Vintage Hair Styles of the 1940s E-Book

Bethany Jane Davies

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014

Beschreibung

The 1940s were exciting times for women, heralding new looks and, crucially, new hair styles. Vintage Hair Styles of the 1940s provides a complete guide to those hair styles. It takes a step-by-step approach to demonstrate how to achieve the styles for yourself or for your clients at home, in a salon or in the studio. More than thirty of the most common styles of the decade are illustrated with over 1,000 colour photographs and diagrams. It also charts the history of 1940s hair fashion and provides guidance on how best to achieve vintage looks for those wishing to re-enact, model or wear the classic styles of the era. Includes thirty step-by-step hair tutorials, and covers heat setting and wet setting with twenty pin-curl patterns. With further information on modern and traditional methods, troubleshooting, tips and tricks and a hair accessories guide this is the complete guide to recreating authentic hair styles of the 1940s. For vintage enthusiasts, students of hair and fashion, theatre designers and those looking to re-create the styles of the era. Superbly illustrated with over 1000 colour phtoographs and diagrams.

Leseprobe

Vintage Hair Styles of the 1940s

A Practical Guide

Bethany Jane Davies

First published in 2015 by

The Crowood Press Ltd

Ramsbury, Marlborough

Wiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2015

© Bethany Jane Davies 2015

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 84797 833 2

Cover artwork by We Are Tucano

Dedication

I would like to dedicate this book to my grandparents and to my wonderful Mum, a bookworm herself. I know she would have been so excited to see my words in print.

Contents

Preface: How to Use this Book

1 Hair in the 1940s

2 Elements of 1940s Style

3 Before you Style

4 Creating Curls and Rolls

5 Brushing Out

6 Step-by-Step Guide to Classic Up Styles

7 Step-by-Step Guide to Classic Down Styles

8 Completing the Look

9 Home-made Lotions and Potions

Appendix: Pin Curl Diagrams

References

Acknowledgements

Index

The home of classic coiffeurs – the author’s Vintage Beauty Parlour is popular with clients in search of an authentic vintage look. (www.bethanyjanedavies.com)

Preface: How to Use this Book

I believe that beautiful vintage hairstyles are classically flattering for any face and, hence, will always maintain their relevance within the ever-changing world of fashion trends. Classic vintage looks are accessible to everyone willing to learn the basic skills required to create them.

This book introduces and breaks down the techniques, equipment and building blocks of 1940s hairstyles using step-bystep instructions. However, as with anything creative, it is a skill that will only improve with practice, practice, practice! My advice to anyone embarking on a journey into vintage hairstyling is to pick a style to suit your skill set. Don’t jump in with the most complex style involving finger waves and lots of different elements; instead, build up an arsenal of skills as you go along.

Should a style not turn out quite right, do not give up; keep experimenting until you find what works for you and your hair. Hairstyling is not a ‘one size fits all’ exercise; however, with a basic understanding of the concepts of preparation, correct setting methods, brushing out and styling, you will acquire the skills necessary to succeed. By using this book, you will be able to learn what works best for you and your clients. Furthermore, you will be fully equipped to adapt accordingly to any vintage style and, as a result, confidently tailor the style so that it is most flattering and enhances your beauty.

Within the methods, techniques and how-to sections, I have added a series of troubleshooting tips to help rectify common problems you may encounter while recreating the looks outlined in this book. You will not have the same hair type, length or cut as all the models in the book, but that should not stop you achieving these styles. Shorter silhouettes can be created with long hair and short hair can be formed into waves, rolls and many up styles. Notes for adapting the style to your hair can be found in the tips section below each style.

Chapter 1 Hair in the 1940s

1

History of the 1940s and its Effect on Hairstyles

To truly understand why certain hairstyles came into fashion during the 1940s, one must consider the social circumstances of the time; notably, the after-effects of the Second World War, the influential stars of the silver screen and the legacy of postwar recovery.

Hitler’s Third Reich invaded Poland on 1 September 1939; two days later, Britain and France declared war on Germany. The nations engaged in battle were forced to channel their limited resources into the war effort. In the UK, boats that had been used previously to import goods were commandeered for military purposes; therefore, importing any goods considered non-essential became virtually impossible. Food, chemicals, metals, fabrics, soap … they all became scarce. Keeping Britain’s armed forces at war with the Germans yielded a period of austerity that impacted on Britain deeply throughout the 1940s. This factor and the lack of certain products used in hair styling would have a lasting influence on British, and indeed global, hairstyles.

In 1941 the systematic aerial bombing of Britain’s key strategic cities and ports, known as the Blitz, began in earnest and brought the war directly to the doorsteps of the British people. By June 1941 fabric was in such short supply that clothing was rationed and women were obliged to ‘make do and mend’, fixing, tailoring and altering whatever clothing they already had. Fabric was a muchprized commodity not to be wasted on flimsy fashion, but style finds a way to carry on.

Lady taking a break during the ‘Blitz’.

In December 1941, the government announced that all unmarried women between the ages of 20 and 30 were to be called up to the war effort; Britain had become the first nation in history to conscript women into the armed forces. Furthermore, all citizens up to the age of 60, men and women, were required to take part in some form of national service. This meant that, more than ever before, women became active in all aspects of working and military life. They continued to carry out their existing roles, primarily in the service industry, while also filling traditional ‘men’s jobs’. The women who had to undertake roles previously executed by men had to dress appropriately and manage their hair in accordance with their new-found wartime roles, but this did not stop them showing off their styles.

Women conscripts found themselves in a wide variety of jobs during this period. Numerous women worked in clerical office jobs, managing all public and domestic affairs, supporting undercover and civil operations in administrative and managerial positions. Essentially, women were fundamental to keeping their country going; therefore, there was a need for them to appear formal and smart. However, some became drivers of trucks and ambulances, while others worked as nurses in war zones.

Ladies in uniform.

The Women’s Land Army.

A large number of women undertook jobs that involved manual labour; for example, many joined the Women’s Land Army (WLA), which worked the land, cultivating crops in an attempt to avoid food shortages. Others joined the Timber Corps, which involved cutting down trees and logging. These women wore robust and warm outdoor clothing and they needed to keep their hair out of their eyes so as not to impair their sight, or their ability to wield a tool.

Similarly, the women who worked in factories, munitions and steel plants worked for long periods in dangerous environments surrounded by hazardous chemicals and moving machinery. Their hair needed to be contained, as any loose or unmanaged long hair was at risk of being damaged, pulled out or causing serious harm; therefore, the wearing of hats, scarves and up-dos was frequently seen in the workplace as it was a smart way of being practical and presentable.

Turban-style scarves became an identifiable part of the working woman’s wardrobe. A well-known pioneer of this style was the American cultural icon ‘Rosie the Riveter’, who was featured on a motivational yellow-backed poster, wearing a spotty headscarf, flexing and squeezing her bicep, alongside the slogan ‘We Can Do It’. Such propaganda was intended to boost morale and keep up production. In later years, this iconic image became a symbol of feminism and female empowerment, demonstrating the extent to which headscarves were engrained in the wartime culture.

Turbans and scarves were practical for ladies in factories.

Fashion adapted quickly from peacetime to wartime fashion, and became modelled more on utility clothing and active functional outfits. In the 1940s certain clothing trends achieved prominence: squared shoulders and shoulder pads were popular, as they effectively broadened the shoulders and emphasized narrow hips and narrower waists. Sharp and elegant skirts that ended just below the knee became the norm and there was an increase in the appearance of women’s tailored suits, which were often minimalist with elegant straight lines. However, these styles were not readily available in high streets. Due to the rationing of fabric, new clothes were rare and the women had to double up their limited clothing as both utilitarian work wear and personal wear for all social occasions; one’s work clothes might even serve as bridal wear. As the fashion silhouette became more muted, hardwearing and, at times, somewhat plain, ladies turned to their hair as a way to add to their style; a tool they could use to express their beauty, femininity and individuality. To compensate for such plain outfits, the hairstyles became increasingly feminine and elaborate:

‘harking back to the opulence of the Edwardian era; Joan Crawford’s dressed full hair, full mouth and sculptured jackets exemplified this look.’1

Some women went even further by shortening their hair in the search for practicality, cutting it right down to a uniform layer, a single hair length all over the head. In 1943 this hair fashion did not go unnoticed. The publication The Queen was reported to have commented on the fashion, saying that:

‘women have been returning more and more to short hair, abandoning the shoulderlength bob popularized by motion picture stars. Long hair, even the bob, is troublesome to keep neat, impractical for the working woman, whether she devotes her time to home defence work or is employed in the munitions or aircraft factory.’

It went on to say:

‘the hair is cut to a uniform three inches all over the head, then softly waved, and the curls brushed loose. The woman who wears this type of hair can easily take care of it at home and keep it neat through a long working day.’2

Snoods were popular due to their practicality.

Hair whilst in Uniform

Women in uniform needed hairstyles to sit neatly above the collar to stick to regulations and keep the uniform on show. In addition, the hairstyle had to work well with service caps/hats worn with certain uniforms. With so many women joining the armed forces and entering national service, the number of women in uniform grew quickly and with it grew the demand for variety. This brought about a creative spurt in styles dedicated to the uniformed woman. The hair silhouette became shorter as styles needed to be easily manageable and requiring minimal effort in an austere work environment, whilst still being attractive and feminine.

In a Universal newsreel by Ed Herlihy entitled ‘News in Hairdos’, style judges chose winning hairstyles for women in the armed services. The aim was to find the best coiffures for servicewomen, taking into account beauty, simplicity and ease of grooming. Featured in this reel were some notable styles that would become influential and have inspired styles in the Step-by-Step Guide to Styles chapter of this book. One of the styles featured was the Seventh Column Hairstyle, which was a sleek style, close to the head, noted for its capacity to ‘fit well under helmets (and for) work in war plants’. Next to be showcased on this reel was the Smoothie, which was deemed suitable for women engaging in civilian war work and said to be ‘easy to groom, yet smart’. A final style, the Seagoing Tilt, was deemed appropriate for the Women’s Royal Navy Service (popularly known as Wrens) as it was created to sit neatly under a Navy cap.

Hair needed to work well with a uniform.

Victory rolls were popular with servicewomen.

Certain techniques covered in this book, such as Victory Rolls (hair rolls at the top and front of the head), worked well with a number of hairstyles, lengths and uniforms, as the hair is swept up and away from the face to maintain a neat appearance. The Gibson Roll, hair rolls generally towards the back and bottom of the head, were particularly popular with Wrens and nurses, as their caps could sit securely on top with the roll neatly tucked away at the nape of the neck.

Many servicewomen at this time were in a hurry to marry their beau before they went to war; this meant short-notice brides. In the 1942 edition of Modern Beauty Shop magazine, we are told:

‘The service bride moves fast and packs light, and her beauty program must be geared accordingly … the service bride must not be burdened with a fancy, unmanageable hairdo.’3

The service bride is advised to have an easy to care for hairstyle, such as a short feather cut with a permanent wave. In this same magazine, the latest fashionable short cut is described as:

‘the quickest way to be the prettiest bride in service. That’s the demand that tops the list on the beauty programme of this June’s war brides! There is little time for a leisurely beauty build up when the wedding takes place in a whirl the moment the bridegroom gets leave. That’s why service brides will choose your smartest version of the feathered bob … because it is both practical and pretty.’4

Looking Good and National Morale

Throughout this period, women were actively compelled to maintain their appearance for the benefit of the war effort. Both at home and at work, an attractive appearance would keep them looking and hopefully feeling their best. The British propaganda machine hoped that this positive sentiment would spread cheer amongst the domestic population and reach the troops to spur them on and give them something else to fight for. Throughout society, it was considered a woman’s duty to keep up appearances in order to boost morale, thereby coining the phrase, ‘Beauty is your duty’. Yardley, a Royal warranted beauty products and soaps company of London, truly highlighted this sentiment by running a series of wartime advertisements in the period 1942–1943 with the following tag-line: ‘Put your best face forward … To work for victory is not to say goodbye to charm. For good looks and good morale are the closest of allies.’ The Yardley adverts featured a series of ladies working for the war effort: a Wren, a nurse and a factory worker, each with their own patriotic message. Two of these messages were: ‘we must see that our private troubles are not mirrored in our faces’ and ‘must guard against surrender to personal carelessness’.

1940s Palmolive advert 'Keeps you clean and keeps you lovely war or no war'.

Austerity and War: The Seed of Ingenuity

As the war continued, women found they were increasingly unable to acquire their usual hair and make-up supplies and brands. The Smith Victory Corp, a supplier of hairpins, launched a marketing campaign with the slogan ‘Uncle Sam Needs the Steel’. The Vicky Victory Kit, a much sought-after wartime box of hairpins, stated on the box:

Your hair aid warden says! Save steel, use your victory hair kit again and again! Take it to the beauty salon every time you go!5

The 'Victory' hair pin kit encouraged thriftiness.

Out of necessity, ingenious methods were adopted by women during these times in order to keep up appearances and continue to put their best face forward. Pipe cleaners and old rags cut into strips were easier to acquire and proved to be the perfect tools for creating the popular curled styles in the absence of an iron curler or rollers. Simple water and sugar solutions were used as a setting lotion, making the hair more pliable and, as shampoo was in short supply, ladies began washing their hair with Lux flakes, a brand of washing powder used for laundry. Lemon was used as a rinse to brighten blonde hair and remove oil and grease, whilst vinegar was used to cleanse the scalp and give brunette locks extra shine. There are many examples of resourceful home-made 1940s recipes for hair and make-up products, many of which would still stand up against their modern, shopbought equivalents. See the ‘Home-made Lotions and Potions’ section for a whole host of make-at-home beauty recipes.

Ingenuity also came in the form of military research. The Second World War heralded the birth of commercial hairspray, which emerged as a byproduct of US government research into the development of spray cans designed to help troops to apply insect repellent evenly in an attempt to prevent malaria. The result was a pressurized aerosol can, similar to the hairspray cans we use today. However, it wasn’t really until after the war that the beauty industry would pick up on the commercial opportunity to produce sticky, hard-hold, resin-based hair spray to support the curls and waves that women wanted to achieve.

Advert for Vaseline Hair Tonic.

Post-War Styles

Without the constraints of war, women could choose between a longer or shorter haircut out of desire rather than necessity. Soon after the end of the war in 1945, some products started to return to the market. With the relief of a return to peace, some women allowed their hair to grow longer, which brought about a trend for elegant up styles with lots of height during the immediate post-war period. These styles required more length, and classic styles became popular, such as the chignon or topknot.

The latter half of the 1940s saw a move away from utility clothing, as increasingly luxurious fabrics made their way back to prominence. The square shoulders and shorter skirts of the war era were replaced by a softer, more feminine look, exemplified by Christian Dior’s New Look silhouette. This silhouette had elegant, sweeping, longer skirts with pleats and decorative folds. These skirts used large amounts of fabric, which would have been unheard of during wartime thrift. The look featured cinched-in waists and rounded shoulders, instead of the wartime trend for square ones. The New Look silhouette was incredibly popular and tended to be accompanied by shorter hairstyles. Smaller hats and caps became more prevalent with this new silhouette, which again lent themselves to a shorter, smoother hairstyle.

1940s hair net advert displaying the popular 'Pageboy' style.

1940s hair comb.

Towards the end of the decade, hair lengths dared to go even shorter and certain styles started to incorporate looser, softer curls and waves with styles such as the Pageboy. This tendency towards soft waves, rather than tight curls, would see out the 1940s and inspire the hair fashionistas of the 1950s. The Harpers Bazaar Folio of Fashion and Beauty published in winter 1949 contained an article entitled ‘Short Cuts to Beauty’, which really highlights this shift. This article showcased a series of smooth and more relaxed styles focusing on ‘simplicity’ and ‘sophistication’, a philosophy not too dissimilar to that of wartime. However, late 1940s hairstyle trends focused on sleeker, more minimalistic versions of the early 1940s styles, with the curls more brushed out and with fewer intricacies than previously. A popular hairstyle mentioned in this article is the French Cut: a short simple crop for someone with straight hair, possibly accompanied by ‘smooth cherubic curls, brushed neatly from a diagonal parting’.

Hair Icons of the 1940s

Women in the 1940s were inspired and entranced by the high glamour, allure and sheer magic of the era’s popular film stars. Television was a rarity in the home so going to the pictures was extremely popular. Ladies flocked to the cinema even during the war and, at a shilling a go, it was affordable entertainment for the masses. The glitz and glamour of the big screen was exciting and provided a welcome escape from the conflict that had the whole nation in its grip.

Why stay in when you could lose yourself watching Hedy Lamarr and Judy Garland in Ziegfeld Girl or Rita Hayworth and Fred Astaire in You Will Never Get Rich? To your cinema-goer, these icons were beautiful, inspiring, exciting and, at times, radical. The ladies wanted to be these women and the men wanted them on their arm. It was said:

‘The development of cinema in the 1930s and 1940s set stars out on display in the same way as the latest fashions could be seen in the magically lit windows of department stores.’6

Hair trends amongst working women in the early 1940s were affected by some of the same practicalities familiar to modern women, such as safety in the workplace and ease of styling due to time constraints. However, that wasn’t going to stop them aspiring to be like their hair icons on the silver screen!

Proof of the effect these stars had on everyday women’s fashion is evident in the political and social furore caused by Veronica Lake and her ‘peek-a-boo’ hairstyle. In cinemas across the globe, women admired her smooth, sweeping locks that obscured her right eye in a tantalizing manner. In response, the US government took it upon itself to release a public information video entitled ‘Safety Styles’, stating that Veronica’s signature look, emulated by countless ladies, was ‘entirely out of place in a war production plant’ and that wayward hair interrupted work and wasted valuable time. The video shows a new style, stating that the star ‘decided to put glamour in its new wartime place and face the world with both eyes in the clear’. The hair is rolled up and away from the face in a ‘simple, becoming fashion’ featuring a Victory roll and small chignon bun at the back. This look was named the Victory Style.

The Top Six Hair Icons

Certain icons created a lasting impression of the true nature of 1940s glamour: distinctive, simple elegance. Depending on where you lived, certain 1940s stars were more pervasive than others. The hairstyles of those listed below are consistently requested by my UK clients and are extremely popular. For these top six iconic looks, it is their image and memorable style that continue to inspire modern-day vintage enthusiasts worldwide and, indeed, any student of fashion.

VERONICA LAKE

Veronica Lake’s style consists of a wide, heavy side part with a distinctive S-wave sweeping down her forehead and seductively covering her right eye. There is no volume at the roots of the hair and the curls in the lengths of the hair begin below the jawline, leaving a smooth crown. Her curls are very soft and have a brushed-out effect. In some pictures the waves are fluffy and textured; in others the hair is almost completely straight with just a hint of a wave. Veronica Lake was also photographed with Victory Rolls and the US government-sanctioned Victory Style.

Veronica Lake. (Paramount/The Kobal Collection/Hurrell, George)

Veronica Lake received her big break in the 1941 war drama I Wanted Wings. Although she has many film credits to her name, she is mostly remembered more for her iconic tumbling locks than her acting prowess. Peering out from behind her long blonde hair, she created an aura of mystery and allure, which made her the queen of the film noir genre in the 1940s. She was perfectly cast as the sultry vamp.

The November 1941 edition of Life magazine described I Wanted Wings as follows:

‘the moment when an unknown actress named Veronica Lake walked into camera range and waggled a head of long blond hair at a suddenly enchanted public … Veronica Lake’s hair has been acclaimed by men, copied by girls, cursed by their mothers, and viewed with alarm by moralists.’7

The article goes on to describe the style that would become known as the ‘striptease’ and ‘bad-girl’ style.

Today, this style is frequently requested by vintage brides and ladies wanting a classic vintage style full of allure. Perhaps there is a little ‘bad-girl’ in all of us …

BETTY GRABLE

Betty Grable was a musical film star and pin-up girl who began her career as a chorus line dancer during the 1930s. Betty’s first leading role in a major Hollywood film was in A Yank in the RAF with Tyrone Power in 1941.

Betty Grable. (20th Century Fox/The Kobal Collection/Powolny, Frank)

Betty’s beauty and wholesome charm made her popular with both cinema audiences and troops, with her biggest hits occurring during the war.

Betty wore her hair in a number of ways, but her signature look was an upswept style with lots of height and a mass of blonde curls, which were sometimes sculpted and other times fluffy. She wore her hair down for certain shoots, but she also favoured a half-up style, tending to roll the front up into rolls or pin curls with the back of the hair down in various styles. One of the most requested styles is this image of Betty, which features smooth Victory Rolls and a pageboy-style curl at the back of the head.

VIVIEN LEIGH

Described as the perfect English rose, British-born Vivien Leigh won two Academy Awards and also cinema audiences’ hearts for her performance as Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind in 1939. In 1940 she went on to star in the tangled and tragic love story Waterloo Bridge with Robert Taylor, in which she plays ballerina Myra. The film, which opens after Britain’s declaration of the Second World War, was another success.

Vivien Leigh. (MGM/The Kobal Collection)

Vivien frequently wore her brunette locks in a signature centre parting (or close to centre) with her hair brushed into soft, smooth waves. Those waves swept from Leigh’s crown and down the front of her head, while the back was kept very sleek and close to the head with soft waves at the ends. Her style was simple, understated and classic, accentuating her natural beauty and framing her stunning looks.

RITA HAYWORTH

Rita Hayworth, who was born Margarita Carmen Casino, underwent a huge hair makeover before hitting the big time. Her dark locks were lightened to the fiery red for which she was so famed; she also endured a painful course of electrolysis to make her hairline higher. Rita’s lush hair, generally worn down and parted to one side with locks flowing down, her flawless skin and electric aura of sexuality made her a star.

Rita Hayworth. (Columbia/The Kobal Collection/Coburn, Bob)

Hayworth’s biggest hit was a film noir classic released in 1946, in which she plays the eponymous femme fatale Gilda. The film by the same name features one of the most notorious introduction scenes, in which the character of Munson introduces his surprised friend Johnny to his new wife. Upon entering the room, Munson asks Gilda, ‘Are you decent?’ The camera cuts to a close-up of Hayworth, seductively flipping her mane of red hair back and with twinkling eyes and a wide smile she exclaims ‘Me?!’ After a long pause, Gilda states, ‘Sure, I’m decent’.

The following year, Rita featured in The Lady from Shanghai. For this role, her trademark red flowing locks were cut short and dyed platinum blonde. The film was a huge flop at the box office, and its failure was attributed largely to the massive change in Rita’s trademark image.

Rita’s tumbling locks continue to be one of the vintage styles most requested by my clients, with the publicity shot from Gilda being the most popular inspiration image for 1940s hair.

LUCILLE BALL

‘At least once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead.’

Lucille Ball

In 1941 Lucille Ball starred in the musical comedy film DuBarry Was a Lady with Gene Kelly, for which her hair was dyed the rich, flaming red that was to become her trademark. Lucille’s styles featured a lot of height and typically consisted of sculpted or fluffy curls atop her head with less volume at the sides. Her luscious hair fell in smooth rolls, sometimes swept up into Victory Rolls with a fluffy textured fringe, although it is the glamorous, dramatic up-styles for which she was best known.

Lucille Ball. (MGM/The Kobal Collection)

Lucille Ball signed with MGM in 1942 and would go on to become one of classic Hollywood’s greatest beauties; she went on to enjoy one of Hollywood’s longest careers on the silver screen and, eventually, television with her hit sitcom I Love Lucy.

In the 1946 film Lover Come Back, Lucille showcased the cute horseshoeshaped fringe that has become synonymous with her style and which she favoured well into the 1950s.

LANA TURNER

Lana Turner was discovered in a Hollywood café at the tender age of sixteen. After being signed by MGM, Lana went on to become one of Hollywood’s most celebrated sex symbols.

She was the classic blonde bombshell, although she was born with auburn locks that were bleached in 1939 for a film called Idiot's Delight, in which she never actually starred. This new look would cement her role as a popular pinup girl of the 1940s. Leading roles in films such as Ziegfeld Girl and the film noir classic The Postman Always Rings Twice made this stunning beauty fiercely popular with cinema audiences.

Known as the Sweater Girl for some of her more form-fitting outfits, Lana was a hair chameleon with many stunning looks. Her most common styles were a short smooth bob, a down-style with long tight curls and also defined upwardly brushed waves. Lana’s stunning hair was notable as she would have very deep waves and immaculately sculpted curls.

Lana Turner. (MGM/The Kobal Collection/Bull, Clarence Sinclair)

Chapter 2 Elements of 1940s Style

2

Women in the 1940s did not wear their hair straight or unstyled any more than they would go out without wearing underwear. Moreover, the influence of glamorous film stars, such as Lana Turner and Rita Hayworth, meant that women were increasingly choosing to colour, as well as curl their hair.

If women didn’t set their hair in curls, they would have it in a braid or some variation of an up-do. Indeed, if the hair was worn up, it was most often precurled before being styled. The advantage of this is that once hair has been curled, it has more volume and texture, and is easier to work; therefore, curling was a clever and versatile way of keeping hair manageable for days at a time.

Hair Colouring

Men and women have been changing the colour of their hair for centuries. In ancient Egypt, records have documented the use of natural dyes, such as chamomile and indigo, while there is evidence of the plant dye henna being used since 1500BC. In the 1900s men were reported to use boot polish and ash to keep their fashionable moustaches from displaying tinges of grey.

Henna had been popular since the First World War, and even though it was acceptable in some social circles, it was frowned upon in others; consequently, people tended to keep it a secret that they were dyeing their hair. Colouring the hair continued to grow in popularity throughout the 1920s as the flapper age burst forth and young women changed their hair colour and length. Hair was cut into fashionable bobs, inspired by starlets such as Louise Brooks and Clara Bow.

By the 1930s the fashion for dyeing one’s hair declined and became stigmatized as the choice of a girl with loose morals. However, it was once again acceptable by the end of the decade. The popularity of blonde hair grew immensely due to the starlets Jean Harlow, Mae West and Ginger Rogers. Lucille Ball was not a natural redhead; she was a blonde but dyed her trademark locks using henna.

Vintage blonde hair rinse.

With the introduction of rationing in 1941, dye became difficult to acquire and ladies were advised to use vegetable dyes, such as indigo and henna, as an alternative to touch up their roots. They also used rinses to lighten their hair, such as chamomile and lemon.

Perming

A permanent wave is a chemical process used to create lasting curls or waves in the hair. Perming is the application of a chemical solution that changes the structure of the hair shaft, setting the hair into the desired shape with curlers or rods. Permanent waves were used as the effects were long-lasting, meaning that women could recreate their desired styles with fewer trips to the salon and obtain fashionable styles with less effort.

The first perming machine was invented by Karl Nessler. The hair was set around metal rods connected to a machine with an electric heating device. Caustic soda was then applied and the hair was left to heat for a long period of time. It is said the first two attempts burned off all of his long-suffering wife’s hair, but by 1909 the method had been improved somewhat and was used as a hair curling method. In 1938 Arnold F. Willatt invented the cold wave – the precursor to the modern perm. Using neither machines nor heat, this method was a breath of fresh air for women who wanted to add a permanent curl to their hair and give their sets staying power.

1940s home perm kit.

Perming was very popular in the 1940s and perms were used in conjunction with wet sets to create lasting curl. Hairspray was not widely available and nor were heated hair appliances, so the ladies of the time jumped at any chance to achieve longevity with their hairstyles. Even during the war, women still got their hair permed, although not always with the best results, as described by this school teacher:

‘My perm took from 9.30 to 12.30, but I don't think I quite like the way she has done it. She gave me a sort of halo of little curls, and they don’t look quite right with my moon-like countenance.’

She goes on to describe another perm, which:

‘has descended from the corrugated-iron stiffness into a brief and frizzy mass. Like wool.’8

The American company Toni was one of the first companies to release a home perm kit. The kits contained a chemical agent that was applied to the hair, which was then rolled in curlers and a neutralizing agent applied to hold the resulting curls. Pin-Up Perms home perming kit was established in 1945 with the tag line: ‘This is why young stars have Pin-up Perms’. After the war, such products became more readily available to the masses so perms rose even more in popularity, as they produced a much more lasting set than rollers, rags or pin curls. It was easy to get a permed set and simple to snap it into shape.

Today, perming has decreased in popularity due to the damage it can cause to the hair. The strong chemicals can make the hair brittle and fragile. If you are considering getting a perm, experiment first with a wet pin curl set or rags to see if a stronger curling technique can give your hair more hold. Always get your perm done professionally and speak to a hairdresser to see if a perm is the right option for your hair type.

Machineless perming solution.

Curls and Waves

This section covers the primary components of 1940s style, the combination of which form the basis of the archetypal 1940s hairstyle. These are Rolls, Curls, Waves, Pompadours, Braids, Hairpieces and Fringes. Once you know these components, you can recreate pretty much any 1940s style.

Most 1940s styles begin with some form of hot or wet curl; the curl is pinned to the head in order to set, in other words completely cool or dry. Once set, the curls are released, whereupon they can be brushed out to form a desired shape, be that a smooth wave, or a fluffy or sculptured curl.

Curls move around each other falling into a spiral corkscrew shape, which, in turn, creates hair volume. Mastering the skill of hair curling is undoubtedly the most powerful tool for anyone wishing to create these vintage styles. The curls set in the hair form the core framework for building any 1940s period hairstyle.

As well as being used as a method for curling the hair when wet, pin curls are used as a decorative feature when rolled in dry hair. The section of hair is rolled around fingers to form a circle or free form at the end of the hair and is then pinned to the head.

Hair styled into curls.

A wave is a smooth finish that creates a continuous S shape in the hair and was a prominent staple during the 1940s. The style is created when sections of hair, curled in opposite directions, are brushed together. The two oppositely rolled strands meet, create ridges and flow from one side to another along the hair’s length, thus creating an unbroken wave. The wave gives depth and definition to what would otherwise be a flat section of hair; therefore, the wave becomes a focal point of the hairstyle as the light catches the wave differently throughout the S shape.

Dry pin curls.

Hair styled into waves.

Rolls

Rolls were a consistent feature of 1940s hairstyles. Outlined below are some of the most prevalent rolls used during this period and step-by-step instructions can be found in Chapters 6 and 7.

Victory Roll.

A Victory Roll is an instantly recognizable 1940s style or component thereof, where the hair is rolled up into tunnelshaped curls, swept away from the face, generally pinned towards the top and sides of the head. Victory rolls were a common feature of many 1940s hairstyles and were popular as they can be styled into many different lengths. A hairstyle could feature just one large Victory roll or several smaller rolls, meaning that many variations of styles can incorporate this type of roll. The versatile Victory Roll could be assimilated on the side, top or the back of the head and feature in smooth up-dos and fluffy pin curl sets. Interestingly, the Victory Roll is said to have gained its name from the fighter plane manoeuvres of the Second World War, as its swirls and rolls mimicked the contrails left when pilots looped and rolled the planes following a successful mission. Thus, the name Victory Roll was coined by patriotic ladies and its name will have no doubt have added to its appeal throughout the 1940s.

Gibson Roll.