15 '00s Movie Hairstyles I Used To Think Were The Epitome Of Cool But, Looking Back, Are Actually Kinda Trash

    Talk about a bad hair day.

    Kristen Harris
    by Kristen Harris

    BuzzFeed Staff

    The good, the bad, and the confusing of Y2K fashion are currently having a renaissance, but the early 2000s wasn't just a time for experimental clothing — it was also an interesting time for hairstyles.

    Paramount Pictures / Via giphy.com

    Some of the most iconic Y2K hairstyles have been immortalized in the media from that time period (i.e. the entire Lizzie McGuire series). However, not every hairstyle that made it to screen was...well, worthy of being brought back into the trend cycle.

    Disney / Via giphy.com

    Here are 15 hairstyles I can't believe we let '00s movies call fashion:

    1. Polly's awkwardly placed butterfly clips in Along Came Polly.

    clips at the very front of her head
    Universal / ©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection

    Butterfly clips are still cute, just not like this.

    2. Jenna's messy updo from 13 Going on 30.

    her hair is basically sticking out everywhere
    Columbia Pictures / ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

    I'm just confused as to how this 'do was even achieved — is this what a banana clip is for?

    3. Ian's spiky hair from What a Girl Wants.

    short hair gelled into spikes
    Warner Bros / ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection

    He's perfect in every way except for his hair, which has so much gel in it that it glistens.

    4. Shelby's poorly executed Farrah Fawcett look from A Cinderella Story.

    all volume in the front
    Warner Bros / ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection

    The amount of hairspray it took to achieve this look is responsible for 85% of the hole in the ozone layer.

    5. Linda's emo bangs from Be Cool.

    her bangs fully cover one eye
    Mgm / ©MGM/Courtesy Everett Collection

    It seems like a safety hazard.

    6. Ryan's Pepto Bismol pink hat from High School Musical 2.

    a beret
    Disney Channel / ©Disney Channel/Courtesy Everett Collection

    I stanned Ryan so much as a kid that I had the doll that wore this outfit, but looking back, this hat is just an atrocious shade of pink. Maybe it's a good thing I lost the doll's hat so quickly.

    7. Galleria's ring of Saturn hat from The Cheetah Girls 2, which has haunted me for years.

    just the brim of a hat with her hair sticking out the top
    Disney / Via Disney+

    This pointless hat ruined an otherwise spectacular look. The other Cheetah Girls got flowers in their hair during this scene. 

    I think about this horrible hat at least once a day. 

    8. Layla's Princess Leia pigtails from Sky High.

    pigtails with buns at the top
    Buena Vista Pictures / ©Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

    Why didn't they simply...finish putting her hair into buns?

    9. Tibby's chunky blue streaks and pulled-back bangs from The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

    thick colorful streaks in her hair
    Warner Bros / ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection

    And they're fading to green...

    10. Elle's "flat in the front, volume in the back" look from Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, and Blonde.

    a lot of volume at the crown and flat bangs
    Mgm / ©MGM/Courtesy Everett Collection

    Maybe she permed the back then accidentally deactivated the ammonium thioglycolate.

    11. Mimi's pigtails and bandana from Crossroads.

    shirt pigtails and bandana
    Columbia Pictures / ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

    Just...why the pigtails?

    12. Cesca's sky-high pigtails from Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over.

    two high pigtails on either side of her head, like a toddler
    Dimension Films / ©Dimension Films/Courtesy Everett Collection

    Why'd they have to do Salma Hayek like that? She's not 3 years old.

    13. Troy's stupid bandanna from High School Musical 3: Senior Year.

    a bandana tied around his head.
    Walt Disney Co. / ©Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection

    It looks like he's getting ready to compete in the Disney Channel games.

    14. Anna's chunky highlights in Freaky Friday.

    thick blonde highlights
    Walt Disney Co. / ©Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection

    Growing up, I thought she looked so cool, but now, I'm pretty sure her stylist just did a few foils at the very top of poor Lindsay's head and called it a day.

    15. And finally, Aaron's baby Bieber bangs from Mean Girls.

    long sideswept bangs
    Paramount / ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection

    Regina was right — his hair looked way better pushed back.