Talking about the evolution of Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen’s hair is like untangling a tangled web of aesthetics. Between bouts of bohemian waves and frizz and periods of matted, muddy blonde, the fashion designer twins who shot to fame as Michelle on the hit sitcom Full House have experimented with just about every natural hair color and intentionally tousled style out there, effortlessly fueling trends.
In honor of their 40th birthdays on Saturday, WWD is looking back at their most notable looks from the past 20 years.
Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen front row at the Marc Jacobs show in New York in Spring 2005.
Steve Eichner/WWD
As pioneers of the “indie sleaze” movement, Ashley and Mary-Kate earned an early reputation as “messy girls.” Not in a condescending party girl sense, but in a cool, chaotic chic kind of way. Their backs were often seen with exposed, unwashed roots waving in the waves on the beach. Especially in the early 2000s, Ashley favored haphazard updos with layers falling from the sides, as seen at the Marc Jacobs show in New York in spring 2005. Mary-Kate, on the other hand, let her side bangs flow freely and blended the rest of her auburn hair around her.
Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen attend the Chanel Fall 2008 Runway Show at the Grand Palais in Paris.
Fairchild Archive/Penske Media/WWD
Celebrity stylist Mark Townsend famously created the sisters’ hair aesthetic long before founding The Row in 2006. In 2008, Ashley and Mary-Kate opted for the same bleached blonde, mid-length hairstyle, styled with a messy texture that looked like they forgot to comb their hair that morning. One example is the hair at Chanel’s fall 2008 runway show in Paris. Mary-Kate pulled half of her dyed ends behind a tweed headband to add volume.
Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen pose during the Winners’ Walk at the 2015 CFDA Fashion Awards.
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By 2015, both sisters had toned down their textures and rocked their degraded waves into place. They also switched up their platinum coloring for a melting pot of honey blonde, caramel, and brunette while maintaining the same “no sweat” presentation. At the CFDA Fashion Awards that year, Ashley and Mary-Kate won Womenswear Designer of the Year, further embodying their minimalist brand with relaxed hairstyles.
Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen attend the “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” Costume Institute Gala.
Lexi Moreland/WWD
Their trend towards straight and wavy hair continued into the late 2010s, but the coloring wasn’t the same. While Mary-Kate stuck to her brunette side, Ashley went back to her blonde days and covered up as much of her dark roots as possible. At the same time, her inner bohemian broke through again at the 2018 Met Gala, which celebrated “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.” Here, she topped her ensemble with a silver pendant belt cinched behind her head.
mary kate and ashley olsen
George Chinsey/WWD
Over the past two years, the twins have inadvertently recharged their fandom around their messy aesthetic in what is now being referred to as the “Olsen tuck.” The style, achieved by tucking hair loosely under the collar of a high-necked top or jacket, may be trendy now, but the code designer has continued to model the tuck ever since his rise to stardom. A 2004 photo shows the sisters hiding their low ponytails under buttoned jackets and fur collars. The tops of their heads were teased. Ashley also wore an undone style on the 2017 Met Gala red carpet, with her blonde tips hidden under a dull green collar.
Known as the proponent of the “Olsen tuck,” Phoebe Philo famously brought an anti-glam aesthetic to the world of high fashion when she bowed after Celine’s fall 2011 collection with her hair pulled halfway out of a turtleneck. Most recently, Madonna was spotted at Saint Laurent’s spring 2026 show outside the Eiffel Tower, with half of her snow-blond hair dangling beneath a leather jacket.
For a glimpse of Ashley and Mary-Kate’s style over the years, click here.
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