When it comes to icons, there's no one like Cher. For six decades, Cher has been an absolute force in the entertainment industry, maintaining her relevance through continuous self-reinvention, which, of course, keeps fans and the media interested in what she's doing. During an interview with "Good Morning Britain" in 2023, Cher talked about how, when you get older, there are certain expectations for women, like giving up tight jeans and going for shorter, more conventional hairstyles. But that's not something Cher will be signing up for anytime soon.
"I just can't believe I will be 80 at some point, sooner than I wish, and I will still be wearing my jeans, and I will still be wearing long hair, and I will still be doing the same stuff I've always done," Cher said, via PS. While Cher has definitely toned things down compared to her hairstyles from the '70s and '80s, some of those hair moments are unforgettable. From a platinum pixie to inspire your next super short haircut, to her foray into mullets of various colors, part of Cher's legacy will always be what she did with her hair. That, and of course, her thoughts on not letting a man ever stand in her way.
When Cher started her career, she was known for her long, dark - almost black - pin-straight hair. It was definitely the look of the 1960s, and Cher nailed it. Although she switched up how she styled it, for a while she had great blunt bangs, a low-maintenance bang style that can easily change up any look. But because she's Cher and keeping things fashion forward has always been a major part of who she is, she added blunt side pieces that naturally curved into her cheekbones. When it comes to side parts versus middle parts, many steer clear of the latter because it takes a whole boatload of confidence to put your facial features front and center. Because of this, it comes as no surprise that Cher has rocked the middle part off and on throughout her career: she's a woman who embraces her looks - both the natural ones and those she paid for as she got older.
Unlike some celebs who have been vocal about avoiding plastic surgery, Cher has been very vocal about what she has and hasn't had done. During a 1972 performance, Cher took to the stage in a red cutout Bob Mackie dress with her usual long hair teased up into what can only be described as a chic, wildly puffy ponytail. Not only was it an over-the-top yet glamorous look that perfectly encapsulated the decade, but there was also a softness to this particular hairstyle. For four seasons, from 1971 to 1974, "The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour" was a hit show in which Cher and her then-husband, Sonny Bono, acted out a variety of skits and welcomed celebrity special guests. The series allowed the couple to have fun and show off their acting skills, as they'd already made a name for themselves as a singing duo. It also allowed Cher to explore different styles and fashion trends, as evidenced here with this short pixie.
While the zig-zag style called crimping - a throwback hairstyle only Gen X remembers wearing - wouldn't really hit the mainstream and be everywhere until the 1980s, it was a look that was already getting traction in the 1970s thanks to the invention of the crimping iron in 1972. In 1978, Cher posed for a photoshoot in L.A., not only rocking crimped hair, but a side ponytail, as if ushering in what would ultimately be the look of the next decade. If ever there were two celebrities who made the 1980s look good, they were Cher and Grace Jones. Fearless in her approach to style, in 1984, she jumped on the Grace Jones bandwagon with a slicked-back pixie. Because the cut wasn't '80s enough, Cher had her tips bleached to complete the manifestation of her becoming a major style icon of the decade. While certainly a severe look, it's one that Cher easily pulled off, and it was very complementary to her high cheekbones and large, almond-shaped eyes.
If you were alive in the 1980s and didn't don a big, spiky mullet at some point, then you really missed out. Although there's a very good chance she was rocking a wig - as Cher wore both purple and blond spikey mullet wigs during the decade - it was still a bold choice. Not everyone can walk around in everyday life with such a 'do and have it look 100% natural, like they were born to have hair this iconic. When Cher attended the Academy Awards in 1986, she wore an intricate ensemble, immediately making Oscar history. Why such a look? Despite winning best actress at Cannes for her role in 1985's "Mask," she was snubbed for an Academy Award nomination. "There were a lot of people who said, 'That's not fashion!' And I said, 'Of course it's not fashion. It's a crazy getup for attention.' And it did get attention - people talk about it still," designer Bob Mackie told Vanity Fair in 2022. While the look isn't entirely Cher's hair and includes a massive headdress, it's still one of her most unforgettable hair looks for exactly the reason Mackie explained: people still talk about it.
Like a lot of celebrities, especially in the 1980s, Cher launched a fragrance, Uninhibited, in August 1988. For the event held at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, Cher attended with her hair looking every bit like that of her character, Loretta Castorini, from 1987's "Moonstruck," for which she won her first and only Oscar. While perhaps a little conventional for Cher, it was a soft and beautiful style that proved that sometimes, low-key is better. While Cher isn't a celeb who has naturally curly hair, you'd never assume otherwise with this look. One of the ways that Cher has been able to keep delivering iconic hair looks, like a long and platinum 'do, is thanks to wigs. As she told British Vogue in January 2022, she learned early on from experience how much damage can be done to one's natural hair when it's dyed too often. "I had to dye it red and it ended up being black with red polka dots - it was awful," Cher said of her hair for her role in 1985's "Mask," adding that it led to her having to get a buzzcut.
Every Dramatic Outfit Reveal from the Cher Show Season1
Wigs as a Tool for Cher’s Signature Looks
One of the ways that Cher has been able to keep delivering iconic hair looks, like a long and platinum 'do, is thanks to wigs. Her careful use of wigs allowed her to experiment with extreme styles while protecting her natural hair. The 1980s alone showcased a range of bold choices, including spiky mullets in various colors, often created with wigs to achieve flawless looks on stage and on red carpets.
From the platinum pixie of the early years to the dramatic mullet experiments of the 1980s, Cher’s hair has always been a statement. Even when she embraced more subdued styles later, wigs remained a reliable tool for rapid transformations without long-term damage to her own tresses. In this way, Cher’s hair history reads like a timeline of fashion experimentation that balanced risk, glamour, and practicality.
Key turning points in Cher’s hair evolution
- 1960s: Long, dark, pin-straight hair defines Cher’s early era, with occasional blunt bangs and subtle side pieces.
- 1970s: The era of experimentation begins-short pixie looks appear, alongside crimped textures and playful styling during The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour era.
- 1980s: A bold, high-contrast look dominates-slicked-back pixies, color bleaches, and the iconic mullet wigs accompany major style moments and red-carpet appearances.
- Late 1980s-1990s: Wigs continue to support Cher’s evolving public persona, with select hairstyles echoing characters and film roles she embodied.
- 2020s: Cher discusses aging openly, maintaining jeans and long hair as a personal stance, while continuing to leverage wigs for iconic or dramatic looks when desired.
In sum, Cher’s relationship with hair is less about a single signature and more about a continuum of reinventions. She has openly discussed her choices over the years, including her use of wigs to protect her natural hair and to achieve super-bold fashion statements without compromising hair health.