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Joanna Gaines shows off her 80s hair transformation — fans have thoughts


The Magnolia Network co-founder and Fixer Upper alum shared a throwback in tandem with her cooking show, Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines


Joanna Gaines attends the TIME 100 Gala 2019 Cocktails at Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 23, 2019 in New York City© Getty
Ahad Sanwari
Ahad SanwariSenior Writer - New York
September 21, 2025
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Joanna Gaines is a proud 80s baby! The Magnolia Network co-founder was born in 1978 in Wichita, Kansas, and it looks like spending much of her formative years in the famously colorful decade definitely left an impact on her, at least when it comes to her perception of style. On the latest edition of her cooking show Magnolia Table with Joanna Gainesthe mom-of-five certainly wasn't shy about discussing her roots, and capped it off with a throwback on her social media page that proved very relatable to her followers.

Joanna, 47, took to her Instagram with a childhood snap of herself in her bathroom, dressed in an oversized sweater and pouting while looking in her mirror, sporting dramatically fluffed up curtain bangs and her long hair tied into a ponytail with a bright blue scrunchie, a perfect encapsulation of the time period. And she knew it too.

"Last week on my cooking show we baked and then talked about my bangs from the 80s," she captioned her photo. "Who else styled their bangs like this? I must have been proud of that profile… look at that height!" And many of her fans were definitely proud of the height, and admitted to doing just the same themselves back then.

"I love the pursed lips, you know you look good!" one commented, with another also quipping: "Not sure what I love more, the side profile, the shadow, or the reflection. Either way, it's all hair-raising." A third added: "Yes! I have curly hair, so when I got 'bangs' I always had a frizzy pompom on the top of my face. It was terrible."

Recommended videoYou may also likeWATCH: Meet Chip and Joanna Gaines' 5 kids

As a preteen, Joanna and her family moved to Texas, which was where she eventually met and fell in love with now-husband Chip Gaines. The pair tied the knot in 2003, the same year they founded their business, Magnolia. They are now the proud parents of three sons, Drake, Duke and Crew, plus two daughters, Ella and Emmie Kay, raising their family in Texas still.

Joanna Gaines poses for a photo staring at her bathroom mirror in a throwback from the '80s, shared on Instagram© Instagram
Joanna Gaines shared a throwback from the 80s that had fans in hysterics

In a previous issue of her Magnolia Journal, Joanna spoke candidly about her early years, specifically noting her desire to achieve "balance" throughout it all, especially after becoming a young mother. "Balance, to me, was the light at the end of the tunnel, the antidote of sorts for whatever chaos was swirling nearby," she penned.

Designers Joanna Gaines and Chip Gaines attend AOL Build Presents: "Fixer Upper" at AOL Studios In New York on December 8, 2015© Getty Images
The Magnolia Network co-founder has been married to husband and business partner Chip Gaines since 2003

"In my 20s, for instance, I was mothering small children and a small business, and I longed for the secret to make it all achievable. I was exhausted, so I sought balance for the promise of peace. Then, in my 30s our business grew overnight, and our dreams were taking off, and I longed for the secret to savor every moment. We were running – fast – so I sought balance for the promise of wholehearted fulfillment."

Photo shared by Joanna Gaines on Instagram August 2024 of a family vacation to St. Lucia with her husband Chip Gaines and their five kids© Instagram
"Living first for the things that keep me steady gives me permission to be surprised by wonder."

Reflecting on that idea, she added: "As I'm wrestling with the idea of balance, I've started to wonder if the most important thing isn't actually what we're holding, or how well or how equally we're holding it. What if the most important things are those holding us up? The things keeping us steady," concluding with: "Living first for the things that keep me steady gives me permission to be surprised by wonder."

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