the second most popular hair style with women is of actor Meg Ryan’s choppy, cropped bob from the film Sleepless in Seattle.

British TV show “X Factor” judge Dannii Minogue’s sleek brunette bob cut is the third most popular style.

The poll showed that Victoria Beckham’s posh bob cut and Princess Diana’s short, classic cut were also popular, as was Farrah Fawcett’s flipped out curls from the original “Charlie’s Angels” television show.

IANS WITH ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY SAADIA QAMAR

Published in the Express Tribune, May 28th, 2010.