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Hairstyles in the 1950s

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Typical hairstyles of the early 50s shown here onFernando LamasandDanielle Darrieux

In theWestern world,the 1950s were a decade known for experimentation with new styles and culture. FollowingWorld War IIand the austerity years of the post-war period, the 1950s were a time of comparative prosperity, which influenced fashion and the concept ofglamour.Hairstylistsinvented new hairstyles for wealthy patrons. Influential hairstylists of the period includeSydney Guilaroff,Alexandre of ParisandRaymond Bessone,who took French hair fashion to Hollywood, New York and London, popularising the pickle cut, thepixie cutandbouffanthairstyles.

The American film industry and the popular music industry influenced hairstyles around the world, both in mainstream fashion and teenage sub-culture. With the advent of therock musicindustry, teenage culture and fashion became increasingly significant and distinctive from mainstream fashion, with American style being imitated in Europe, Asia, Australasia and South America. Teenage girls around the world wore their hair in ponytails while teenage boys worecrew cuts,the more rebellious among them favouring "greaser" comb-backs.

The development of hair-styling products, particularlysetting sprays,hair-oil and hair-cream, influenced the way hair was styled and the way people around the world wore their hair day to day. Women's hairstyles of the 1950s were in general less ornate and more informal than those of the 1940s, with a "natural" look being favoured, even if it was achieved by perming, setting, styling and spraying. Mature men's hairstyles were always short and neat, and they were generally maintained with hair-oil. Even among "rebellious youth" with longer, greased hair, carrying a comb and maintaining the hairstyle was part of the culture.

Male fashion[edit]

Popular music and film stars had a major influence on 1950s hairstyles and fashion. Elvis Presley and James Dean had a great influence on the high quiff-pompadour greased-up style or slicked-back style for men with heavy use ofBrylcreemorpomade.The pompadour was a fashion trend in the 1950s, especially among malerockabillyartists and actors. A variation of this was theduck's ass(or in the UK "duck's arse" ), also called the "duck's tail", the "ducktail", or simply the D.A.[1]

This hairstyle was originally developed by Joe Cerello in 1940. Cerello's clients later included film celebrities like Elvis Presley and James Dean.[2]Frank Sinatraposed in a modified D.A. style of hair. This style required that the hair be combed back around the sides of the head. The tooth edge of acombwas then used to define a central part running from the crown to the nape at the back of the head, resembling, to many, the rear end of aduck.The hair on the top front of the head was either deliberately disarrayed so that untidy strands hung down over the forehead, or combed up and then curled down into an "elephant's trunk" which might hang down as far as the top of the nose. The sides were styled to resemble the folded wings of the duck, often with heavy sideburns.[3]

A variant of the duck's tail style, known as "the Detroit", consisted of the long back and sides combined with aflattop.In California, the top hair was allowed to grow longer and combed into a wavelike pompadour shape known as a "breaker". The duck's tail became an emblematic coiffure of disaffected young males across the English-speaking world during the 1950s, a sign of rebellious youth and of a "bad boy" image.[1][4][5]The style was frowned upon by high school authorities, who often imposed limitations on male hair length as part of their dress codes.[6]Nevertheless, the style was widely copied by men of all ages.[2]

Theregular haircut,side-parted with tapered back and sides, was considered a clean cut fashion and preferred by parents and school authorities in the United States. The crew cut, flattop andivy leaguewere also popular, particularly among high school and college students.[7]The crew cut style was derived from the military haircuts given to millions of draftees,[8]and was favored by men who wished to appear "establishment" or mainstream.[9]Daily applications of "butch wax" were used to make the short hair stand straight up from the head.[10]Celebrities favoring this style includedSteve McQueen,Mickey MantleandJohn Glenn.Crew cuts gradually declined in popularity by the end of the decade, as longer hair for men became fashionable.[11][12]

Black male entertainers chose to wear their hair in short and unstraightened styles.[13]

In southeast Asia, a variation of the quiff that was popular was the "curry puff", styled by a bob of wavy hair just above the forehead.[14]"Geek chic" was a fashion trend for intellectual types, with a bouffant or greased-back hair and black glasses, exhibited by the likes ofBuddy HollyandBill Evans.

It originally it was frequent in beach areas, like Hawaii and California.[citation needed]

Female fashion[edit]

Elizabeth Taylor,c.1955

Women generally emulated the hair styles and hair colors of popular film personalities and fashion magazines; top models played a pivotal role in propagating the styles.[2]Alexandre of Parishad developed the beehive and artichoke styles seen onGrace Kelly,Jackie Kennedy,theDuchess of Windsor,Elizabeth Taylor,andTippi Hedren.[15]Generally, a shorter bouffant style was favored by female movie stars, paving the way for the long hair trend of the 1960s. Very short cropped hairstyles were fashionable in the early 1950s. By mid-decade, hats were worn less frequently, especially as fuller hairstyles like the short, curly "elfin cut" or the "Italian cut" or "poodle cut" and later thebouffantand thebeehivebecame fashionable (sometimes nicknamed B-52s for their similarity to the bulbous noses of theB-52 Stratofortressbomber).[16]Stars such asMarilyn Monroe,Connie Francis,Elizabeth TaylorandAudrey Hepburnusually wore their hair short with high volume. In the poodle hairstyle, the hair is permed into tight curls, similar to the poodle's curly hair (curling the hair involves time and effort). This style was popularized by Hollywood actresses likePeggy Garner,Lucille Ball,Ann SothernandFaye Emerson.In the post-war prosperous 1950s, in particular, the bouffant hair style was the most dramatic and considered an ideal style in which aerosol hairspray facilitated keeping large quantities of “backcombed or teased and frozen hair” in place. This necessitated a regimen of daily hair care to keep the bouffant in place;curlerswere worn to bed and frequent visits were made to the hair stylist's salon. MouseketeerAnnette Funicellodramatically presented this hair style in the movieBeach Party.[17]

Short, tight curls with a poodle cut known as "short bangs" were very popular, favored by women such asfirst ladyMamie Eisenhower.[2][12]Hennawas a popular hair dye in the 1950s in the US; in the popular TV comedy seriesI Love Lucy,Lucille Ball (according to her husband's statement) "used henna rinse to dye her brown hair red."[2]The poodle cut was also made popular by Audrey Hepburn. In the 1953 filmRoman Holiday,Audrey Hepburn's character had short hair known as a "gamine-style" pixie cut, which accentuated her long neck, and which was copied by many women.[18]In the filmSabrina,her character appears initially in long plain hair while attending culinary school, but returns to her Paris home with a chic, short, face-framing "Paris hairstyle", which again was copied by many women. When the rage among women was for the "blond bombshell" hair style, Hepburn stuck to her dark brown hair color and refused to dye her hair for any film.[2]

Mamie Eisenhower, wearing a shortfringe"bangs", 1954

Jacqueline Kennedywore a short hair style for her wedding in 1953, while later she sported a "bouffant"; together with the larger beehive and shorter bubble cut, this became one of the most popular women's hairstyles of the 1950s.[2]Grace Kellyfavored a mid-length bob style, also influential. There were exceptions, however, and some women, such asBettie Page,favored long, straight dark locks and a fringe; such women were known as "Beat girls".[12]In the mid-1950s, a high ponytail became popular with teenage girls, often tied with a scarf.[2][18]The ponytail was seen on the firstBarbiedolls, in 1959; a few years later Barbies with beehives appeared.[2]The "artichoke cut",which was invented byJacques Dessange,was specially designed forBrigitte Bardot.[11]Compact coiffures were popular in the 1950s as less importance was given to hairstyling, although a new look was stylized byChristian Dior's fashion revolution after the war.[11]

Products[edit]

Audrey Hepburn,pixie cut,1954

In the 1950s, lotion shampoos with conditioning ingredients became popular precursors of the shampoo/conditioner rinse pairing of two decades later. TheClairolad campaign, "Does she... or doesn't she?" boosted hair color product sales not just for their company, but across the hair dye industry.[19]

The bouffant style relied on the liberal use of hairspray to hold hair in place for a week.[20]Hairspray lacquers of this era were of a different chemical formula than used today, and were more difficult to remove from the hair than today's products.[21]But even less extreme styles, such as parting hair on the left and the right before pulling the bangs to one side, required holding the style in place with hairspray.[22]One ingredient in 1950s hair spray wasvinyl chloride monomer;used as an alternative to chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), it was subsequently found to be both toxic and flammable.[23]

Hair gels, such asDippity-do,came in a variety of forms such as spray or jelly, and were referred to as "setting gels".[20]African Americanhair products promised natural-looking hair to black women, with natural in this context defined as straight, soft, and smooth; these products, such asLustra-silk,were advertised to not be heavy, greasy or damaging like pressing oils and chemical relaxers of the past.[24]

Only a small amount ofBrylcreemwas needed to make a man's hair shiny and stay in place; Brylcreem's tag line was "Brylcreem, a little dab'll do ya."[25]It was also used by those who suffered fromdandruff.[26]While theconkwas still popular through the end of the decade,Isaac Hayesswitched to going bald.[13]Hair growth products for men were first introduced in the 1950s, in Japan.[27]

Influence[edit]

Henry Winkler as "The Fonz"

The 1950s had a profound influence on fashion and continues to be a strong influence in contemporary fashion. Some of the world's most famous fashion icons today such asChristina Aguilera,Katy Perry,andDavid Beckhamregularly wear their hair or indulge in a style of fashion clearly heavily influenced by that of the 1950s. Aguilera is influenced byMarilyn Monroe,[28]Beckham bySteve McQueenandJames Dean.[29]

The pompadour style became popular amongItalian Americansand the image became an integral part of the Italian male stereotype in the 1970s in films such asGreaseand television series such asHappy Days.TheFonz,played byHenry Winkler,with his greased pompadour, white T-shirt and leather jacket, has been cited as the "epitome of the 50s bad-boy cool".[30]In modernJapanese popular culture,the pompadour is a stereotypical hairstyle often worn by gang members, thugs, members of theyakuzaand its junior counterpartbōsōzoku,and other similar groups such as theyankii(high-school hoodlums).[31]In Japan the style is known as the "Regent" hairstyle, and is oftencaricaturedin various forms of entertainment media such asanime,manga,television, and music videos.[32]

Dorothy Dandridge,1958

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^abPeterson, Amy T.; Kellogg, Ann T. (2008).The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Clothing Through American History 1900 to the Present.ABC-CLIO. p. 53.ISBN978-0-313-33395-8.Retrieved18 September2012.
  2. ^abcdefghiSherrow, Victoria (2006).Encyclopedia of Hair: A Cultural History.Greenwood Publishing Group. p.192,194, 206–208.ISBN978-0-313-33145-9.Retrieved17 September2012.
  3. ^Augustyn, Heather; Marley, Cedella (27 September 2010).Ska: An Oral History.McFarland. p. 164.ISBN978-0-7864-6040-3.Retrieved18 September2012.
  4. ^Clark, Terry N. (2004).The City As an Entertainment Machine.Emerald Group Publishing. p. 163.ISBN978-0-7623-1060-9.Retrieved18 September2012.
  5. ^Kubernik, Harvey (30 December 2006).Hollywood Shack Job: Rock Music in Film and on Your Screen.UNM Press. p. 273.ISBN978-0-8263-3542-5.Retrieved18 September2012.
  6. ^Calhoun, Craig; Sennett, Richard (2007).Practicing Cultures.New York: Routledge. p. 205.ISBN9781134126118.
  7. ^How to square flattop hair.Life Magazine. 12 November 1956. p. 149.
  8. ^Browne, Ray B.; Browne, Pat (2001).The Guide to United States Popular Culture.The University of Wisconsin Press. p. 357.ISBN9780879728212.
  9. ^Behnke, Alison Marie (2011).The Little Black Dress and Zoot Suits: Depression and Wartime Fashions from the Depression to the 1950s.Twenty-First Century Books. p. 35.ISBN9780761380559.
  10. ^Osceola, Holatte-Sutv Turwv (2011).Nokosee & Stormy.Palmetto Bug Books. p. 27.ISBN9780963449948.
  11. ^abcSteele, Valerie (15 November 2010).The Berg Companion to Fashion.Berg. p. 389.ISBN978-1-84788-563-0.Retrieved17 September2012.
  12. ^abcCraats, Rennay (1 August 2001).History of The 1950s.Weigl Publishers Inc. pp. 36–37.ISBN978-1-930954-24-3.Retrieved17 September2012.
  13. ^abByrd, Ayana; Tharps, Lori (12 January 2002).Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America.Macmillan. pp. 88–.ISBN978-0-312-28322-3.Retrieved19 September2012.
  14. ^Phua, Edward (1999).Sunny days of an urchin.Federal Publications. p. 29.ISBN978-981-01-2440-3.Retrieved19 September2012.
  15. ^Moral, Tony Lee (28 September 2005).Hitchcock And the Making of Marnie.Scarecrow Press. pp. 71–.ISBN978-0-8108-5684-4.Retrieved19 September2012.
  16. ^Patrick, Bethanne Kelly, and John Thompson, Henry Petroski (2009).An Uncommon History of Common Things.National Geographic. p. 206.ISBN978-1-4262-0420-3.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  17. ^Brunell, Miriam Forman- (2001).Girlhood in America: An Encyclopedia, Volume 1.ABC-CLIO. p. 355.ISBN9781576072066.Retrieved18 September2012.
  18. ^abRooney, Anne (1 May 2009).The 1950s and 1960s.Infobase Publishing. p. 56.ISBN978-1-60413-385-1.Retrieved17 September2012.
  19. ^Hill, Daniel Delis (1 February 2002).ADVERTISING TO THE AMERICAN WOMAN.Ohio State University Press. pp.101,103–.ISBN978-0-8142-0890-8.Retrieved19 September2012.
  20. ^abWillett, Julie (11 May 2010).The American Beauty Industry Encyclopedia.ABC-CLIO. pp. 137–.ISBN978-0-313-35949-1.Retrieved19 September2012.
  21. ^Robbins, Clarence R. (2012).Chemical and Physical Behavior of Human Hair.Springer. pp. 779–.ISBN978-3-642-25611-0.Retrieved19 September2012.
  22. ^Rudiger, Margit; Samson, Renate von (30 June 1998).388 Great Hairstyles.Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. pp.21–.ISBN978-0-8069-9401-7.Retrieved19 September2012.
  23. ^Siobhan, O'Connor (13 July 2010).No More Dirty Looks: The Truth about Your Beauty Products--And the Ultimate Guide to Safe and Clean Cosmetics.Da Capo Press. pp. 72–.ISBN978-0-7382-1418-4.Retrieved19 September2012.
  24. ^Walker, Susannah (23 February 2007).Style and Status: Selling Beauty to African American Women, 1920-1975.University Press of Kentucky. pp. 112, 125–.ISBN978-0-8131-2433-9.Retrieved19 September2012.
  25. ^Sherrow, p. 365
  26. ^Pomerance, Murray(26 October 2005).American Cinema of the 1950s.Rutgers University Press. pp. 10–.ISBN978-0-8135-3673-6.Retrieved19 September2012.
  27. ^Toedt, John; Koza, Darrell; Cleef-Toedt, Kathleen Van (2005).Chemical Composition Of Everyday Products.Greenwood Publishing Group. pp.39–.ISBN978-0-313-32579-3.Retrieved19 September2012.
  28. ^Dominguez, Pier (1 June 2003).Christina Aguilera: A Star Is Made.Amber Books Publishing. p. 218.ISBN978-0-9702224-5-9.Retrieved18 September2012.
  29. ^"David Beckham Fetes H&M Launch in London".Women's Wear Daily.2 February 2012.Retrieved18 September2012.
  30. ^Broadhead, Julian; Kerr, Laura (1 January 2000).Prison Writing 2001.Waterside Press. p. 20.ISBN978-1-872870-87-8.Retrieved18 September2012.
  31. ^Jenkins, Ronald Scott (June 1994).Subversive laughter: the liberating power of comedy.Free Press. p. 147.ISBN978-0-02-916405-1.Retrieved18 September2012.
  32. ^"» History of the Regent:: Néojaponisme » Blog Archive".Retrieved2016-03-18.

External links[edit]


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