The Philosophy of Big Hair in the 1980s: Power, Excess, and Glamour
By Alexus Mosley
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In the 1980s, your hair arrived and greeted others before you did. As the unofficial uniform of the decade, big hair represented America’s stance on visibility, ambition, and excess. The height was everything but subtle, and volume wasn't negotiable. Meant to rival shoulder pads, sharp enough to cut glass, big hair was a part of the “more is more “ philosophy that was prevalent in America. Fashion reflected that maximalist attitude with bigger silhouettes, louder colors, and bold textures, while hair followed suit, mirroring the decade’s larger-than-life attitude and its love affair with looking important.
The era’s Reaganomics-fueled economic expansion created a culture of conspicuous success. The boom years encouraged Americans to “perform” success. Wealth was meant to be seen, and one was to appear prosperous, confident, and commanding. Big hair became one of the most accessible ways to embody that energy.
Diana Ross (1985) Photo Credit/Getty Images
And this wasn’t just a women’s club. Crucially, big hair transcended gender. Men like Michael Jackson and glam rock bands like Bon Jovi joined in on the volume wars, too. Leaning all the way into teased layers and gravity-defying texture, Pop culture personas such as Brooke Shields and Cher turned their hair into branding, and for Diana Ross’ volume, its own persona. On television, every woman from Dallas to Dynasty seemed to wear her ambition in the form of perfectly styled, immovable magnitude. Aqua Net clouds were a rite of passage, while perms and Jheri curl kits reshaped texture into bouncy, glossy permanence. And what those two couldn’t achieve on their own were met with Windmere Crimper, barrel curls, hot rollers, and paddle brushes. Achieving big hair was a commitment to a sort of drama.
American rock band Bon Jovi during their first visit to Japan in August 1984.
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Cher at the 55th Academy Awards in 1983, Brooke Shields circa 1982 in New York City
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Looking back, the philosophy of big hair feels almost poetic. The decade wanted to take up space, socially, economically, and visually. Big hair was glamour, rebellion, power dressing, and consumer culture all sprayed into place. The 80s serve as a reminder that sometimes, being seen is the whole point.