Why Jennifer Aniston Is (Still) An Icon For Beachy, Layered Hairstyles

It's been 30 (!) years since Jennifer Aniston introduced us to The Rachel, a choppy, layered haircut sported by her Friends character in 1995. To this day, she continues to inspire many hair transformation through the many looks she's sported throughout her impressive career. From conquering our screens in beloved rom-coms such as Bruce Almighty and Murder Mystery to delivering a stellar performance in The Morning Show (it earned her multiple Golden Globe nominations), Aniston remains one of the most revered actors and style icons of our time.

How to get Jennifer Aniston's hair colour

Her penchant for classic, understated silhouettes mirrors her beauty approach, which is often laid-back and fresh, but always polished and undoubtedly her. 'Jennifer's hair strikes the perfect balance between natural-looking and just that bit more special,' agrees hairstylist Tom Smith, who still gets plenty of clients referencing her look.

'The intricacy of the finely woven colour reads expensive and time-consuming, which sends messages that she is well put together and refined, while the styling shows off the health of her hair and is relaxed enough to look youthful; glossy enough to "wow". It's all about balance and she has the formula down, says Smith. Aniston's been spotted wearing her hair in varying shades of brunette and blonde, but Smith shares that his clients tend to favour Aniston's dark blonde and light brown eras, and when the length is longer.

According to Smith, Aniston's hairstyle works best for those who prefer to look natural but elevated, and her specific hair colour can add warmth to those whose closet veer towards earthy and muted tones.

How Jennifer Aniston styles her hair

As for what we can takeaway from Aniston's signature style? It's about finding the best cut and colour combination that suits you from the off (with little styling) and maintaining that as your base line. It varies everyone, but it is undoubtedly something that you feel your happiest and most comfortable in - whether that's layered or in a '90s chignon ala Aniston, or something completely different.

'You can play around with it a bit to evolve over the seasons and throughout the years by brightening, deepening, shortening or lengthening gradually and subtly, rather than bit dramatic chops,' says Smith. 'In my experience working with those in the public eye, it can often feel safer for them to keep a consistent look and evolve it gradually, rather than making statements with dramatic changes that are likely to garner stronger and more divisive attention.'

Ahead, a look at Jennifer Aniston's hair evolution throughout the years