In the ‘50s Marilyn’s blonde bombshell waves swept salons. In the ‘70s, Farrah’s feathered tresses became a must-have. And in the ‘90s, ladies begged for a short, layered ‘do known by two words: “The Rachel.”

After the second seasons of Friends, hairdressers everywhere recreated Jennifer Aniston’s coveted style for millions of women.

The look defied social class and age. At the peak of its popularity, famed Friends stylist John Barrett noted that everyone from sophisticated socialites to regular folks requested The Rachel.

One woman not a fan of The Rachel, however, was Aniston herself.

In fact, in a recent interview she described it as her worst haircut of all time, saying, “How do I say this? I think it was the ugliest haircut I've ever seen.”

She added, “Let’s just say I’m not a fan of short, layered cuts on me, personally, so I don’t love revisiting that particular era.”

It’s possible Anniston thought her face looked too wide or that the style reminded her of heavier days. As The Rachel grew out in the late ‘90s, the already-trim Anniston slimmed down to a leaner more toned physique.

Still, the ‘do was far from a faux pas. Nothing holds a candle to those orange cargo pants, though we applaud Aniston's creativity in discouraging paparazzi. (Photographers lost interest in Aniston after all their shots featured her in the cargos day after day, as it appeared the photos were from the same outing.)

But back to The Rachel. The chunky lengths added body to thin hair and movement to coarser tresses. It even looked OK un-brushed. (Well, it sort of always looked un-brushed.)

If you, too, cringe remembering the bland haircut of the sweetheart of the small screen, consider how much worse it could have been.

Imagine if the female population had flocked to these famous hair don'ts:

- Bald Britney
At the beginning of 2007 an unstable Britney Spears shaved her own head. While Natalie Portman and Demi Moore pulled off the look with sophistication, Britney’s bald head only heightened the public’s obsession with her downward spiral. (We’re happy Brit has since recovered, though we could do without some of the extensions she’s so attached to — literally.)

- Shakira’s zebra stripes
Shakira’s feisty stage presence and rock ‘n' roll style made the blonde-with-black-streaks tolerable — even sexy. However, on anyone else it looked like a bad Halloween wig. Let’s hope the dramatic black streaks don’t make a comeback.

- Kate Gosselin’s Angry Spikes
The angular spikes did little to soften her bossy image. Plus sharp barbs of hair are hardly sextuplet-friendly.

So what’s the next “Rachel” style?

Why not long, soft waves like Blake Lively’s? Tousled hair looks touchable and effortless (though you may discover that accomplishing the look is neither).

We offer two guidelines: Stay within your natural hue, and go easy on the extensions.