Good Example Of Essay On Women's 1960's Hairstyles

Such changes in the culture and politics inevitably change every sphere life of a human being. Fashion was no exception. By the middle of the 1960s, miniskirts and hot pants were in vogue. Hairstyles also underwent huge changes during that time; women’s hair was made either short or tall and thin in order to show the curves of female body. The culture ended the idea of making women second class citizens.
One of the biggest impacts on the generation in 1960’s was made by the American First Lady Jackie Kennedy. With the help of her elegant outfits, bouffant do and pillbox hats she managed to almost create new fashion. Her image and style, are still admired and worshiped today (HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTIST HANDBOOK) Jackie's super-teased hair - either brushed back into a shoulder-skimming 'do or scraped into a flipped-up bob – showed her grace, elegance and beauty. Most of the time, President’s wife wore her hair touching her shoulders and flipping up with a pill box hat.
People, who were not absolute rebels of that period, would follow her lead and wear their hair in the stylish flip. After such images, all over the country, salons begat to offer such look to its customers, and it became a highly-requested look. Jackie set the trend for fashion.
Such hairstyle that was known as bouffant style came into fashion after Jackie’s image. In a nutshell, on the bottom the hair was clipped shorter and appeared to become longer as you rose. At the very top of your head was the longest part of the hairstyle. It is possible to say that every single woman in 1960’s wanted her hair to be as high as it is possible. They thought that the higher your hair would be, the fitter your body would look. Therefore, they backcombed their hair become nest-like.
Other examples of 1960s women and their hairstyles are famous American actresses Jane Fonda and Raquel Welch that were very popular due to their hairstyles. Style icons at that time Catherine Deneuve and Brigitte Bardot, with the help of ribbons and headbands demonstrated how easily one could add flirty and feminine touches. Using correct amount of hairspray backcombing and bobby pins, women with short or long hair could also make their hair look like the bouffant. (The Huffington Post)
It is essential to mention Kim Novak that brought the French twist bouffant into fashion, as thousands of women watched her on TV screen. Such fashion also was very popular among women back in 1960’s.
Another icon image of 1960’s was the beehive hairstyle. One may state that this is one of the prominent symbol of the early 60s – a clearly hive-shaped backcombed and lacquered column of hair that would stay for week in the same state. The creator of such hairstyle was to Margaret Vinci Heldt, owner of the Margaret Vinci Coiffures in Chicago. (HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTIST HANDBOOK) After she had been asked to create a new hairstyle by fashion magazine, she created hairstyle that reflects the coming era of 60s.
The beehive was very popular. Celebrities like Audrey Hepburn and Dusty Springfield made this hairstyle desirable for huge masses of women. Furthermore, there were variations of this hairstyle. Women experimented with hair, and with the help of combination of the beehive and twinned long hair, a hairstyle that Bridgette Bardot wore was born. (Hairfinder.com)
Another very significant hairstyle that was very famous among women in 1960’s was short and sharp cuts. Such hair style was created Vidal Sassoon. Compared to the heavily-lacquered and teased bouffant, this hairstyle consisted of less demand day and fell simply into place. Among women, who had such hairstyle, were Mia Farrow with her the boyish hairstyle. A lot of celebrities such as Nancy Kwan or Mary Quant also had such hairstyle. Furthermore, a perennial favorite, the bob was and is up to date a very simple and elegant style of hair.
It is worth mentioning that a bob in 1960’s differed in form, from a big rampant bouffant. Here one can see that bob of the 60’s had very sharp lines and angles. Vidal’s bob was in fashion for ten years, and as it was already mentioned is associated with famous Mary Quant.
The ends of the bouffant bob could be left sleek and smooth, or curled under (a pageboy), or flicked out and up. The key was to have big round hair that was smooth, and hair lacquer kept it set.
That is just one of many hairstyles that were so essential during the 1960s. Due to the fact that chemical industry in 1960’s was not very developed, and was not able to provide women with various product for hair, only hairsprays, fashionmongers used strong backcombing must be involved to get make rounded effect and then. Different people had various techniques and methods; one would use a comb, others a brush and still others would use a large hairpin. (Hairfinder.com)
Another hairstyle that was so significant in the 1960’s were brushing the hair back and putting a headband on it, first of all to keep your hair together and in right place and secondly, for decoration. It is possible to say, that such image was improved with the help of hoop earrings. However, one may say that regardless of how such hair was styled, it is important to state that such hairstyle required heave styling. (Stylish Eve) The rest of the hair would either whip or go under into a pageboy. Furthermore, razor was frequently used in order to thin hair. (HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTIST HANDBOOK)
It is well known that headbands and various beads were popular back in 1960’s, particularly because they were very comfortable for various activities, and they completed the styled image of a woman. Generally speaking, it is not important to stick much on styling in order to create 1960s image. The style was quite simple, yet all one needs is to go back to that time, to understand its essence. Created for summer events and hairstyles for beaches, elegance hairstyles of 1960s were never out of fashion.
Despite of all the fashion on short hair during the 60s, it is possible to state that long hairstyle was also very popular among women. Long hair was worn by both male and female, which made it even easier for hairdressers. Long hair could be with or without a fringe, which tended to be long.
There were also plenty of popular updos with big barrel weaved curls that were piled high on women’s heads with sometimes a new fashioned hairband worn with various bangs. Such hairstyle was worn on special occasions, as weddings, birthday parties or eating out in some fancy restaurants. (Michalak)
Even though the people from 1960s witnessed the death of TV goddess Marilyn Monroe, her elegance-inspired hairdo is among us. Time-honored hairstyles are still in demand, whether that “means a Rockabilly afflated Betty Paige or a roller set dollface girl image” (Michalak). Using a silk hair flower, nowadays one can easily create a 1960’s image by herself, and recreate some of the sixties women and flirty styles with the help of vintage hairstyle.
It is possible to say that almost everything was extreme in the 60s. Women did anything they could imagine with their hair: dyed it pink, beige, platinum, wore it extremely long or short. People were freer, they wanted to do reckless thing that is why they experimented dramatically with everything, which includes hair.
The 60s were an era of reckless actions that made many various changes in our community, some good, some not so good. Everything they created, effected our society and our vision of the fashion.
It is essential to state, that it looks like there were fight between women, stylist and hairdressers, in order to show who could come up with the most reckless idea how to show off from the crowd, how to push the boundaries of the fashion. Long and short hair, beehives and bouffant. Frankly speaking, everyone wants to create something extraordinary.
The 60s decade featured a number of different trends. It was time that broke plenty of vogue customs and traditions, reflecting social movements and ideas of that time. Women’s hair styles varied from “beehive” hairstyles, to very short haircut popularized by Twiggy and Mia Farrow. (Digilander.libero.it) Between these extremes, pageboy hairstyle was also very popular. It is also important to mention Jackie Kennedy and her bouffant hairstyle can be traced even in nowadays fashion. (Fashionising.com)

Work Cited

Schulman, Bruce J, and Julian E Zelizer. Rightward Bound. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2008. Print.
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Michalak, Jodie. 'How Did The Girls Wear Their Hair In The 1960S'. LoveToKnow. N.p., 2015. Web. 30 Mar. 2015.
Digilander.libero.it,. ' Hairstyle Years 60'S 70'S Girls & Women Vintage Fashion 1960S 1970S'. N.p., 2015. Web. 30 Mar. 2015.
HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTIST HANDBOOK,. 'Women's 1960S Hairstyles: An Overview - HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTIST HANDBOOK'. N.p., 2012. Web. 30 Mar. 2015.
The Huffington Post,. 'These Women Taught Us To Embrace Big Hair'. N.p., 2015. Web. 30 Mar. 2015.
Hairfinder.com,. 'Twiggy's Short Hair, Flip Up Or Under Pageboy And Updos With Piled Curls In The Sixties'. N.p., 2015. Web. 30 Mar. 2015.
Fashionising.com,. '1960S Inspired Hair: The Bouffant & Beyond'. N.p., 2012. Web. 30 Mar. 2015.