1950s Women Hairstyles

Many trends we see and emulate today actually date back to the 1950’s. Those were the times, when after the World War, people felt free and liberated and started experimenting with newness. Various fads started at that time and many trends were set by celebrities like Elvis Presley and the original glam-diva Marilyn Monroe; they were well-known to have brought in their own styles in clothing and haircuts. These celebrities’ styles were easy to copy and people followed their footsteps. It was an era of significant scientific and production advancements and innovations. This brought about changes in technology, lifestyle, culture and moral values. Such changes made this time special and to signify the specialness, many such new attires and hairstyles emerged that expressed women liberation. The fifties was the era when women spent time on their hairdos by pinning, curling and rolling their hair in various shapes. It was a time when blow drying of hair had not started. The hair was made soft and curly, and was usually set with the help of a hair sprayer.

Retro 50s Hairstyles

The Fifties
Women were so obsessed with their hairstyles during this era that many went to sleep with curlers in their hair. Even with all the hair curling that went on, women still needed to get a perm – a permanent wave. This was achieved usually with the help of solutions which helped set the hair. Unlike today, where hair is let loose and has an unruly look, the fifties fashion required that even with a perm, the hair was rolled and curled to make it stay in place!

Poodle Hairstyle
At a time when film celebrities set off a tide of frenzy, the poodle hairstyle came into fashion and the poodle cut was popularized by none other than the famous star Lucille Ball. The comedy star was so popular that the hairstyle was immensely imitated by all the ladies of the time. With short hair, cut about four inches on the sides and the back but slightly longer on the top of the head, the combed back look with a slightly upwards swoop was all it took to get it right.

Marilyn Monroe Hairstyle
A goddess in her time, and even today, Marilyn Monroe created an immense sensation with her hair and people still talk about her and her platinum hairdos. Marilyn had hair which was about chin length and had a curled look.

• The hair, which curled around the sides and over the ears, was combed slightly back and upward in front.
• The highlight was the permed look which was peroxide treated to give the silver blonde hair appearance.

It was an era where curly hair was in vogue, and if you had straight hair, you would use curlers, that too in the wee hours of night, to bring about a change in your appearance. Film stars like Elizabeth Taylor and Marylyn Monroe wore their hair in a curly up do. Hairstyles were then used to emphasize the gender roles of women who wore longer hairdos, whereas men wore short haircuts.

Debbie Reynolds Hairstyle
During the 1950s, after the initial short-hair craze, women began growing their hair slightly longer and hairstyles grew bigger in volume and the stylized wavy hair gave way to hairstyles like the beehive. These new styles required the use of hairspray and blow drying to get volume for the hair. Debbie Reynolds, a popular film actress in the 1950’s, stylized shoulder length hair with wavy ends. This style was to stay popular and is used even today by many women,

Teddy Girl Hairstyles
Though rather rare in the 1950’s, young rebellious girls had their hair cut short and became known as teddy girls. There were among them, lesbians who used the hairdo to showcase their liberty and were instrumental in starting their own teddy girl movement. It was a youth culture movement which lost momentum in the later years and is hardly known nowadays. However, this hairstyle which was popularized in those years continues to be a favourite even today. It is rather similar to what is today called a Short Bob, in which the hair is uniformly cut short to about four inches and combed to create a kind of voluminous look. The style was then considered very boyish but is now considered very chic and feminine as even shorter modern hairstyles for women have emerged.

1950s were a very happening time when many new hairstyles emerged, especially, thanks to the celebrities of those days! They have given us some styles which have stood against the tides of time, and continue to be very popular even today. These are the sort of styles that retain richness and quality and continue to behold, and grow on you, the more you wear them. Try the 1950’s women’s hairstyles and carry yourself to the past, nostalgic, romantic era of the 1950’s and enjoy the spectacular effect of it all.