Hair

The Monica Haircut Is Trending Again—Here’s How to Get the Look

For anyone who wants airy layers and lots of volume.

September 20, 2022

Courteney Cox as Monica Geller Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green and Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay circa 1995.

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Jennifer Aniston's iconic “Rachel” hairstyle may be trending once again, but she's not the only Friend to serve up some seriously enviable hair inspo. The “Monica” haircut really hasn't had the attention it deserves—because with its layers, slinky length, and major volume, it has all the components of a smash-hit haircut. Add to that the nostalgic ’90s feel that’s still dominating beauty trends and, honestly, it's on track to go stratospheric.

So what, exactly, is the Monica haircut? Well, zone in on Courteney Cox's exceptional hair game between seasons one and two of Friends. It graduates from a textured choppy bixie—the bob meets pixie hybrid, which features a jaw-length cut and layers at the crown—to a longer midi, collarbone-length rendition.

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Plus, it nods to the coastal flick hair trend that pro hairstylist Tom Smith predicted would take off for autumn (and also serve up cozy vibes). “The midi flick [shape] is inspired by the coastal grandmother trend that's going round the States at the moment,” he said. “It's that midlength, blow-dried, slightly housewife-y, flicky vibe.”

It's a “continuation of the fluffy blow-dries that we saw earlier this year,” he added. And is typically styled “collarbone-length with a flick at the bottom [and] flipped over at the top, with lots of volume, and really aerated.” The shorter length and styling technique of both give a more rounded shape. Just make sure you have a barrel brush and a hair dryer for extra body.

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Celebrities are getting involved too, with Sarah Hyland accidentally jumping on the trend earlier this year and loving it. In June she posted a video to Instagram with the caption “Took out my extensions and realized my hair had grown in to a Monica cut. Needless to say, I am very excited about this.”