The 1970s were a wild time for fashion and hair. Bell-bottoms, platform shoes, and some truly unforgettable hairstyles defined the decade.
While some vintage trends have made comebacks, these 15 haircuts from the disco era are better left in the past where they belong.
1. The Feathered Mullet
Business in front, party in the back, and feathered on top! This triple threat combined the worst elements of multiple styles into one unfortunate package.
Men and women alike embraced this look, with feathered sides framing the face while long strands cascaded down the back.
2. The Wedge Cut
Olympic figure skater Dorothy Hamill sparked this bowl-shaped phenomenon. Short in back with sides that angled sharply toward the face, it created a helmet-like appearance.
The severe geometric shape required frequent salon visits to maintain its precise angles.
3. O Shag
Popularized by Jane Fonda and featured in countless yearbooks, the shag was all about layers upon layers upon layers. Choppy, messy, and deliberately unkempt.
Maintenance involved regular trims to keep those multitude of layers from growing into a shapeless mop.
4. The Perm-Afro Hybrid
Not quite an afro, not quite a perm – this unfortunate middle ground created a frizzy halo effect around the head. Achieved through harsh chemicals and hours under a dryer.
The resulting texture often resembled steel wool more than actual hair.
5. O corte em taça
Imagine placing an actual bowl on someone’s head and cutting around it. That’s exactly what happened with this budget-friendly disaster that parents inflicted upon their children.
The perfectly circular shape created an unmistakable mushroom silhouette.
6. The Pageboy Flip
A chin-length cut with ends curled dramatically outward like wings attempting takeoff. First lady Pat Nixon made this style famous during the early 70s.
Achieving the perfect flip required sleeping in uncomfortable rollers or daily battles with a hot curling iron.
7. The Ultra-Bouffant
Sky-high volume achieved through aggressive backcombing and enough hairspray to deplete the ozone layer. Women would tease their hair mercilessly to create maximum height.
Rain was the mortal enemy of this architectural wonder that could add six inches to one’s height.
8. The Side-Parted Shaggy Mop
Favored by teen heartthrobs, this style featured long, straight hair parted deeply to one side, often hanging over one eye. Think Leif Garrett or Shaun Cassidy.
The constant head-flipping required to keep hair out of one’s face became a signature move for wearers.
9. The Sideburns-Mustache Combo
Massive mutton chop sideburns connected directly to an equally impressive mustache created a furry frame around men’s faces. Extra points if paired with a chest-baring shirt and gold medallion.
The maintenance routine involved careful trimming to maintain the perfect facial hair highway.
10. O flip da Farrah
Farrah Fawcett’s signature style featured feathered layers that flipped back from the face in perfect waves. The iconic poster adorned millions of walls.
What people forget is how much work went into achieving those seemingly effortless flips – hours of blow-drying and round-brush manipulation.
11. The Dippity-Do Helmet
Slathered in Dippity-Do gel and blown dry into submission, this style created a solid, immovable helmet of hair. Popular with both suburban moms and disco dancers.
The rock-hard texture could withstand hurricane-force winds without a strand moving out of place.
12. The Zigzag Part
Someone decided straight parts were boring and zigzag parts were the answer. Created using a rattail comb and extreme precision, this look screamed “I spent way too long on my hair today.”
Often paired with barrettes or colorful clips for maximum impact.
13. The Overgrown Sideburns
Men’s sideburns reached epic proportions during this decade. The wider and longer, the better – some extended all the way to the jawline or beyond.
These facial hair statements required constant trimming to maintain their perfect rectangular or triangular shape.
14. The Center-Parted Curtain
Long, straight hair parted precisely down the middle created the infamous “curtain effect.” Popularized by hippie culture, this style required hair ironing before flat irons existed.
Achieving the perfect straight curtain often involved ironing hair between sheets of brown paper on an actual ironing board.
15. The Toni Home Perm Gone Wrong
Home perms rarely turned out as advertised, often resulting in frizzy, over-processed disasters. The smell of ammonia would linger for days after the chemical process.
The resulting texture often resembled ramen noodles more than the soft curls promised on the box.