Hair Styles Of The 40s

Classic 1940's hairstyles were made famous in Hollywood.

The 1940's were in the middle of Hollywood's "Golden Age." Women's hairstyles reflected the glamorous and elegant look that women like Lauren Bacall and Jane Russell wore in movies. Men like Clark Gable and Frank Sinatra were setting the pace for men's hairstyles too.

Victory Rolls

Victory Rolls were a flight maneuver used by fighter pilots in World War II. Patriotic women of the 1940s named this hairstyle after the maneuver and wore it in support of the war effort. It was a time consuming hairstyle in the 1940s, before blow dryers became common.

Women who wanted this hairstyle put their hair in rollers before bed. In the morning, they took the rollers out, brushed their hair back and up from the sides of the face.Then they pinned it in rolls near the top of the head. Women typically wore victory rolls half-up, half-down with a side part.

Peek-a-boo Bangs

Peek-a-boo bangs is a simple style, parted to the side and lightly curled on the ends. A famous actress named Veronica Lake made the peek-a-boo bang popular. Its popularity did not last long. The name of this hairstyle comes from the style, where the hair on one side tends to fall in front of the eye. Working women began having hair-related accidents at work. The peek-a-boo bangs limited their vision.

The Middy

The middy is a haircut that made all of the curly styles of the 1940's possible. It was the most popular haircut of the decade.The cut was not too short, not too long. It also had many layers to help create the top to bottom curls that were so popular at the time.

Side Parts and Curls

Hairstyles of the 1940;s called for side parts and curls for women and sometimes for men too. Straight hair on women was not fashionable. Center parts were not, either, but some women wore them with curls.

Men's Hairstyles

Men's hairstyles were short in the 1940s. Many men were in the military, because of World War ll. Crew cuts and flattops were common. Men who were not in the military sometimes wore there hair in "greaser" style. Men parted their hair on the side or not at all. Then they slicked it back away from the face.

Tags: their hair, this hairstyle, hair side, hairstyles were, style parted