1920s Era Long Hairstyles
While the defining hair image of the 1920s was the bob, as worn by Louise Brooks and Clara Bow, not all women cut their hair this short. The flapper hairstyles of the '20s were a high-fashion look for the rich and in-vogue, which spread to women everywhere faster than anyone could have imagined. But while this style became popular in all walks of society, other, longer hairstyles were still an option. Does this Spark an idea?
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Longer Bob
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The short, straight flapper bob might be an enduring symbol of the 1920s, but some women chose to pay tribute to this fashion with longer hair. Films stars like Greta Garbo show how the new idea of a liberated hairstyle could be taken to somewhere between the jaw and shoulders. Garbo sported the wavy look of the day, rather than wearing her hair poker straight. With varying styles, her bobbed hair always fell in shiny, blonde curls below the jaw and was the style that went on to become fashionable into the '30s. This works well as a sophisticated period style for modern costume parties, rather than buying a cheap flapper wig.
Chignon
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The short flapper hairstyles represented freedom from convention, but not everybody wanted to cut all their hair off. This was a radical decision in the '20s, and one that many women feared they would regret. Some girls styled their hair in finger waves at the front, tucking the back section into a low chignon. This emulated the structure of the bob and allowed women to still wear a cloche hat.
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Older Women
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As with many high-fashion trends, younger women were the ones who quickly cut their hair into a bobbed style. While many older women quickly copied the younger short styles, others opted to keep their hair long, usually wearing it up as they had in previous decades. Although many women cut their hair for convenience, for others the bob was only suitable for the rich, flapper lifestyle. 1920s bobbed haircuts often meant a trip to the barber, and that was too avant garde for many.
Late 1920s
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By the late '20s, new hair technology brought the permanent wave and the Marcel wave to hairstyling. Although predominantly styled into bobs, these waves required more hair length than was common with the short, plain styles of the earlier part of the decade. These wave hairstyles stayed popular as hair fashions grew longer, at the very end of the '20s and through to the 1930s.
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References
Resources
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