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Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen Have Been Setting Hair Trends Since The '90s — Here Are Their Best Looks

The duo have embodied every trend to cross our consciousness.

by Olivia Young
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Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have been setting hairstyle trends since the '90s

The Olsen twins are famously elusive, only coming out for the occasional Fashion Week or highly anticipated annual Met Gala appearances. These too brief moments are now taken as rare opportunities to rave over their congruent mermaid waves and cool-girl updos. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have been hairstyle icons since practically the day they were born — here's a look back at their best looks.

These days, people put unprecedented amounts of energy into recreating The Row designers' trademark rib-length beach waves, but back in the Full House era, it was all about bangs and bow-clad high ponies. The '90s gave way to a namesake movie franchise that made them even more iconic and that inevitably led every then-teen — Olsens not spared — into the Laguna Beach era. (A moment of silence for your side-swept bangs.)

Over the past three decades, the duo has been there to embody every blip of a trend to cross our consciousness. In fact, many they set themselves. The sisters have come a long way from bandanas and butterfly clips to the natural waves they're now known for. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's best hairstyles ever — like, in all 33 years — ahead.

Their Signature Beach Waves

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The Zoe Report recently tapped Mary-Kate and Ashley's longtime hairstylist, Mark Townsend, for the secrets to their effortlessly cool, always impeccable, purposely disheveled waves, and do you know what he said? They barely even touch it. "They literally have trained themselves to wash, condition, and brush out their hair while they're in the shower," he said, calling them "100% air-dry girls now."

The Occasional Addition Of A Bohemian Accessory

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Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have been Met Gala mainstays for more than a decade. The past two years have had something in common: bohemian hair accessories. In 2017, Mary-Kate wore a long, gypsy-like chain woven into her waves. The following year, Ashley's was adorned with a vintage headband.

Slicked-Down Low Buns

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When the time comes for a sleek and sophisticated updo, the twins turn to a trusty, slicked-down low bun. This, with a statement earring, is their go-to. Both sisters made their 2014 CFDA Fashion Awards entrance with this hairstyle, which is — knowing them — exactly what they planned for.

Old-School Flippy Bob

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If the sight of a puffed-out bob with streaky highlights flipping out at the ends doesn't evoke immediate flashbacks to your childhood, then you could not have been a '90s kid. This was the look made cool by the likes of Britney Spears and Drew Barrymore. Lately, the Kardashian-Jenner clan, Selena Gomez, and Jennifer Lopez (a '90s icon herself) have resurrected the trend.

The '90s Fountain Hairstyle

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Now, there is hardly anything more nostalgic than the fountain hairstyle. This usually involved parting your bangs way to the side and twisting your hair in the back, securing it with barrettes or a claw clip so that it erupts from your crown like a volcano — oh, and with butterfly clips, as in Mary-Kate and Ashley's case circa Two of a Kind.

Bandana-Wrapped Ponytails

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Similar to the flippy bob, claw clip, and butterfly hair accessories, the old-school bandana has made a recent comeback, too. Here the Olsens are at 7 years old — 1993 — with classic red bandanas tied into their high ponytails. You'll be seeing this look on Instagram any day now, guaranteed.

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