Thursday, February 25, 2010

my attempts at vintage hair

I have always loved vintage hairstyles (especially the 40's and 50's). Oh the femininity! The glamour! But in spite of looking at lots of period photos, I'd never quite been able to figure it out myself.

After reading the great reviews on Amazon for Vintage Hairstyling, I couldn't resist trying it out. This book easily earns it's five-star rating. I'm pretty much a hairstyling novice, but the author made all the styles very approachable-- and they're all very lovely.

I've been at it for a couple of weeks now and I think I'm getting the hang of it. A lot of what I've tried so far comes out looking somewhat "costumey", so I'm thinking the next step is to figure out how to tone it down a little, for everyday hair with a vintage feel.


50's style hair with dry pin curls



Victory rolls and dry pin curls, with bandanna.


Victory Rolls and dry pin curls, with bandanna.



late 30's inspired hair
wet set pin curls, combed out
(this is one of my favorites)


more Victory Rolls



I'm resolved after this post to stop trying to take pictures of myself. I always end up with crazy eyes that way. Sorry if that freaked you out.

15 comments:

Whatever Dee-Dee wants said...

Great job. I especially love the style with the bandana!

Lindy Johnson said...

these are ridiculously adorable! I'm definitely going to check that book out, like, tomorrow. However, I'm betting my hair won't look nearly as cute as yours.

Erin said...

you are so beautiful! and your hair looks amazing. i am going to try to get that book from my library. i love the styles of the 30's and 40's when women looked like LADIES.

p.s.- i get the crazy eyes too. that is why i always crop my head off but that doesn't work when you are showing hair! :)

Britney said...

Oh you are so beautiful.

hb said...

I think you were born a few years too late...You look authentic!

Emily Bartlett said...

Stephanie, this is so you! I'm having flashbacks of you and your Pride & Prejudice hairdo at Kimball Hall. With the yellow ribbon. So cute.

Do you have to use a lot of hairspray? This book sounds very interesting...it is tempting to learn something like this but not if hairspray is involved on a daily basis (for me).

Steph said...

Thanks for all your kind words ladies. I'm blushing.

Whatever Dee-Dee wants: Aren't bandanna's great?! The one pictured is one of my favorites.

LJ: I'm actually in the process of a wierd grow out (from a pretty short cut with a stacked back. So, chances are, your hair would probably turn out better.

Emily: I do use more hairspray with vintage hair than I normally do (which is none). But if you're going for a soft look, you could probably get away without using any hairspray at all. Pin curls set with just water have a lot of staying power, as long as you allow them to dry thoroughly.

Kate said...

Oh I LOVE these! Especially the 30's one with the wet set curls? What the heck does that even mean? Do I have to buy this book? How long did it take? Are you sure a beauty-challenged person like me could manage to do something like that?

Ocean Peg said...

Try putting the camera in front of your face when taking photos of yourself in a mirror. It will block your facial features like the way my profile photo looks.......

Yes, we used a lot of bobby pins back in the 50's when setting our hair. For sleeping on them, we put kerchiefs around our head and tied it in the front, like the Lucille Ball photos of same..... For the spit curles on the sides near your ears and the bangs we used scotched tape. Honest..... To hold the shape we used a jell, like the boys use to train their hair, which when home-made, was made out of a sugar water. The sugar becomes invisible and dissolves in the hot water.

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness - this is great- i'm currently obsessed with fred and ginger movies - (and also growing my hair out so in need of inspiration) - I'm going to have to get this book - your hair looks fantastic!

Steph said...

@oceanpeg: thanks for the self portrait tip. I might just have to give that a try if I ever get too desperate for a picture to wait for someone else to be available to help.

I do wear my hair up in a scarf at night when I've got pin curls in. Makes me feel like Rosie the Riveter-- kinda fun!

@Phill: Go for it! Seriously, this book is worth every single penny. And if you're still early in the growing out process, you should try the finger waves-- it's very glamorous 20s/30s hair and is perfect for short hair! And thanks!

RootsAndWingsCo said...

I just love your blog. I adore the 30 'do as well. Now I think I need to grow my hair out too;)

Thanks for the giggle too about taking pictures of yourself. I like the crazy eyes;)
anjeanette

Alison said...

Ive seen these in the flesh, well at least some of them, and I don't think they are costumey. i think they are fabulous. if you pair them with pearls, a wiggle dress, and a matching purse, well then it might get costumey, but until then I say go all way!

xo

Unknown said...

Stephanie...you are the mother/woman I will never be...but hope to someday have just a fraction of your talents...humor...knowledge! I LOVE the vintage hair!! I think you should sport one of them for family pics!!! Are you still thinking spring?

Dufflebobble said...

so cute, i love the vintage look too and having recently watched 500 days of summer i can safely say i want Zooey Deschanel's wardrobe and your hair!
going to try one of the style tommorow, hmm which one do i feel like...