Forget ‘The Rachel’ - everyone’s talking about Allie’s hair on Off Campus. Here’s what happened when I got it
There has never been a more iconic TV hairstyle than ‘the Rachel’ Jennifer Aniston rocked on Friends – but Allie Hayes’ shaggy bangs in Off Campus may have just dethroned it.
Women all over the globe are racing to the salon or cracking out the kitchen scissors to replicate actress Mika Abdalla’s statement look, myself included.
Dean is obsessed with Allie in Off Campus. We're all obsessed with her hair. Prime Video
I had just returned from my honeymoon when I sat down to watch Off Campus, took one look at Allie and immediately booked into my hairdresser.
A few days later, I was sporting a slightly longer, wispier version of her bangs after my hairdresser cautioned me against cutting too much, too fast.
Less than 24 hours after that, I was back in my hairdresser’s chair to cut them shorter. I trimmed them again with nail scissors the following week (don’t tell my hairdresser).
I took one look at Allie's bangs and decided I needed them. Prime Video/Maddison Skipper
My new ‘Allie bangs’ had me feeling like a new woman; a cooler, more fashionable version of my former self. The compliments came rolling in and I lapped them up.
Then I had to style my fringe myself for the first time and instantly regretted ever cutting the damn bangs. So how did we get here?
What is ‘the Allie’ haircut?
Marisa Mitchell, one of the hairstylists behind Abdalla’s now-iconic cut, told Teen Vogue ‘the Allie’ is technically a textured shag with short layers and heavier bangs.
Education manager James Kavanagh from ghd told nine.com.au the best thing about the look is it’s super versatile.
“I particularly love it when people embrace their natural curl and texture in their hair,” he said.
If you have waves or curls already, try applying a volume foam or mousse and drying your hair with a diffuser to give them the definition that makes Allie’s style so chic.
If your hair is straight, use a curling wand on irregular sized sections of hair then run your fingers through the curls and add a bit of texture spray for an effortless, undone vibe.
You’ll probably have to style bangs every day regardless of your hair texture but since Allie rocks a messy fringe, it doesn’t have to be perfect.
“Being originally from England I always love when people play around with fringes,” Kavanagh added.
Who wouldn't want this kind of texture and volume on the daily? Prime Video
“Anything from a super blunt bowl fringe like seen on Lily Allen or super elongated curtain bangs for a more undone natural look like we’ve seen recently on Margot Robbie.”
Perhaps this is a sign fringes are about to make a major comeback.
Why does everyone want ‘the Allie’?
TikTok is overflowing with videos of Millennial, Gen Z and even Gen Alpha women embracing ‘the Allie’.
Some are getting the chop at their local hair salon. Many more are just DIY-ing it at home.
Kavanagh suspects the reason ‘the Allie’ has become so popular is because it suits so many hair types.
The girlies are cutting their bangs with kitchen scissors again. @mary_elizabeth986/@makkapakka578/@berrys.roses
“This shaggy wolf cut style can be so versatile as it works on so many different lengths and hair textures,” he said.
He’s all for Aussie women getting ‘the Allie’, especially because it brings back fond memories of ‘the Rachel’ and other iconic cuts.
“I think people should play around with their hair,” Kavanagh said.
“The Rachel was so iconic and has really made a comeback in recent months [as] people are moving away from blunt haircuts.”
Hair trends have shifted more towards layering, face framing and fringes lately, which may be why ‘the Allie’ has caught on in such a big way.
Kavanagh encouraged anyone currently considering the haircut to go for it.
“It’s super natural and lived in [and] it’s a great way of keeping your hair length but adding movement and versatility, especially if you have natural curl or texture in your hair,” he said.
The reality of getting ‘the Allie’ bangs
I got ‘the Allie’ bangs within days of watching Off Campus and quickly learned they’re not as effortless as Abdalla makes them look.
Abdalla's hairstylists revealed the actress has been rocking a version of this style for years. @mika.abdalla
As countless hairstylists have pointed out on TikTok, Abdalla had a whole team of hair experts making sure her bangs sat perfectly in every shot.
The rest of us don’t, so our bangs won’t look exactly like hers. I learned that the hard way.
For the last two weeks I’ve spent every morning furiously wetting, blow drying, twisting, pinning and rolling my bangs in a desperate attempt to get them to sit right.
My hairdresser warned me it could take weeks, months or even years to “train” my fringe to sit right and every day it seems to do something different.
Sometimes it splits down the middle, sometimes it all wants to sit to one side, and sometimes it inexplicably decides to just point straight up in the air.
Even if I manage to style it into submission, all it takes is a light breeze or the whoosh of a car driving past as I head to work to ruin it again.
This is the face of a woman who has spent every day fighting her fringe for the last two weeks. Maddison Skipper
I’ve had more meltdowns over my fringe in the last two weeks than I care to count and on several occasions I’ve really thought about just pinning it to the side and growing it out.
But then I’ll have one day of really good bangs and suddenly, it’s all worth it.
Kavanagh offered some advice for if I did decide that I really hated the maintenance and wanted to get rid of my bangs.
“If you want to grow out bangs, it’s important to make sure we protect the hair as much as possible,” he said.
“Using leave in treatments like ghd Rehab Split End Sealer will help protect the mid-lengths and ends of the hair as they grown and stop them from getting brittle.”
I don’t have any plans to ditch the bangs yet, but it’s a handy tip I’ll be keeping in my back pocket just in case.
Has 'The Rachel' finally been dethroned as the ultimate TV hairdo? NBCU Photo Bank/Getty
The only question now is: will I look back in 10 years’ time and cringe about my haircut inspired by a TV show, the way many Gen X women did about the ‘Rachel’?
Maybe, but as anyone who has read The Score (the book containing Allie and Dean’s love story) knows, life is short. Get the bangs.
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Shop the treatment recommended by the pros:
The ghd Rehab Split End Sealer Cream. ghd
