Jennifer Aniston's Iconic Friends Haircut, 'The Rachel,' Was A Complete Accident

When it comes to the perennially popular NBC sitcom "Friends," there are numerous elements within its iconography that immediately pop out to viewers. Some may acknowledge the Central Perk coffee house logo as a standout, but the hairstyle of Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston) is notable for establishing major fashion trends. And surprisingly, "The Rachel" was the result of a complete accident.

Jennifer Aniston was asked about her character's notable hairstyle in an interview with Radio Times in 1997, to which she dismissed all the long-running fan discourse surrounding that instantly recognizable element of Rachel's physical appearance. "It only happened because Chris [McMillan], my brilliant hairdresser, cut it too short one day by accident." Aniston explained, adding "He then turned it into the same sort of cut I'd seen before, but suddenly it was this 'thing' which caused a frenzy. Very flattering, but it went too far, don't you think? Hair is hair."

Although "The Rachel" became a popular fashion statement for women in the 1990s, Jennifer Aniston was not a fan of the trend she helped establish. While she holds her long-term professional relationship and friendship with the hairstyle's creator, Chris McMillan, in high regard, she does not mince words when it comes to her feelings about wearing it for 10 seasons on "Friends." 

In 2011, she joked to Allure, "I love Chris, and he's the bane of my existence at the same time because he started that damn 'Rachel,' which was not my best look. How do I say this? I think it was the ugliest haircut I've ever seen." Over 20 years since "Friends" aired its series finale, Aniston continues to work with McMillan. Aniston's stylist of roughly three decades, McMillan currently styles her hair on the Apple TV original series, "The Morning Show," which will return for a fifth season.