Updos & hairstyles for your wedding, prom or formal event

Timeless Video of 1950s Hair Styles

Check genuine hair styles from the 50's

Considering celebrities like Audrey Hepburn, Bridget Bardot, Jayne Mansfield, Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor are all associated with 1950 hair styles, it should come as no surprise that people of all ages are still wearing some of these glamorous looks today. As the decade progressed, the volume in hairstyles was turned up, resulting in favorites like the infamous beehive. The array of 1950 s hair styles also grew due to a helpful little invention known as the hairdryer, followed closely by curling tongs.

The Poodle Frenzy

No one is more representative of 1950s hair than Lucille Ball. This was an era where television was certainly not taken for granted and it was typical for friends and family to gather to watch great programs. It is safe to say that I Love Lucy played a key role in the 1950 hair styles many women wore.

Just as poodle skirts and other related paraphernalia became popular, so did the poodle haircut. This was a welcome style for the millions of women with naturally curly hair because it allowed them to simply highlight what they had with minimal work.

Bring on the Volume

Unlike the big hair of the 80s that many women (and men) would like to forget they were part of, 1950 s hair was full of volume but in a sophisticated way. Curls were larger and updos were taller as the decade moved on, making looks like the pompadour, beehive and overly large chignons to be incredibly popular.

Although the hairdryer was invented, it wasn’t the handheld variety you have in your bathroom. If you have ever had highlights put in your hair or gotten a perm, you are probably familiar with the hairdryers at salons that surround your entire head with heat (and noise), offering an intense drying action. To create many of the 1950s hair everyone loves, women would set their hair in pincurls and then sit under the dryer. To do this, you need bobby pins and setting lotion.

Basically, all you do is take strands of hair that are about an inch thick and roll them like a pinwheel, beginning at the ends, traveling up to your scalp. This curl was pinned in place with a bobby pin and left to dry. This is easy to do before you go to bed at night as well, then you sleep with a scarf on and in the morning you take the bobby pins out to be granted loads of curls.

Backcombing also played its part in these looks. To add volume either at your roots or all over your head (if you are creating a beehive or something similar), simply hold a section of hair up and comb it back toward the roots using a fine-tooth comb. This will help achieve nearly any 1950 hair style whether it’s an updo or not. If you need to smooth pieces out, a boar bristle brush is a helpful tool.

If you are trying to create 1950 hair for a wedding, prom or special event, remember that most are easiest achieved by curling your hair first, this will help you get the greatest amount of volume.