Byrdie | “Mean Girl Hair” Is Our Fall Beauty Obsession featuring Phenix Founder and Celebrity Stylist Gina Rivera

Mean girls have stolen the attention all through pop culture history, especially in the aughts. But it wasn’t just their zingers that had us hanging onto every word—it was also their flawless beauty looks. That’s why the “mean girl hair” is making the rounds. Think prissy, fluffy hair that would feel at home on the popular girl in a teen movie from yesteryear—it’s Cher and Dionne’s coordinated headbands in Clueless, Isis from Bring It On and her sky-high pony, or Regina George, the ultimate Mean Girl, with her voluminous blowout.

For more recent examples, look to Astrid Sloan in The Politician, or Riverdale’s Cheryl blossom—and IRL, Normani and Rachel Sennott have taken the hair inspiration for a spin. No matter what decade it lives in, it’s hair that’s shiny, polished, and basically says, “I’m better than you.” Though we don’t encourage anyone to adopt a mean-girl vibe, we do suggest copying their hair. Here’s how to get the mean girl hair trend, no attitude adjustment required.