Hairstyle Trends of the 1920′s
The long-hair styles of the nineteenth century began to give way to shorter hairstyles like “the bob” during the early 1920′s, a trend which continued to grow in popularity. The original straight, plain, and relatively simple short bobbed hair styles of the early 1920′s were transformed into much more interesting and feminine bobs (with stylish curls and waves) in the middle to late twenties. The stylish bobbed hairstyles of the late nineteen twenties continued their popularity well into the 1930′s. The beautiful short hairstyles of this trend setting era have enjoyed a revival in modern times as hair stylists look back to this period for inspiration.
The most popular hairstyles of the nineteen twenties included the bob, marcel wave, finger wave, and shingle, all of which came with numerous variations. Other hairstyles like the Eton Crop were only temporary phenomenons. Barbers and hairdressers were in competition with each other for the cream of this booming hairdressing business, as women of all ages sacrificed their long tresses on the altar of fashion.
As early adopters of the new shorter hair styles, 1920′s movie stars and other celebrities played a big part in popularizing the new hair fashions through appearances in movies and stage shows, the new hairstyles they sported being eagerly copied by their adoring fans. The high cost of permanent waves when they first became commonly available did not put off women seeking a more permanent hair styling treatment.
In the 1920′s short hair for women was “in” and rapidly took over from the previously fashionable long hair styles. Bobbed hairstyles were considered extremely radical and unattractive by many to begin with but young women and middle aged women embraced the style in increasing numbers. The initial plain bobs were eventually replaced by more stylish and sophisticated bobs that featured waves and curls to add style and interest. Early critics predicted that bobs would be a short-lived fad that would last a couple of years at most and were surprised to find that they continued to grow in popularity well into the 1930′s. In actual fact, the mass migration to bobbed hairstyles turned out to be part of a major revolution in womens hairstyling.