Definitive proof that 2001 was a bumper hair year on the red carpet

Step back in time...

Some things just come together in a perfect storm. That's certainly what happened with red carpet hair do's in the year of our Lord 2001. There's something soothing about looking back at old red carpets photos - it's like scrolling back over your own Facebook timeline, seeing a snap from 2010 and feeling chuffed at how far you've come. Just after the turn of the millennium is a particularly good time to look back on. It was a time when celebs and their hair stylists boldly went where none had gone before and these photos are the legacy of their endeavours. Sit back and enjoy.   Britney Spears We'll let the outfit slide, because what we're really interested in here is Britney's severe but glorious case of noodle-head. It's happened to the best of us - asking the stylist for loose, bouncy curls and ending up with this. Brit's face says it all.   Kate Hudson Another ingenue falls victim to the dreaded noodle-head epidemic of '01. Just like Britney, she's also been photographed trying to figure out why she paid someone to do this to her.  

Shakira

Getting your clean hair days to line up with your going out days can be a nightmare. But if you knew you had something like the MTV Music Video Awards coming up, you might do some switching around and get your mum to comb through your knots. Or don't. Your call.   Natalie Portman There isn't a girl in the world who hasn't cut her own fringe, then regretted it and had to wait for it to grow out, as Natalie has here. There's really nothing that can be done at this stage except ride it out. Stay strong, girl.   Jennifer Lopez Admit it - as a kid, you were just a bit jealous of the girls at school who did Irish dancing and wore the giant curly wigs, weren't you? Well it turns out that J'Lo was too.   Kelly Rowland Kelly may look like her hair was digitally added to her head in a very early edition of Photoshop here, but short layered hair with flicked out ends was in fact the definitive 'Can I speak to your manager?' haircut of the early noughties. Epic.   Victoria Beckham Can't decide between two polar opposite hair colours that have no business being side-by-side? Just have both, à la Posh here.   Jessica Simpson Anyone who's been through the long and drawn-out process of dyeing their hair blonde will know this look. If they look closely, they may also recognise the tension in Jess's left eye. That right there is a gal who's tired of being told she can't have a full head of blonde highlights just yet.   Christina Aguilera AKA the scary cool girl in your town who smoked with the older kids. She had a doozy of a year hair-wise in 2001, as these pics demonstrate.   P.S. - if you thought 2001 was all bad, think again. The celeb with the best goddamn hair of the year should be of little surprise to you. Yes, all-round hair goddess Jennifer Aniston saves the day with this sleek and simple bob. Lovely.