Authentic Hair Troubles

[Kaela]

Hey, Ladies!
I noticed that the fellas got a thread about period haircuts, and I have been dragging my feet for about a year now on a REAL authentic haircut. The trouble is this: I get one haircut, I'm stuck in the period, (i.e. 20s only, 30s only, 40s only) and I have been known to go back 30s when I'm feeling like a change, but I haven't found a cut that is versatile enough... Anyone here have experience? I'm thinking just 5" at the front & layered back to 7"-ish... I figured 5" is enough to do side reverse rolls still-- with some amount of work more than usual, but my standard, day-to-day i-don't-go-out-to-parties style is, why I've heard it called "skullcap coiffure".. think Gene Tierney, Lauren Bacall...side part & curls w/ a little wave that falls in front of my eye (though it doesn't in my picture, you see, because I only just now have mastered it! )
Anyhow, if any of you girls have an authentic haircut, why not share your experience with us!

 

[ITG]

You've posted at a great time...I was just thinking about this over the last week, as I am way overdue for a haircut. Be sure to post pics gals if you have a truly authentic haircut.

 

[MissTayva]

I actually grew out my period ('40s/'50s) haircut not too long ago.
Dunno, they're really nothing more than a layered cut...
I cut countless similar styles while in cosmetology school, that were for modern styles.
Anywho, for my hair type, having my hair cut that way was worst thing I could have done! With all the kids I have now, it's hard to style it every single day. If I don't, I'm left with a 'do that looks more out of the '80s! Almost heavy metal-ish! Haha...
I acutally had my hair styled in a period 'do for my wedding not too long ago. With the exception of my bangs (which I styled in a forward roll, like always), the rest was all one length (just below shoulder). I had two reverse rolls on the sides and one in the back to keep my hair up off my nape. It looked pretty darn authentic if you ask me!

I dunno, personally, I think the tightness of the curl determines the look of the style. Curlier styles were more prominent in the '30s. I know I can easily get that look if I set my hair in tighter curls (I find pincurls work better for this). Looser waves for '40s and '50s.
I find experimenting works best!

 

[swinggal]

I have my hair layered so I can do 40's up dos when I want to. Layered is better because it makes the hair less heavy and sits better when finished. I took my 'Vinatage Hairstyles' book to my hairdresser and she used the cutting guide to go by. I wear my hair in a pony-tail most days for work so the actual cut isn't much different to a normal layered cut.

My hair is dead straight so I need to curl my pin curls very tight and small to get any sort of curl or waveto stay in. I also have to 'wet set' it to get kind of style to last. I only wish that I could get one of those old perms done, the pin-curl type, that makes 'waves' and not curls like a modern perm (which I hate).

I have also been finger-waving my hair on occassion with vinatge clips that I aquired. You need to wet set to do this properly (to get those really proninent shiny ridges) but you can get away with using only hairspray and leaving clips for a 10 minutes to set. If I do this, I usually curl the back in smaller barrel rolls or pincurls for that 30s look.

 

[Kaela]

I have also been finger-waving my hair on occassion with vinatge clips that I aquired. You need to wet set to do this properly (to get those really proninent shiny ridges) but you can get away with using only hairspray and leaving clips for a 10 minutes to set. If I do this, I usually curl the back in smaller barrel rolls or pincurls for that 30s look.

Say, I"ve been trying that for ages! I never got the right wave look, though I think layered hair would make that style difficult, was it?
Fortunately, my hair curls naturally, so pincurls are a snap, I do however have a great deal of trouble accomplishing a "page boy" look, which is more my 40s style than 30s, you see. Has anybody tried this before?

 

[Kaela]

With all the kids I have now, it's hard to style it every single day.

This, of course, is why I have been dragging my feet on the cut for so long now, BUT, it should be a lot easier, I mean, if you think about it, sets were made to last a whole week before, so why shouldn't I get at least 3 days out of it, I find that if I set my hair every three days, it still looks nice, and is INCREDIBLY low maintenance, that's why I thought I should try to get a nice layered period cut. I will have to be encouraged to do my hair this way, it's a good investment of time, also, it keeps the hair out of my face. I can sleep in, and wake up without even running a brush through my hair, it's done! (I recommend sleeping in a bandana though, because it keeps the curls from tangling and getting messy).
The style you described for your wedding sounds lovely! I still haven't mastered the top roll, I only ever did top reverse rolls, so they looked a little like a small pompadour, but with the charm of that little curl, How do you get your bangs to stay, or do you just have the front of your hair cut really short? in actual bangs? I'd love to do that with my hair, not bangs but a real roll..

 

[swinggal]

For rolls I use rats made out of my own hair. My hair is very thin indeed and needs the body. If its curls well I don't need to use the rats.

The thing is, in the day the hair WAS set for a week. Women lived at the hairdresser. You'd have your hair set on a Monday and go back on a Saturday to have it re-done. In between of course you had to curl it too or clip it with Marcel Wave clips for finger waves.

I have a box load of original styling clips (water wavers, bakelite wave clips, marcel wave clips, aluminium curlers, rubber curlers, pin curl clips) and yeah, they do make a difference to the style in the end. I justwish I could get a pin-curl perm!!

Brush Curling is a good method to use for thin hair like mine.

http://revampvintage.com/30sbrushcurling.html

 

[Kaela]

Goodness, where'd you get all the vintage hair toys?! I have the hardest time trying to find them, I've been looking for a bakelite comb for some time now, lucite, maybe? I remember seeing a wierd wave making contraption online, but didn't have the dough then. I also remember seeing pincurl rollers, they look like bobbins to me, haha.
Oh, I love the revamp hair info, I think it's nice that they provide more to their customers than just things to buy

 

[jitterbugdoll]

I wear my hair in various 1940s styles, and the occasional 30s or 50s style as well. I think the most important thing is to get a good layered haircut; vintage cuts were all layered to some extent and it is the actual length of the hair that makes the look lean towards one era or another.
When I have my hair cut, I always bring several vintage photos for reference. Now, I have brought everything from 1930s photos of Jean Harlow to 1950s photos of young Marilyn Monroe, and my hairdresser always tells me that the haircuts are essentially the same. The trick is to set and style your hair correctly for the period. For example, pin curls are useful in creating any hairdo from the 1930s-50s; however you will set each curl in different ways to create the right wave for the era. A good stylist will be able to look at a photo and not only understand the haircut, but also understand the setting method used. On countless occasions my hairdresser has looked at a photo and told me exactly how to set each section—and with a little practice at home, I can usually achieve the look I set out for!

With practice you can fake a lot of looks using the same haircut; for example I do not have bangs, but I can still create that 1940s-Betty Grable style with the poodle-curled bangs between two reverse rolls.

I do like to keep my hair fairly long—usually just below shoulders—because I can then achieve a good 40s updo with little struggle. But, if you have very straight, hard to manage hair, shorter cuts will hold a style longer. I actually have fairly straight, heavy hair, and find that a just-above-shoulder cut styles like a dream and with little effort. But, I like longer looks so usually alternate between growing my hair out and chopping it off!

By the way, my hairdresser used to collect vintage hairstyling tools; he's been gradually giving them to me because he knows I appreciate the era. Right now I have a pair of finger wave clips (each creates a double row of waves)--they are so handy because you just snap them in!

 

[Kaela]

I think my problem may just be that my hair isn't layered at all, it becomes too bulky in some parts when i set it. What a nice hairdresser! Sometimes it seems that the majority of people I have tried to explain my cut to didn't know the difference between the 20s and 50s! This is just ghastly on so many counts, not to mention that they show a extreme lack of awareness of history. Anyway, I think the tricky part is knowing which way to set the hair, everytime I set my hair its relatively the same, and I have been able to get a few different styles out of the same set by just brushing it out differently. I'm quite jealous of your stylist, jitterbugdoll, I've been searching for one who could help me out with the set sort of posthumously because I can only find articles or pictures rather than ask an actual person.
My hair is naturally curly, so it is easy to set, except for the top layer, which doesn't curl at all because of too many botched bleaches and hot curling irons (before I knew the secret of pincurls). So usually, the curl stays quite well, in fact I mentioned earlier that my hair doesn't last a week set, but it's not because the curl slips away, its because my hair looks too greasy! After three days, I've passed my limit of needing clean hair!

 

[jitterbugdoll]

My original hairdresser went to school in the 1960s, my current one attended school in the 1970s. I think that makes a huge difference--at that time, 40s-50s hairstyles were still fairly recent history. Plus, hairdressing schools really emphasized the importance of finger wave and pin curl sets. My original hairdresser, who just retired, stressed the importance of this knowledge—it taught the stylist about the structure behind the hair style. Most modern stylists are taught ‘trends’, which means that they learn the current hair cut and not much else. They have no clue about how to achieve these vintage hairstyles--finger waving and pin curling is an art, and although the concepts are pretty simple, if you don't study them it is hard to grasp how to create 'C' or 'S' waves, etc.

I suggest seeking out an older stylist, perhaps even one at a ‘beauty parlor’. I’ve tried explaining vintage styles to newer stylists, and most simply do not get it!

I suggest seeking out an older stylist, perhaps even one at a ‘beauty parlor’. I’ve tried explaining vintage styles to newer stylists, and most simply do not get it!

But really, the haircuts are more or less the same—it’s all about setting technique. I’ve brought in pictures that to my untrained eye looked completely different (for example, when I decide to trade my 40s style for a 30s style), only to have my hairdresser tell me the two hairdos share the same basic cut!

Have you tried using a leave-in conditioner to help the damaged portions of your hair? Although my hair is straight-wavy, I too am guilty of subjecting it to multiple hot roller and curler sets which did leave me with a frizzy front portion (luckily, although I am a natural blonde, my hair is thick and coarse, or it would be much more damaged!) I started using Garnier Fructis Shampoo and Conditioner (they have a nice smoothing milk, too) and the problem disappeared rapidly. Also, I like to use a heat-activated setting spray when I do resort to hot curlers, as this seems to protect the hair.

 

[MissTayva]

I wish I could pull off a style more than a day! If I use setting lotion, it's just NASTY by the next day... and if I use heat styling, it always falls out, regardless of what styling products I use. I prefer wet sets, as I get a stronger curl, but I can't use just water alone. *sigh*


I got lucky when I attended cosmetology school. We had to get pincurls, fingerwaves and Marcel waving DOWN. They drilled us in it! One of our instructors said "You never know when you'll have to use it!" So true. I've even had to use it on hard-to-wrap places during a perm.
They didn't want to teach us all of these trendy methods... it's just that, a "trend". We had the option of attending hair shows to learn it. We just stuck to the basics as far as the curriculum was concerned. Plus around here, most of the women that go in for a style are little old ladies who have been styling their hair since 1940-whatever! They're the ones that get their hair set once a week

Kaela--
I usually keep my bangs just below eye length. They are cut pretty far back on my head, so I guess you can almost consider it a layer. I like it this way because it is really versatile. I did the short bangs thing and disliked it. I don't like being stuck with one style. This way, I can do it in a big forward roll, or Betty Grable style, I can get away with it parted on the side, etc.

Where in California are you? I know of a couple salons; one in Burbank and one in San Diego that specialize in vintage styling. The one in Burbank is called Frenchie's, and the one in San Diego is called Seth's Chop Shop. They both have web pages, so you can look them up

It also sounds like you are in need of a major deep (protien) conditioner for your hair! See if you can get your hands on Redken Extreme products. It's the best stuff I've ever used, hands down!

Incase anyone is interested, here is the style I had for my wedding:

 

[MissTayva]

I only wish that I could get one of those old perms done, the pin-curl type, that makes 'waves' and not curls like a modern perm (which I hate).
.

You can actually do that with modern perming rods, if you ask for a body wave. They just use rods with a larger diameter (peach is a good color to go with!)
They also make these rods that sorta just clip into the hair and leave a wave impression. I've never used them, but from the look of it, I assume it would come out nice!

 

[ITG]

Swingal, can you tell us how you make your rats?

 

[jitterbugdoll]

In the 1940s, women made rats by cutting one of their old stockings and stuffing it with hair saved from their hair brush (close the rat with a few stitches.) This made for a rat that blended in well with their hair color (use a nude stocking for blondes and brownettes, coffee for brunettes, or black for very dark brown or black hair) and made for a very pliable filler that could be easily molded into whatever style they desired.

The rats you can purchase at Sally's are actually designed for updos, chignons, etc., and I've only seen them in a grey color. I have one but find it is very hard to blend/hide with my own hair; it’s quite stiff and tends to look unnatural. Luckily, my hair is thicker and fairly coarse, so with a little back combing I don't need to use rats. But, I have made one with my own hair, which I will experiment with some day!

 

[swinggal]

I make my rats with my own hair and my grandma taught me this technique. She used it herself in the 40's.

A round oval plastic bush works best and you let the hair accumulate on to it. For a small rat, fill the brush only half way, for a large rat, let the brush fill to the top of the bristles. Peel the oval of hair off in one piece from one side. When it comes off it should be a stetched oval shape. Then, I place it in between my palms and rub it in a circular motion. That mats all the hair together into a flat shape and makes it nice and neat with smooth sides. I then roll them up like curlers when I need to use them. Lay them out flat when I don't. They are easy to pin as well.

The good thing about this is that it is YOUR hair and even if you can see the end of the rat, it still looks just like part of the roll.

 

[ITG]

The rats you can purchase at Sally's are actually designed for updos, chignons, etc., and I've only seen them in a grey color. I have one but find it is very hard to blend/hide with my own hair; it’s quite stiff and tends to look unnatural. Luckily, my hair is thicker and fairly coarse, so with a little back combing I don't need to use rats. But, I have made one with my own hair, which I will experiment with some day!

Yeah, I used one of those at the Queen Mary summit in November. I thought I had covered it up well, but when I looked back at pics, it must have shifted a bit because I could see some evidence of it in a few pics from later in the evening. See here in this pic:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v179/wickie7/Queen Mary 2004/QM2004_sirwinstons10.jpg

 

[MissTayva]

I have found that the stocking method is far superior to anything else! I hate all of those foam 'thingies', The hair always ends up slipping no matter what. It would be one thing if they were appropriately colored to match the hair, but they are not! I am lucky enough to have my backcombing technique down, I don't usually rely on rats. Just plenty of backcombing and styling product!

What do you ladies use as far as styling products go?
I find that I can't really use setting lotion anymore, I hate the results! It's always dull and frizzy, no matter what brand I use. By the end of the day, it's an unkempt, tangly mess.
I found the key is for me to use some sort of anti-humectant product instead for the wet set, as well as a similar sort of pomade when creating the style. My aunt, who is a cosmetologist, recently picked up this aerosol hairspray by Tresemme at Sally's that is just too fab! It gives this satiny, shiny finish, and tames frizz so well. It's called XX or something...

You ladies into hair flowers-- do you buy them or make them?

 

[Kaela]

I use "Sure Thing" setting lotion... the other one, i can't remember the name, Reinforcer I think, is good too, an a bit less potent. They both are sold at Sally's beauty, I find them to work very well with my hair. Since my hair is naturally curly, it holds well, but I think that the setting lotion exacerbates any flaws that you may have in your curls, but if you pin curl them just right, they look really great. I think that more of a spiral curl than just a regular curl gives a better look.. but that's my taste, probably. Also, you don't have to roll the curls as tightly because they don't just brush out... I usually don't brush my hair out when I pincurl it, I just run my fingers through it, and fluff it by tossing my head about, if I brush it, my hair looks frizzy.

I like to make my own floral barrettes, because you can usually find more colours if you make your own. I do however absolutely love the waterproof waterlilly's at mybabyjo.com! They are so much fun for a pool party, once I wore one river rafting!! No need not to be lovely!

I have had the most annoyed time even trying to stick anything in my hair, but I agree, stockings work best. I heard that they stuffed their own hair (from the hairbrush) in a sheer-ish stocking to get it to match. But backcombing is best, I think that its much more attractive to have it more natural than overly sculpted. Unless you're actually in a movie, it may just not be feasible. and fuuughet about dancing!

 

[decodoll]

Yes, those foam things are horrible!! And the ones I've seen are always grey! Who decided grey was a good colour!?!? The ends are always blunt and hard to cover. I just ordered an old style rat from the Vermont Country Store. The kind that are like nylon mesh kind of...that's not a very good description. Anyway, at least they come in a couple of different colours and the ends are tapered. I used to have some homemade rats when I dyed my hair black. I really should just make some more of those. My hair is so fine that frequent ratting is really not that great for it. For side rolls I find I can get away without ratting it if I just roll the hair up around a tube and then spray with Shaper, pin and remove. I'll have to look for that hairspray at Sally's.

I made a few attempts at making hair flowers, but my friend makes absolutely gorgeous ones that she sells, so now I just buy them from her. I'll have to post a link to her website once she finishes it.