1920’s & 1930’s
The Bob
The short bob haircut could be worn with a fringe or
with the hair brushed to the side. The bob hairstyle has
remained in fashion since the 1920s. This was one of
the most famous hairstyles worn in the 1920s by
famous actresses.
The Shingle
The Shingle is basically a bob haircut that comes in at
the back of the neck. The hair on the neck is cut with a
razor and cut very short into a V shape often with curls
at the sides. This style was often called the boyish bob.
Eton Crop
Of all the bob hairstyles popular in the 1920s, the Eton
Crop is the shortest. It basically extended the shortness
of the Shingle all the way around a woman's head.
Marcel Wave
This style was created by using a hot curling iron and
flipping the hair upside down. This process produced
waves, but early on the process was difficult because of
the limited technology of curling irons. In 1920 an
electric curling iron that plugged into a light socket
was introduced and it made it easier to style hair in this
way.
Finger Waves
This hairstyle used fingers holding down a section of
hair while combing the hair back. This hairstyle needs
a lot of combing, lots and lots of gel and quite alot of
patience.
Chignon – (Sheen-non)
The Chignon is where glossy waves were created over
the head that ended in a chignon or bun at the top of a
woman's neck. Bobby pins were used to create waves
and to keep the hair in place.
1940’s
Omelette fold
The Omelette fold was also one of the 1940 hairstyles
that was often worn by many woman during the 1940’s.
The hair was parted at the back and the stylist used a
criss cross effect for the hair to create folds.
Do rags
A piece of cloth was used to cover chemically treated
hair. Men, as well as women, used the Do Rag to keep
their hair in place. Today, many well-known singers
such as 50 cent and Eminem use the Do Rags hairstyle
as a fashion statement.
Pin curls
Pin curls were also one of the famous 1940’s hairstyles.
The pin curls were one of the most basic types of curls.
Pin curls were mainly used to curl smaller areas of the
hair, but could also be done for the whole area of the
head.
1950’s
Pompadour
The pompadour was created by combing the hair
against the sides, but pulling the hair up and over on
itself on top. This look was popular with celebrities like
Elvis Presley.
Ducktail
The Ducktail was created by leaving some hair long
around the neck and applying hair grease.
Pixie
The Pixie hairstyle is a very short hairstyle with an even
shorter fringe.
1960’s
Beehive
Women created this hair do by teasing their hair up
with plenty of hairspray, usually in a tall, dome shape.
The shag
The Beatles made this hairstyle famous in a time when
men still kept their hair short. It’s any hairstyle that’s
grown out and messy.
Bouffant – (boo-font)
Generally, any haircut that’s piled high on top of the
head is a bouffant. The beehive hairstyle is a type of
bouffant.
1970’s
Afro
A hairstyle worn mostly by African-Americans, but also
by other people with very curly hair. Curly hair is grown
and brushed out to create a perfect circle of hair
surrounding the head.
Corn rows
Corn rows allowed the person to wear an alternative to
the afro. The hair would be braided tightly into the
scalp, usually in rows from front to back, and secured
with elastic bands.
Dreadlocks
The dreadlock hairstyle involves sectioning the hair
into locks and growing it as long as it can go.
Feathered Flip (Farah-do)
Made popular by actress Farah Fawcett, thousands of
women copied this hairstyle in the 1970s. The hair
would be parted and teased back, but still soft and
flowing.
Bowl cut
If you couldn’t afford to go to the barber, you could ask
your mother to place a bowl on your head and shave
everything else off. That is exactly what many boys did,
or at least looked like they did.
1980’s
Devilock
Made popular by the punk band the Misfits, it’s hair
that has been teased forward and pointed.
Mullet
It’s very simply long in the back and short in the front.
There are many different styles, including the
mullhawk (mullet-mohawk), the tropical mullet (with
dreadlocks in the back), the skullet (shaved head with
long hair in the back).
Mohawk
The Mohawk was created by shaving the head except
for a strip in the middle, from the forehead to the back.
This would be grown long and held straight up with
any number of household liquids, including eggs, glue
hairspray, and gel. Other forms include the Reverse
Mohawk (shaved hair being in the middle.)
Rat - tail
A hairstyle involving a long strip of hair on the back of
the neck. The hair could be left alone or braided.
Perm
As with many other styles of hair, perms had been
introduced prior to the 1980s, but became really
popular during this decade. Women and men both,
but mostly women, would perm their hair, tease it, and
use as much hairspray as possible to hold it in place.
Hi-top Fade
For this hairstyle the hair would be shaved at the neck,
puffed straight up, and shaved flat at the top. This style
was popularized by Will Smith.
1990’s
The Rachel
A popular haircut with women in the 1990’s, it was
named after the character Rachel Green from Friends,
who wore this haircut in the first few seasons. It is a
layered, bouncy hairstyle with highlights and
lowlights.
2000’s
Fauxhawk
A shorter haircut is styled with gel to create a section of
hair in the middle. A variation on this is the Hoxton
flip, where the hair is smoothed back at the sides and
spiked up the top like a Mohawk.
Emo
The hair would be dyed black. Then parted to an
extreme on one side and the fringe would be razor cut.
Long & Straight
In the early 2000s women's hair was long and straight.
Side-swept fringes become popular towards the mid2000's. Towards the late 2000's, natural wavy hair, sideparted hair and shorter styles like the bob cut and pixie
cut came back.