Eesha Kulkarni

Almost twenty years after the iconic show Friends aired on TV, we’re more than ready to tune into ‘The One Where Monica Gets The Recognition She Deserves’ episode, aren’t we?

For decades, young women have been transfixed with Jennifer Aniston’s ‘The Rachel’ haircut, and even though that’s not going out of fashion anytime soon, Gen Z has decided to dethrone Rachel’s hairdo and is now obsessed with the ‘Monica haircut’ in all its layered and tousled glory.

The hashtag #monicagellerhair has been making waves on TikTok with over 370 million views and creators showing off their Monica-inspired hairdo, characterised by voluminous blow dried layers and choppy, textured strands kissing the collarbone. Also known as the ‘bixie’ haircut—the lovechild of a bob and a pixie cut—we can’t get enough of this ’90s nostalgia and it’s definitely making every millennial with a Friends addiction jump with joy.

The generation-defining TV show is arguably synonymous with Rachel Green and her timeless fashion sense and historic hairdo, while her best friend Monica Geller tends to slip under the radar in spite of her equally beautiful style. The character’s hard-to-miss quirks, including her unfailing competitiveness and the obsessive desire to remain clean and organised often overshadows her banging sense of style and reduces her to an archetype. That’s why we’re over the moon that Monica’s gaining traction for being a fashion and beauty icon—better late than never, right?

So, what components is the ‘Monica haircut’ made of? Well, it is basically Courtney Cox’s unforgettable haircut from the first two seasons of Friends, featuring jaw-grazing strands with copious amounts of choppy, fluffy, textured layers and some flicks. The length of this airy, blow dried hair can go up to the collarbone as well.

This trend perfectly compliments the ‘Grandma chic’ vibe inspired by ’90s romantic comedies that’s been blowing up on TikTok recently. The hairstyle is an ode to the ‘coastal flick/coastal grandma’ look defined by Diane Keaton’s ‘all-white button-down shirts, all-cashmere-everything, chinos, bucket hats, capri pants, eating salad at the beach’ energy that is all set to take over autumn fashion and style trends.

But TikTok isn’t the only place where this hairdo is being celebrated though. Actress Sarah Hyland of Modern Family fame, recently gave the ‘Monica haircut’ her stamp of approval—and perhaps even accidentally coined the term, giving birth to the viral trend. She posted a video on TikTok and Instagram in June with the caption, “Took out my extensions and realised my hair had grown into a Monica cut. Needless to say, I’m very excited about this.”

If you want this haircut as badly as we do, run, don’t walk to your trusted hairstylist and request a longer rendition of the ‘bixie’ cut with soft, rounded and shaggy layers hanging around the chin, coupled with face-framing flicks to give it a romantic look.

Now that you’ve taken the plunge and committed to the haircut, it’s time to learn how to style it. The trick to styling this youthful and fun hairdo lies in a rounded barrel brush and a hairdryer to ensure its signature volume and ‘I woke up like this’ quality. Depending on your hair texture and thickness, for some, even roughly drying the hair after a shower would suffice, while some would have to top it off with a setting spray to keep the hair in place.

There are many ways in which you could wear this versatile look, depending on the occasion. Experiment with different styles including middle-parted and blow dried, side flipped, dirty blonde, choppy, wavy, tucked behind the ear, braided and adorned with ’90s butterfly clips and with barely-there flicks or a full-on fringe—the choices are endless.

To maintain your hairdo, make sure to visit your hairdresser every six weeks for a trim and to freshen up your style. And there you have it, the ‘Monica’ haircut of your dreams!

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