70s hairstyles for women are one of the most enduring sources of vintage inspiration in modern beauty. The decade gave us bold, free-spirited looks that celebrated natural texture, volume, and individuality in ways that feel completely fresh and relevant today. From the iconic feathered hair of Hollywood stars to the electric energy of disco hairstyles, the 1970s produced some of the most recognizable and beloved looks in hair history. This guide covers all the major styles, how to recreate them, and why they deserve a permanent place in your rotation.
Why 70s Hairstyles Are the Ultimate Vintage Inspiration
The 1970s was a decade of liberation, self-expression, and cultural revolution, and the hairstyles of the era reflected all of that energy. Unlike the rigid, heavily set styles of the previous decade, 70s hairstyles celebrated movement, natural texture, and effortless glamour. Whether worn pin-straight and center-parted, big and curly, or blown out to dramatic volume, hair in the 70s was always full of personality. Today’s revival of these looks taps into a collective desire for warmth, authenticity, and a break from the overly polished aesthetics of recent years. The vintage inspiration drawn from this decade continues to influence runway collections, celebrity styling, and everyday beauty in deeply meaningful ways.
Feathered Hair: The Most Iconic 70s Hairstyle
Feathered hair is perhaps the single most iconic hairstyle to emerge from the 1970s. Made famous by Farrah Fawcett and countless other stars of the decade, this look is defined by long layers that are blow-dried outward and backward from the face using a round brush, creating a wing-like effect on either side of the head. The layers catch the light and move with every step, giving the style a dynamic, almost ethereal quality. To achieve feathered hair today, ask your stylist for long, face-framing layers with plenty of graduation. At home, section the hair and use a large round brush with your blow dryer to lift each layer upward and outward, directing the airflow from roots to ends. Finish with a light-hold spray to preserve the shape and movement without stiffness. The result is a hairstyle that is simultaneously retro and timelessly glamorous.
💡 Pro Tip: A boar-bristle round brush is the gold standard for achieving perfect feathered hair — it grips each section firmly while distributing heat evenly, giving you that smooth, polished wing with maximum volume.
70s Layered Hair: Movement, Volume, and Dimension
70s layered hair took the concept of the layered cut to its most dramatic and expressive extreme. Unlike modern shag cuts or subtle long layers, the 70s version was characterized by heavy graduation, strong face-framing layers, and a shaggy, voluminous silhouette that started at the chin and cascaded all the way down the back. The shag haircut, popularized by artists and rock musicians of the era, is the quintessential version of this style: cropped, textured layers throughout the top and crown, with longer, wispy ends and often a full fringe across the forehead. To style 70s layered hair, rough-dry with a diffuser for natural texture, then go through with a round brush section by section to enhance the volume and shape of each layer. The finished look should feel lived-in and full of movement rather than structured or stiff.
💡 Pro Tip: Ask your stylist for a razor cut rather than scissors when getting 70s layered hair — razor cutting removes weight and creates those signature soft, feathery ends that give the style its characteristically airy, undone finish.
Disco Hairstyles: Big, Bold, and Glamorous
Disco hairstyles brought a new level of theatrical glamour to the 1970s. The disco era demanded hair that could hold its own under spinning mirror balls and colored lights, which meant volume, shine, and drama were non-negotiable. The most iconic disco hairstyle was the voluminous afro or the tightly curled, high-volume blowout, both of which created a striking, show-stopping silhouette. For women with straight or wavy hair, disco looks involved setting hair in large rollers or using a curling iron to create big, bouncy curls that were then separated and fluffed for maximum volume. Glossy, high-shine finishes were essential — hair oil and shine sprays were staples of every disco-era styling routine. The overall effect was opulent, larger-than-life, and unapologetically glamorous.
💡 Pro Tip: To get authentic disco-era shine, apply a small amount of hair oil to dry, styled hair and smooth it over the surface — this adds the luminous, glass-like gloss that made 70s glamour looks so visually arresting under stage lighting.
The Center Part with Long Straight Hair
The deep center part with long, flowing straight hair was the signature look of the folk and bohemian side of the 1970s. Worn by musicians, artists, and free spirits of the era, this style embodied a sense of natural beauty and effortless authenticity. To recreate it, start with freshly washed, conditioned hair and apply a smoothing serum before blow-drying with a paddle brush to remove any natural texture. Use a fine-tooth comb to create a perfectly precise center part, then flat iron small sections from roots to ends for a polished, mirror-like finish. This look works best on medium to long hair and is especially striking when paired with 70s-style accessories like wide-brimmed hats, headbands, or delicate hair scarves tied loosely around the crown.
💡 Pro Tip: Use a silk-based smoothing serum rather than a silicone-heavy one for long center-parted hair — it gives you the same sleek, glossy finish without buildup or heaviness that can weigh fine hair down over the course of the day.
The 70s Shag Haircut: Textured and Effortlessly Cool
The shag haircut is arguably the most influential haircut to come out of the 1970s, and its popularity has never truly faded. Characterized by heavy, choppy layers throughout, a full fringe or curtain bangs, and a deliberately tousled, undone finish, the shag is the perfect embodiment of 70s counterculture style. This cut works on virtually every hair type — straight shags look edgy and cool, wavy shags look effortlessly beautiful, and curly shags celebrate natural texture in the most flattering way possible. To style a modern 70s shag, apply a texturizing cream or mousse to damp hair and either air-dry for a natural finish or diffuse for added volume. Run a small amount of texturizing paste through the ends to define the layers and add that signature tousled, lived-in quality.
💡 Pro Tip: If you have fine hair and want a shag with serious volume, flip your head upside down while diffusing — this builds extraordinary root lift and gives the layers that full, bouncy silhouette the 70s shag is known for.
Voluminous Curls and Natural Texture
The 1970s was a groundbreaking decade for the celebration of natural hair texture, particularly for Black women who embraced the afro as a powerful symbol of identity, pride, and beauty. The afro — worn big, round, and free — became one of the most iconic and politically significant hairstyles in American history during this period. Beyond the afro, the decade celebrated all forms of natural curl and wave, from loose, bouncy ringlets to tight, defined coils. To honor the spirit of 70s natural texture today, focus on deep hydration and definition. Use a rich leave-in conditioner, a curl-defining cream, and diffuse on a low heat setting to enhance your natural pattern without disrupting it. Finish with a light gel or mousse for hold and frizz control.
💡 Pro Tip: The LOC method (Leave-in, Oil, Cream) applied to damp hair before diffusing is the best way to achieve the moisturized, defined, voluminous curl silhouette that defined natural 70s texture at its most beautiful.
The Farrah Fawcett Blowout: Hollywood Glamour at Its Peak
No guide to 70s hairstyles for women would be complete without a dedicated section on the Farrah Fawcett blowout. This look — characterized by voluminous, multi-layered feathered hair blown dramatically outward and backward from the face in thick, luminous waves — became the defining image of 1970s feminine glamour. To recreate it, start with a volumizing mousse applied at the roots of damp hair. Blow-dry in sections using a large round brush, lifting each layer upward and directing the ends outward away from the face. Once dry, use a large-barrel curling iron to add gentle waves and further define the feathered layers. Separate and fluff the waves with your fingers rather than a brush for that characteristically airy, free-moving finish.
💡 Pro Tip: Flip your head upside down for the final two minutes of blow-drying to dramatically boost root volume — this is the single biggest secret behind achieving that enormous, lifted silhouette the Farrah Fawcett blowout is famous for.
Tips for Styling 70s Hairstyles Today
Bringing 70s hairstyles into your modern routine is easier than you might think. Here are the key tips to keep in mind for every look from the decade:
- Volume is everything: Almost every 70s look is built on volume. Invest in a good volumizing mousse, root spray, or powder and use it every single time you style. Flat hair is not a 70s hair.
- Master the round brush blowout: A large round brush and a powerful blow dryer are the two most important tools for 70s styling. Practice the technique of lifting and directing the airflow until it feels natural.
- Let the layers do the work: If you have 70s layered hair or a shag cut, trust the cut itself to create the shape. Over-styling layered hair with too many products can collapse the movement.
- Use shine-enhancing products wisely: Gloss sprays and light hair oils are your best friends for disco-inspired looks. Apply sparingly to avoid weighing the hair down and killing volume.
- Embrace the imperfect finish: 70s hair was full of texture and personality. Do not chase perfection — a slightly undone, effortlessly free finish is far more authentic than something overly controlled.
- Accessories amplify the look: Wide headbands, silk scarves, hair picks, and barrettes are all quintessentially 70s. Use them to add an extra layer of vintage inspiration to any style.
- Get the right haircut first: Many 70s looks depend heavily on the cut. Bring reference photos to your stylist and specifically ask for a shag, feathered layers, or a 70s-inspired graduation for the best results.
- Protect before you heat: Whether you are blowing out feathered hair or using a curling iron for disco curls, always apply a heat protectant beforehand to keep your hair healthy and damage-free over time.
Best Products for 70s Hairstyles
The right product selection makes a dramatic difference when recreating 70s hairstyles for women. For the Farrah Fawcett blowout and feathered hair, a strong volumizing mousse — such as those by Moroccanoil or Kenra — is the essential foundation. A professional-grade ionic blow dryer with multiple heat settings and a concentrator nozzle gives you the control needed for precise sectional blowouts. For disco hairstyles and high-shine looks, a lightweight gloss spray or hair oil adds luminosity without heaviness. Curl-defining creams and gel-cream hybrids are perfect for enhancing natural texture and recreating voluminous 70s curls. For the tousled, textured finish of 70s layered hair and shag cuts, a sea salt or texturizing spray applied to dry hair adds immediate grip, grit, and that effortless lived-in quality the decade celebrated.
70s Hairstyles for Women: Embrace the Vintage Inspiration
70s hairstyles for women offer a rich and endlessly inspiring range of looks that transcend trend cycles. From the free-spirited glamour of feathered hair to the bold drama of disco hairstyles and the effortless cool of 70s layered hair, this decade gave us a vocabulary of style that continues to shape modern beauty. The vintage inspiration of the 1970s is not just about nostalgia — it is about embracing volume, movement, individuality, and the kind of effortless confidence that never goes out of fashion. Pick your favorite look, gather your tools, and let the decade inspire your most stunning hair moment yet.
Which 70s hairstyle speaks to you most? Leave a comment below and explore our full library of hairstyle guides for even more looks to love!
