Jennifer Aniston has revived 'The Rachel' for 2024 - and it suits her perfectly

When Jennifer Aniston switches things up in the beauty department, we sit up and pay attention.

The Hollywood actress practically set the internet alight recently when she stepped out at the Golden Globes, showing off her latest hair update. 

Looking svelte in a strapless Dolce & Gabbana number, the 55-year-old sported a cut that felt richly reminiscent of the style worn by Friends' Rachel Green, the role that catapulted Jennifer to stardom in the mid-1990s. 

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There was less body in her roots this time around, creating a smoother, less rounded shape, but rest assured, the choppiness delivered a serious pang of 90s nostalgia.

Moments from the smash-hit series are comfortably embedded in our collective vernacular, but 'The Rachel' is arguably of equal cultural significance to the classic "We were on a break" moot point. 

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What is 'The Rachel'?

Created by celebrity hairstylist Chris McMillan, 'The Rachel' is a voluminous, feathered cut that finishes just shy of the collarbone. The look features choppy, face-framing layers, flicky ends and works well with a side-parted fringe. 

Tasked with transforming Jennifer's locks into something shorter and smoother, Chris was actually recommended to the actress by her co-star Courteney Cox.

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The inspirations behind the cut come from far and wide, according to Vogue. Manhattan beach surfer dudes played a part, as did model Beri Smithers' chin-skimming lengths and the soft curvature that hairdressing legend Garren was creating for Amber Valletta at around the same time.

 Jennifer debuted the look onscreen in 1995 during a season one episode titled 'The One With the Evil Orthodontist' and the style became her character's signature hairdo.

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During the height of the programme's popularity, stylists were inundated with requests for the cut, despite its 'takes-no-prisoners' approach. ('The Rachel' is notoriously difficult to style – even a whiff of a straightener will kill the volume and leave it looking limp.)

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Even Jennifer struggled to keep the style looking picture perfect, revealing a few years ago at the InStyle Awards that initially she was in awe of the cut, and then she was left with a "frizzy mop" when her own styling abilities fell short.   

But 'The Rachel' just won't quit, especially in this chic new iteration. The cut is still going strong, nearly three decades since it first swished onto our screens. 

Is it Gen-Z's obsession with the 90s that has prompted a resurgence? Certainly that seems to be the case on TikTok, or is it simply its ultra-wearable, blissfully unradical length? 'The Rachel' is really the gift that keeps on giving.