Did Jolina Magdangal Inspire The Hairstyles Of Lizzie McGuire?

If this is what dreams are made of, then it could very well be possible that the ultimate tween fashionista of the Y2K era, Lizzie McGuire, took hair inspiration from our own 90s teen queen, Jolina Magdangal.

Hey now, the truth of the matter is, we are just as, if not a whole lot more disappointed than Hilary Duff that the long stalled revival of Lizzie McGuire is no longer happening. “We can all take a moment to mourn the amazing woman she would have been and the adventures we would have taken with her,” she wrote on Instagram. “I’m very sad, but I promise everyone tried their best and the stars just didn’t align.”

In what was supposed to be an expansion of the beloved TV show and pop culture cornerstone that defined the childhood of many girls (and boys!), Lizzie McGuire and her drawn on alter-ego were supposed to navigate life as a 30-year-old taking on a whole new adventure in New York. Everything was signed and sealed, even going so far as shooting two episodes on what would have made things a lot brighter and warmer than things already are. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t delivered.

Yes, we’re pretty much still sitting in our own little corner, sulking over its untimely demise, but instead of just sadly tending to the throbbing pain of disappointment, we wrapped ourselves in the fuzzies of nostalgia and re-watched episodes of Lizzie McGuire and the Lizzie McGuire movie.

This isn’t what dreams are made of, and that’s a shame, but hey, we all process things differently.

Lizzie McGuire And Her Legacy

There were many things that made Lizzie McGuire great over the course of its two-season, 65-episode run. Despite being prefaced by the notoriously PG rigors of a painfully pedantic Disney, the show pushed significant boundaries for a generation that gravitated towards Lizzie McGuire as soon the theme song, If You Believe blasted through the television. At its core, it was a coming-of-age story, filled with adolescent misadventures and missteps that proved to be representation that was necessary. Endearing with its charm and chutzpah, Lizzie McGuire confronted pivotal moments, including awkward periods involving bras, that were then glazed over for the perfection-obsessed House of Mouse. In doing so, the show was able to strike conversations that many would rather have in hushed tones or left to chance, inarguably fostering a spirit of community with its viewers. It was tough, but hey, someone had to do it.

All seriousness aside, there were other important trails that she blazed, too. Not only did she get to live out her pop star in the shower dreams in a stadium in Rome, but she was also quite the fashion devotee. Quite ironic for someone who is convinced she is a band geek and not a cool kid. Low-rise denim, metallic pants, ankle-length skirts, tie-dye, and bedazzled tank tops? Lizzie McGuire was a walking billboard for turn of the millennium fashion. Naturally, the beauty aspect wasn’t too far behind, because it was a straight up fact that she served a lot of hair moments on the show.

Jolina Magdangal, Meet Lizzie McGuire

Jolina Magdangal Lizzie McGuire Fashion Trend

So, let’s talk about hair, shall we? Never one to just keep things safe and simple, Lizzie McGuire was all about the fun and fabulous. This meant piling on an assortment of clips, crimping her signature golden locks, and even throwing in feathers for the sheer heck of it. She wasn’t one to play by the rules, and it was not only exciting to look at, but it sure inspired a lot to experiment and express themselves through their hair. It was the early aughts, everyone made a choice—deal with it.

However, as irreverent as Lizzie McGuire was, someone else had been making bigger and bolder statements when it came to fashion and beauty over at our side of the world way before she did. Looking closely at the looks that tickled the fancies of the audience, it appears to be our once-upon-a-time tween heroine was taking notes from our very own teen queen and commander of all things chuva-choo-choo, Jolina Magdangal.

Hey Now, The Dream

A standout and standard of the local entertainment scene in the 90s, Jolina Magdangal would send a wave of shock to what was typically on the more austere take on style by really going for it. This meant taking on braver fashion and beauty choices that ultimately dictated the trends back in the good ‘ol days. Years before Lizzie McGuire could even dream of making unlikely attempts on her own, Jolina Magdangal was already ditching the playbook and going for dual-toned highlights, fountain-like space buns, and yes, a kaleidoscope of butterfly clips sitting pretty on her hair.

While the proximity of time and distance wasn’t far from each other, the uncanny parallels of their points-of-view cannot go unnoticed. Obvious fact and fiction aside, we have a sneaking suspicion that Lizzie McGuire and Jolina Magdangal would have been good friends.

Now, that is what dreams are made of.

Don’t quite see it yet? Well, scroll along and see how eerily close the hairstyles of Lizzie McGuire and Jolina Magdangal were. Queen things only, really.