1920 Era Hairstyles

1920s hairstyles reflected the cultural changes of the decade.

One of the most revolutionary decades in women's hairstyling, the Roaring Twenties was famous for flapper bobs. The sassy, short 'do was popular with the young and rich but quickly spread to all sections of the population. The1920s was all about women cutting their long tresses, and before ladies' hairdressers gave in to demand, women lined up at men's barbershops to get their locks shorn off.

The Bob

Popularized by dancer Irene Castle, the bob was a new and convenient hairstyle for women who were starting to struggle free of uncomfortable clothing fashions. The bob, which had gained favor by the early '20s, was a simple, blunt haircut. Castle wore her original bob with a wave, but 1920s incarnations of this style were sleek and mannish. Often called a "flapper bob," this hairstyle came to be associated with the outrageous fashions of Roaring Twenties flappers. The Shingle Bob was a sharper, razor-cut version of the blunt bob. This had a distinctive short back that tapered into a v-shape at the nape of the neck.

Eton Crop

The shortest of women's haircuts in the 1920s was the Eton Crop, and it was styled to give a smooth skull-like appearance. Slicked back with cream, devotees wore this without curl and cropped short above the ears. It was considered the most masculine of all 1920s hairstyles. Becoming popular in the late 20s, the Eton Crop left the neckline and jaw exposed, and suited the distinctive heavy makeup fashions of the decade.

Influences

Still famous, 1920s devotees of the new bobbed hairstyle include actresses Clara Bow and Louise Brooks, as well as fashion designer Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel. Josephine Baker wore the stark Eton Crop to its most glamorous effect. Hairstyles also affected the hat styles of the era, with the bell-shaped Cloche remaining the distinctive silhouette of the decade. Wearing a Cloche required close-cropped or flat hair. Women in the 1920s who had longer hair would finger-wave the front, then twist the back underneath into a flat chignon.

Curls

While the '20s bob remained short and structured, curls were also popular as the decade slid into the less excessive fashions of the 1930s. Finger waves were in vogue and styled with the new techniques of the day. To do finger waves, women saturated damp hair with setting lotion, then used a comb to form a wave in the front of the hair. Hair was held tight and pinched between the fingers then dried under a net. Still popular on new shorter-length hair were classic Marcel waves, named after the French hairdresser who invented them in 1872. These were originally made on longer updos with Marcel's distinctive curling iron at the start of the century.

Tags: Eton Crop, 1920s hairstyles, Roaring Twenties