As we entered the 1920s, though, a shift occurred and short hair served as not just a fashion statement, but a statement of reclaimed power and freedom among women.
Prior to the 1920s, long hair was a symbol of femininity and beauty while short hair was considered rebellious and undesirable. Women would not cut their hair as to not offend the men in her life. However, with the women's suffrage movement and increasing feminism, that mindset changed. Here is how the bob developed.
With that, of course, came long hair, emulated by many a young woman, particularly in the first half of the decade. These were thick, heavy, and above all long ringlettes. When she cut her hair in the mid-1920s, it was headline news across the world – it even made the front page of the New York Times.
Many men took jobs in the mills and factories, where the long hair of the crofting lifestyle could be a death sentence if it was caught in the wrong machine. For this reason short hair became the norm, and that's still the case today.
Inspired by the likes of actresses Louise Brookes, Clara Bow, Colleen Moore and Marion Davies, soon women across the world were cutting their hair short. This was a daring challenge to the status quo, and represented an emancipation from the cultural and ideological trappings of traditional femininity.
' This act served as a symbolic departure from traditional gender roles as she transitioned from a peasant girl to a military leader. Fast forward to the 20 th century, the bob haircut's roots can be traced back to the 1910's-1920s when it emerged as a symbol of liberation and modernity.
The best-known short haircut style in the 1920s was the bob. It made its first foray into public consciousness in 1915 when the fashion-forward ballroom dancer Irene Castle cut her hair short as a matter of convenience, into what was then referred to as the Castle bob.
Longer hair in general remained popular due to the youth rebellion throughout the liberal decade of the 1960s. The long hair trend grew with the spread of the hippie movement in the 1960s and, in the 1970s, longer hair styles would become the norm among men and women.
Lack of Volume/Layers: Flat, lifeless short hair can look dull and aging. Too Short: A cut that's too short can expose your neck and accentuate wrinkles. Outdated Style: A hairstyle that's stuck in the past can make you look older than your years.
In the early stages of mankind, there were limited options for our ancestors. For Neanderthals and ancient humans, their choice was to cut their hair with flint, grow it in a braid, or use mud.
Everything about rock and pop music got big in the '80s. Big sounds, big bands, big clothes, and — perhaps biggest of all — big hair! The decade that introduced Hair Metal saw newly minted rock stars doubling down on the glam and teasing their hair till it was sky-high.
Finger wave. A finger wave is a method of setting hair into waves (curls) that was popular in the 1920s and early 1930s and again in the late 1990s in North America and Europe. Silver screen actresses such as Josephine Baker and Esther Phillips are credited with the original popularity of finger waves.
Hippies were also known for their unique style, favouring long hair and casual, often unconventional, dress, sometimes in “psychedelic” colours. Many males grew beards, and both men and women wore sandals and beads.
Flappers in the 1920s wore bold and dramatic makeup, including dark, smokey eyeshadow, thick eyeliner, bold, defined eyebrows, pale or powdered skin, and deep red lipstick. They aimed for a glamorous look that was a departure from the more natural styles of the previous decades.
You can reduce the strain on your roots and scalp by chopping off split ends and older sections. This promotes healthier hair growth with fewer split ends and breakage. Furthermore, short hair is easier to manage and maintain. You'll spend less time with heat styling tools, often the culprits of damage and hair stress.
1920s: The Roaring Twenties introduced a major shift in women's hairstyles. The iconic bob haircut became popular, characterized by short, straight hair that was often worn with a side parting. This style symbolized women's liberation and a break from traditional gender roles.
Shorter hair goes hand-in-hand with healthier hair, often having less damage from heat styling and environmental factors. Your hair will thank you with improved strength, shine, and minimal split-ends!
Does short or long hair make you look younger? Long hair can enhance facial features by diverting attention away from wrinkles or age spots and adding volume to your hair. Short hair does not need to age you, though, as the style and texture of shorter hairstyles can add a youthful appearance.
In the '80s, big hair was not only a status symbol, but also allowed women to take up space, Rachael Gibson, who runs the account The Hair Historian, told the outlet. It was a statement and, especially for artists in the limelight, “filling the screen with your hair felt like quite a power move,” she added.
It dates back at least to ancient Greeks and Romans, and according to archaeologist Elizabeth Bartman, even despite the Ancient Greek ideal of a “bearded, long-haired philosopher,” women in that society still had longer hair than men regularly did.
It is symbolic of letting go of the past, getting out of our hair whatever has been troubling us, cutting old ties and lightening the load to go forwards into a new future.”
1930s Authentic Coiffures
Hair was primarily worn at chin or just above shoulder length with deeply set waves. The permanent wave was a popular method to aid the in setting of waves. The look of the thirties was clean, sleek, and sophisticated.
A buzz cut, or wiffle cut, is a variety of short hairstyles, especially where the length of hair is the same on all parts of the head. Rising to prominence initially with the advent of manual hair clippers, buzz cuts became increasingly popular in places where strict grooming conventions applied.
The pompadour was a fashion trend in the 1950s, especially among male rockabilly artists and actors. A variation of this was the duck's ass (or in the UK "duck's arse"), also called the "duck's tail", the "ducktail", or simply the D.A. This hairstyle was originally developed by Joe Cerello in 1940.