Reese Witherspoon has long been admired for her polished style, especially her signature blonde hair. While many celebrities regularly change their looks, Witherspoon has balanced subtle experimentation with a consistent image that fans have come to recognize: side-parted, glamorous, and effortlessly blonde.
Throughout her career, the Oscar-winning actress has tried different looks. She famously went brunette in 2005 to play June Carter in Walk the Line and has occasionally added bangs or changed her part. Still, she almost always returns to her classic blond roots.
The exact shade of her hair has changed over time, shifting from golden to platinum and back again. Yet the details—like carefully placed highlights and lowlights—remain a constant. “It takes three hours to have my highlights done, no joke,” Witherspoon told Allure in 2019. “I go every seven or eight weeks. I’m starting to get gray around the edges of my hairline. Lorri [Goddard, her colorist] doesn’t like to call them grays, though. She says they’re ‘hyper-blondes.’”
Her hair has evolved gently as she ages, but it has never lost its charm. Whether styled long or short, Reese’s hair always feels fresh, yet familiar—red carpet-ready no matter the era.
Before becoming a household name with Legally Blonde in 2001, Witherspoon had already made waves in the late 1990s. At the Liar Liar premiere in 1997, she wore a soft, golden-blond bob. The chic, shoulder-grazing look became a go-to for her and even made an appearance in films like Sweet Home Alabama, where she played Melanie Carmichael.
She kept this side-parted style in 1998, appearing at the Pleasantville premiere with an elegant updo and side bangs. That same year, she showed off a sleeker shoulder-length cut at the 54 premiere, with her bangs flipped dramatically to one side.
By 2001, Witherspoon had fully stepped into her role as Elle Woods, whose long, glossy hair became iconic. Still, off-screen, she often favored her trademark bob, as seen at the Gosford Park premiere and Teen Choice Awards that year.
In 2002, she wore a curled bob with unexpected bangs for the Sweet Home Alabama premiere, and in 2003, she added length and texture for the Legally Blonde 2 screening. Then came a bold shift in 2004 when she dyed her hair brunette for her role in Walk the Line—a rare departure from her usual style.
These early years were filled with experimentation that helped define the looks she would revisit and refine throughout her career. Whether lightening for a sunny, platinum glow or adding soft curls to her signature cut, Witherspoon has shown that staying classic doesn’t mean staying the same.
