Contrary to what you may believe, the 1960s hair style was
just that - styled. Whether "long, straight, curly, fuzzy" a great deal of
attention was paid to getting just the right look.
Although there was
more flexibility in length and cut than before, hair styles were controlled.
Only Janis Joplin looked like, well, Janis Joplin.
Curls were all the
rage. Big deep ones, small tight ones and even spit curls.
Hippies, of
course, prided themsleves on the defiance of style, but they are covered
elsewhere on this site.
Take the look at left, top with actress Susan
Blakely. You don't just fall out the shower looking like that. The hair has to
be set on curlers and dryed. (See How to Set
Hair)
Oh, and did I mention? No blow dryers!
The picture at left,
top was taken from an ad for Born Blonde and was described as "...a tumble of
pale blonde tendrils... Dizzying swirls of color."
Below that is a very
fussy hair style. Lots of work went into that 'do. Described as "... pale
champagne streaks in ash blonde hair reflect the flattering look of soft
shading. Hair falls freely in a deep tumble of waves." |
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The long hair style at left is more what you were expecting
to see. That's because you have seen a few episdoes of the
Mod Squad. But it was not the
norm. Only young people could wear the longer straight styles.
At right
you have a more common style for long hair. It came with the advice, "Natural
girl look of today has long, soft, and free swinging hair. To provide extra
shape and swing, any below the shoulder hair should have a good blunt cut.
"
Below - a common look was to sweep the hair straight back at the
crown.
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Short hair styles
The British domination of 1960s
fashions extended into hair styles as well. Twiggy and Vidal Sassoon each had a
profound influence on short hair styles. Although they are covered elsewhere on
this site, (See
Mod Fashion) they were the stimulus for a whole new view of
hair styling.
Named the "The Face of 1966" supermodel Twiggy sported an
ultrashort hairdo which was compatible with her boyish figure. Sassoon created
angular cuts to compliment the designs of Mary Quant. Like most of his styles,
the one at right required straight hair.
And then, of course there were
the four moptops from Liverpool. Beatles shaggy hair was the first novel
haircut of the 60s. |
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The model at top left represents the more mainstream short
hair style, while the one at left below reflects the British influence.
Left
Shorter hair, brushed across from a side part, dips gently over one
eye, curls in a charming poof. |
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Medium length hair
styles
Bouffant is the word that describes all the poofy hair styles.
The big hair of the Sixties required that hair expanded out from the head. This
was accomplished by setting with rollers the size of Coke cans. (See
How to Set Hair)
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The chignon was back, but like the decade, had become a bit
showy.
Left, top
Beautifully sleek in front, fuller in back. Two
inexpensive dynel switches are twisted to form a very wide figure eight. A long
twirly tendril in front of the ear creates a classic Spanish profile.
Left, below
Long, loose curls cascade down from the back crown. A
black ribbon is woven into the hair and streams down for
accent.
Right
Hair is pulled tightly back from the face, which is
then softened by many tight curls which frame the eyes and cheeks. |
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Copyright 2003. All Rights reserved. Candace Rich.
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Fads, Fashion, Slang
