Beauty Throwback: Fame-Worthy Fringe
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Colleen Moore
American silent film actress Colleen Moore wears short blunt bangs in 1926.
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Celeste Holm
Celeste Holm, with short curly bangs, sits with George Jessel in 1949.
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Brigitte Bardot
Brigitte Bardot poses with a long ponytail and voluminous bangs, pictured here in 1954.
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Bette Davis
Bette Davis wearing her bangs very short in 1960.
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Jacqueline Kennedy
It’s a side-swept full bang for the first lady, Jacqueline Kennedy, posing with her newborn son.
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Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn is getting sudsy with this adorable up-do in 1963.
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Cher
Cher wears blunt bangs with an interesting bun atop her head.
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Barbara Feldon
Get Smart actress Barbara Feldon wears bangs with a short pixie cut.
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Jane Fonda
Actress Jane Fonda goes for the side-swept look in 1965.
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Barbara Eden
Barbara Eden the star of I Dream of Jeannie wears her hair curly, with bangs just grazing her eyebrows in 1965.
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Brigitte Bardot
Brigitte Bardot is a blonde with bangs pushed to the side, looking lovely and casual in 1966.
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Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow rocking her short hair with cropped bangs.
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Nancy Sinatra
Singer Nancy Sinatra has very short, barely-there bangs in this bumble bee-esque attire.
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Twiggy
British model and actress Twiggy is rarely seen with long hair, but when she is – she does it right! Blunt cut bangs and all.
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Petula Clark
Petula Clark wears her hair light and volumized, with gorgeous sweeping bangs.
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Joni Mitchell
When we think of bangs, we think of Joni Mitchell! Long, straight hair with blunt bangs: very Joni.
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Debbie Reynolds
Debbie Reynolds visits the Today show with big hair and an even bigger personality.
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The Carpenters
The Carpenters, both wearing this classic style among the flowers.
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Anjelica Huston
Anjelica Huston frames her dark eye makeup perfectly with these long bangs in 1971.
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Donny Osmond
Even men love bangs! Donny Osmond has a great sweeping bang here on the Bob Hope Special.
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Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn looks lovely with a fuller bang here in 1975.
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Donna Summer
Donna Summer looking glamorous on stage with a serious set of bangs.
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Liza Minnelli
Liza Minnelli wears her bangs choppy and short.
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Heather Locklear
Heather Locklear has bombshell hair with tons of volume and sweeping bangs.
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Princess Diana
Princess Diana looked as gorgeous as always – with her signature hairstyle and full bangs.
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Sarah Jessica Parker
A young Sarah Jessica Parker poses here in 1982 with wispy, curly bangs.
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Sarah Ferguson
Sarah Ferguson here with flared bob and choppy bangs, pictured in 1991.
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Tiffani Amber Thiessen
Tiffani Amber Thiessen as Kelly Kapowski definitely had the most wanted hair of her Saved By the Bell cast.
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Kate Moss
Supermodel Kate Moss made a bold statement when she chopped her bangs to a blunt cut.
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Britney Spears
Britney Spears, America’s sweetheart in 1999, with long blonde locks and youthful bangs.
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Emma Watson
A young Emma Watson was the perfect Hermione with these straight-across bangs.
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Selma Blair
Selma Blair rocked this look of a short cut with sweeping bangs, here in 2001.
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Reese Witherspoon
Reese Witherspoon has worn her bangs every which way, and she can pull them all off.
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Kate Middleton
With perhaps the most coveted hair of our generation, the Duchess of Cambridge has the perfect sweeping bangs.
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Rooney Mara
Rooney Mara keeps it interesting with these super short bangs.
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Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift knows how to make a statement (she loves a bold red lip!), and these bangs help her do just that.
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Zooey DeschanelZooey Deschanel is known for being quirky, but she’s also known for those piercing blue eyes and always perfectly styled bangs.Credit: FilmMagic
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Anne HathawayAnne Hathaway knows how to make any look work: even when she had to chop her hair for Les Mis, she’s made the best of it with this gorgeous cut!Credit: WireImage
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Anna Wintour
Anna Wintour at Fashion Week, sporting the bangs we all know and love.
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Michelle Obama
Finally, the most talked-about bangs (do they have their own twitter?), Michelle Obama can do no wrong, looking simply stunning with her new cut.
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Bangs are one hairstyle that's never seemed to go out of style, and women (and men!) have been rocking the look for years.
The technical term for this hairstyle is "fringe," possibly coming from the fringe look of trim on shawls and ornamental fabrics. The term "bang" itself refers to the blunt cut - as it straight across the front. It is speculated that it may have come from the phrase "bang-tail" - which is when a horse's tail is cut straight across. It's a sudden or abrupt stopping point.
Both of these terms are used more loosely now, to describe all shapes and forms of the iconic cut.
Stars have worn the chopped, long, short, sweeping and straight across styles, and are still loving fringe today. It's a hairstyle that fits almost all faces, and is a great way to change up your look. When style icon Kate Moss cut her blunt bangs in the 2000's, she kept the hair trend alive, and pretty much the entire world covets Kate Middleton's long, side-swept bangs.
Michelle Obama's fringe may be the most talked about hairstyle change in recent history, the First Lady calling the new hairstyle her "midlife crisis." And sometimes that's all it takes, a new 'do to start feeling like a whole new you.
Click through the gallery above to see some of the most iconic bangs all the way back to the '20's - and our favorite looks from today!
More from StyeList:
Beauty Throwback: Bold and Beautiful Brows
Hair Throwback: The Ballerina Bun
Famous Fringe: Best and Worst Celebrity Bangs
Find the Best Haircut for Your Face Shape
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