1920s Flapper Hairstyle Revolution
Bobbed hair was first made popular by dancer Irene Castle, as far back as 1916, is the definitive hairstyle look for the 1920s. Known as the Castle Bob it was simply a tousled straight round cut that was level with the lobes of the ears. As the 1920s advanced, it became synonymous with the flapper look. To wear your hair short was a major statement by a woman, one of independence.
The hair revolution took off so much that Scott Fitzgerald, the author of the Great Gatsby, wrote a short story called Bernice bobs her hair which tells the story of a girls transformation from sweet society girl to vamp !
Bernice became a role model for many young flapper women.
In Paris, fashion designer Coco Chanel had her locks cropped. Louise Brooks took the page boy look, also known as the " Dutch Boy " and combined it with the bob cut, and this is probably the most definitive and iconic bobbed hairstyle remembered today.
The New York Times reported in 1924 that thousands of women of all ages were invading the traditional mens barbers and demanding the new cuts !
Fingerwaved or Shingle bobs became very popular and soon hairdressers were falling over themselves
to come up with the next New Hair Look. By the late 1920s the Eton Crop was a dominant cut.
The differences between the Orchid Bob, Eton Crop, Brushed Back Bob, Tousled Frizy Bob, The Shingle and all the other popular haircuts for women in the 1920's was not exactly easy to tell, other than that they were all generally influenced by taking a pair of scissors to the once cherished long locks of a woman. It was a big decision, as the soft condition engendered by long hair could never really be reversed.
Thanks to Photo Detective for these wonderful images of 1920s hairstyles
copyright 2011 Glamourdaze.com
What a great blog. I so enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteOne day I want to get a Louise Brooks bob but right now I'm growing out my bangs and my hair.
ReplyDeleteI wore a bob for many years and it suited me very well. I've never been into the 1920s look as much as the 1930s-50s, but I'm finding that a lot of vintage hairstyles rely on shortish hair. The midi isn't that much longer! Thanks for the great vids.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. Nobody did the Bob like Louise Brooks!
ReplyDeletefabulous post.... l have a photo of my grandmother with a bob and have always wanted to go the chop....very brave women... it has always amazed me the jump from huge edwardian hair and layered outfits to the twenties bobs and backless flapper dresses so radical it must have been an amazing time....
ReplyDeleteI've always worn a bob, as the style suits me and it's easy to manage. I dread to think how I would have managed had I been born earlier than the 1920s. I would have spent my whole life shedding hairpins and combs as I really find it hard to secure those kinds of things in my hair!
ReplyDeleteJust in time! I just cut my hair (myself) and you wouldn't believe the grief I got! My thought: it grows back so why not :D
ReplyDeletesome of these pics are ...wow! ;-) love it!
ReplyDeleteI could never wear a bob, as my face is too round, but I've definitely gone shorter. Thanks for the references! Also, I have given you a blog award; come check it out at http://www.ladybychoice.com/2011/10/blog-award-my-blog-is-irresistibly.html
ReplyDeleteSometimes I think it would be great if my face shape were more accommodating to shorter hairstyles, as posts like this wonderful look back at 20s era styles really makes me long to try out a cute Flapper-esque bob.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your lovely blog comment today. Like yourself, I've often wondered as well about when the word vintage made the leap from wine to fashion (and by extension, all things old, but not quite old enough to be antique). I'll look into this and perhaps even do a future Chronically Vintage post on the topic.
Wishing you a marvelous Thursday, my friend!
Jessica