Top Star Transformations

Sarah Jessica Parker may be known for her Manolos, but according to Isaac Mizrahi, her true secret weapon is a bit higher up: "She acts with her hair," the designer has said, "a subtle skill few have mastered." Indeed her locks—whether stick straight or in natural spirals—are the fashionable star's crowning glory. "She did what a lot of women do as they grow up—she found her style," hairstylist Brett Freedman has observed. "The big 'do and chunky highlights are gone, and her new dark-blonde hair with subtle highlights allows us to focus on what really matters—her effervescence." Effervescent and energetic: the busy star is juggling her Bitten clothing line, her Lovely and Covet fragrances and a long-awaited role reprise as Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City movie.

1984: The Footloose star has a thriving career playing what Parker has called the "best friend of the pretty girl."