The farther along I get on my new book in my new series (big announcement coming next month!!!), the more I’m enjoying the 1950s. Such a refreshing change from what I normally write.
Of course, developing characters is a must for every writer. My process is to get that all figured out before I start Page 1. Hence, I do a lot of research. Put me in a new era, like the 1950s, and my research intensifies.
One of the things I had to familiar myself with was how my heroine would look and dress and what everything was called. It was fun to be reminded that hairstyles of the 1950s are iconic. Coming off World War II, America evolved into a more prosperous time. Television catapulted in popularity, more American homes began to have one, and given the fascination with the moving screen, men and women alike began to fixate on (and imitate) beautiful actresses and handsome actors.
Here are some of the most popular hairstyles.
The Poodle Cut. This one is a no-brainer. Permed and tight curls resembled – can you guess it? – the hair on a poodle. Lucille Ball, whether she wore her hair longer, upswept, or short, she always had her signature tight curls.
The Bouffant. Required lots of backcombing and hairspray. My mother wore her hair like this for years. Here’s Connie Stevens with her do.
The Beehive. A spin-off of the bouffant. Sophia Loren brought the popularity of her beehive from Europe.
The Pixie. On the other side of the spectrum is Audrey Hepburn’s super-short style with wispy bangs. With her slender build, she was so cute, but I could never wear a style like this! On the other hand, I chose this style for one of my secondary characters.
The Bubble Cut. Who can forget the beautiful Jackie Kennedy and her signature style first worn for her wedding and emulated by countless women around the world? My mother also wore her hair much like this – a variation of the bouffant and the beehive styles and likely easier for a woman to do herself.
The Veronica Lake. This petite actress (known for being only 4′ 11″) inspired the “peek-a-boo” style while starring in a movie. Her hair accidentally fell over her face, and since she happened to be playing an inebriated character, she didn’t bother to brush the errant locks off her eye. Women of all ages latched onto this mysterious and sultry look which remains popular to this day.
We can’t forget the guys, can we?
The Pompadour. Reflected some of the rebelliousness of the 50s era. Here’s James Dean – be still my heart – and of course, Elvis Presley shared the look, too. Longer hair was swept up on top and slicked down on the sides, inspiring the term “Greasers.”
The Ducktail. A variation of the pompadour where the hair is again slicked back but the top finger-combed into disarray with untidy strands over the forehead. Tony Curtis made this style popular and fed into that rebel look women loved so much.
These actors and actresses make the styles look flattering and easy, but they likely had a team of hairstylists to help them, right? Beauty salons flourished and helped the average woman emulate her favorite actresses.
Which is your favorite of these hairstyles?
If you lived in the 1950s, how did you style YOUR hair?
Or if you could be thrown back in time, which style would you choose and why?
My mother had a beehive style. She wore it like that till the early 70’s.
Oh, I believe it, Kim. There are still variations of the beehive to this day. Actresses on the red carpet will have their hair styled like that.
I wore the pixie cut for years
I bet it was super-easy to wash and go, eh? 🙂 I don’t have the face or the ears for a style like the pixie – but there are many days I wish I did!!
my mother had a bee hive style. and she would go to the hairdresser once every two weeks to have it done. this is were she met Dale Evans. they became fast friends. they both had a lot in common. I at the time wore my hair in braids and pony tails.
You mom was friends with Dale Evans???? Oh, wow! How cool is that?
It’s pretty amazing the bee-hive lasted for two weeks for your mom. My mom would wear this hair-wrap thing to protect the style, but it did go flat fairly soon.
Thanks for sharing, Lori.
well it didnt last for two weeks. that was just when she and Dale had hair appointments. After it was no longer good, mom would pull her hair back into a pony tail. We lived on a ranch. She had red hair and it was extremely thin, both the amount and each hair. She would call it frog fur. LOL
Frog fur?? Oh, that’s funny, Lori!!
I was born in the 50s, but growing up my hair was always kept short.
Good morning, karijean. I always envied girls who could grow their hair to their waists, but I was never one of them. Shoulder-length was as far as I could go. I had fairly fine and naturally curly hair that just did not grow long and thick for me.
Short is definitely easy!
My hairstyle was a combination of the bouffant the so called bubble cut. I had my hair layered with curls all across the back and the name of the style slips my mind at this moment. Then, eventually, I went to shorter hair like the pixie. The pixie was what I cut and styled on my daughter. Our era had many styles including the pony tail during the late 50’s and early 60’s. By the way, I loved Tony Curtis’ hairstyle.
I just recalled the hairstyle I was trying to remember – petals. I had a set-up in my bathroom with a mirror slanted high behind me and I did my own. It looked pretty good, if I do say so myself.
Interesting, Judy! I had to Google the petals hairstyle – if what I’m looking at is right, it looks HARD. LOL. I’m impressed you were able to pull that off yourself. You would’ve looked so pretty!
Oh, and I loved Tony Curtis’ hairstyle – and him! – too. That picture is a blast from the past for me.
My hair is naturally curly, so the poodle cut might work. Whatever it would be, I would have to be able to just wash, put some Moroccan oil on, and go, like I do now. I’ve never been one to mess with my hair, and I’m not about to start now!
Trudy, you made me laugh. I wash my hair every other day, and some days I just don’t want to!! But I have to, otherwise my cut style would make me look like a damp rag. LOL. (I have naturally curly hair, too, but I’ve lost of the curl over the years from coloring it, I suspect.)
My Daddy would NOT let any of us color our hair! And, none of the four of us girls ever have, and Mom never did, either. He had a fit when I came home from work one day and said that a few of my friends thought I should have highlights! I had to repeat about three times that I wasn’t going to do that, only that my friends thought I should! I tell people if I ever colored it now, Daddy’d come back to haunt me! I told my hair dresser that if I go a pucky shade of gray, I’ll consider coloring it, and she reminded me that Mom was in her 90’s before she really showed any gray, so I probably will do the same.
Oh, my goodness, Trudy. What a gift that your mom never started going gray until her 90s!! I started coloring my hair when I was 29 – too young to start going gray. I had two aunts who colored their hair until they died (in their 70s) and honestly, they looked younger than their age. I want to be the same.
But it sounds like you are going to be like your mom and keep your natural hair color. I’m envious!
oh my every one had short, feathered hair in the 70’s including me, had to keep mine about an inch long since it is curly!
I remember the feathered hairstyles, yes!! It was one of my favorites, and it worked for short or long hair. Remember how Farrah Fawcett had her hair feathered around her face? Gorgeous. If cut right, feathering is very flattering and stylish to this day.
Pam, if you have any questions, I’m here. Being born in 1940, I remember the 50s quite well.
Aw, good to know, Charlene! I’ll remember that. Thank you!
I was born in the 1950’s and my mom had me in braids every day and French braids for church. In the 70’s I used to put several braids in my hair before going to bed and undo it in the morning so it flowed out really big.
As the mother of four daughters, Rachel, I’ve done my share of braids!! French braids were my favorite. It’s always been a pet peeve of mine for little girls to have hair in their eyes – they looked uncombed and unkempt – so my girls’ hair was always so cute with bows and braids. Many people complimented them on that.
I can just see how your braids would have fluffed your hair and give you some easy waves. Pretty!
I had a pixie cut but that was in the 60’s… My mom always wore her hair in an Upsweep, kind of a cross between the poodle and a beehive..
Hi, Kathleen! Yes, the pixie was still popular in the 60s. I can only imagine how easy that cut would be. Your mom sounds like she had the same style my mom did for years – but then, ALOT of women did. 🙂
Oh, the memories!
I like the bouffant, but a little more relaxed like the bubble cut. I was born in 1952, so my mom styled my hair in a simple short style parted on the side then a little curl around the back and sides with bobby pins, ha! Pam, I really like your hair style.
Oh, Connie, yes!! You remind me of when I was a little girl – Mom would put two pin curls by my forehead and hold them in place with bobby pins. Maybe I didn’t want bangs, I don’t remember, but I wore those bobby pins for a long time.
Thanks for your kind words about my hair. I haven’t changed it hardly at all – people tell me I don’t age, and I’m convinced it’s because I keep my hair the same. LOL.
i LIKE MY HAIR SHORT.
Yeah! I’ll always wear my hair short now, too. You don’t see much long hair on older women, do you? I think the texture of the hair changes as we age, and keeping it short just makes sense and is easier.
We had pony tails in the late 50s
Oh, yes. Pony tails were about the easiest way to wear one’s hair. They are classic and will never go out of style!
Baltimore is known for the Beehives. At HonFest in June, they have a Beehive contest.
Allegedly, B-52’s Kate Pierson had a favorite salon when she was in town to handle her Beehive.
Some of those hairstyles used a “fall” wig or weft or half wig to help with volume and height. I remember my mom having some–hers were from the 60s/70s. The definition has changed a little if you go to google–you’ll need to go down the rabbit hole to find the right product–but I remember a former Miss America talking about having the crown get stuck in her “fall” and she almost lost the wig on TV.
I’d have to do a lot of straightening and backcombing to achieve any of those looks.
denise
Oh, I remember falls, Denise!! Gosh, that’s been a while, but yes, they helped alot of women achieve their look.
My mom, in her final years, got this little tiny hairpiece, almost like a toupee, that she wore on the crown of her head to cover some thinning. She’d had it for awhile before any of us noticed. It was such a great match to her normal hair, but I guess I have to credit her stylist for matching the colors so well.
Thx, Denise. You’re always such a wellspring of information!
A lot of the boys in our school wore “flat tops” in the late 50’s, short on the sides and standing up flat on top. Then came the “D A’s” or in better language the duck tail. Girls wore their hair that style too. Mine was usually in a pony tail.
Hahaha! I can just hear some of those guys calling duck tails DAs!!! And oh, gosh, yes. Flat tops. Marines were known for those, but alot of non-military had them, too. I always admired the barber who could cut that top so evenly flat.
I should have added flat tops one to my list. That’s a good one.
I always just had a standard haircut and thought the fancy hairdos were rather blah but I am weird that way.
Aw, you’re not weird. Just practical, eh? Nothing wrong with a standard haircut, and you probably saved yourself alot of time and money by not going with the trends, right?
I was in grade school and middle school in the 50’s. My hairdo, such as it was, was closest to the bouffant. I didn’t tease it or use hairspray. My hair is naturally curly so I slept on rollers and my hair had enough body to keep the height. I did try the pixie/London boy after college, but with curly hair, it didn’t work at all.
Ah, another one with naturally curly hair, Pat! I cursed mine for many years. I can only imagine the pixie not working for you – it wouldn’t work for me, either. I would have been scared to try. Ha!