Most of the waved and curled 30s styles required sculpting and constant upkeep. So wearing a hair net to bed with pin curls, wavers clips or rollers to maintain it was just part of every day life for ladies of the day, unless of course, you were lucky enough to have hair that waved or curled naturally and easily. Husbands and boyfriends back then certainly were used to seeing their ladies in curlers regularly. Was just part of life.

Women that could afford to go to the salon on a regular basis usually went for a ‘wet set and style’, which would last up to a week if you protected it while you slept. For those of you new to vintage hair speak, a wet set involved having your hair pin curled or finger waved in the style you wanted while the hair was wet, then sitting under a hood dryer for an hour or so at the salon, until the hair was completely dry. Then the hair would be brushed out and combed into the style required by the hairdresser. Certainly a lengthy process, but worth it for a week of hair that retained its style. This was a common practice right up until the 1960s in salons. Many ladies of the day (like my Nana and Grandmother) who weren’t flush with money, learned to style and set their own hair at home in the 30s, 40s and 50s for the most part and went to salon once a month.

Tips for 30s waves:
What many people don’t realise is that finger waves were actually designed to enhance, tame and smooth the waved, curly tresses of those lucky enough to have them. The waves and curls were stretched and moulded into the looks in the pics shown. But for those like myself who have dead straight hair (ugg) – I was given some invaluable tips a few years back from a lovely ex-hairstylist named ‘Lily‘ who is now in her 90s. This is how told me she used to set waves and curls for her straight-haired clients in the 30s:

- wet set hair with setting lotion under a hood dryer (or overnight) to give yourself a good curly base to work with
- THEN brush out the tight curls, smoothing the hair and relaxing it a bit
- use a styling comb to sculpt the curls on top and sides of your head  into soft waves and ridges and clip them into place with wavers (so much easier when the hair is already curled). It’s all about the sculpting.
- sculpt the smaller curls so they are softer around the back of your head/ears etc using the comb and your fingers. Spray on some hairspray to set.

So – curling first, drying, THEN waving for us straight haired lot! For years I wondered why trying to achieve soft finger waves was so much harder with straight hair … simple, because they were designed to beautify curly hair! So, salons of the day had to come up with techniques to help out the straight-haired gals like to me achieve these amazing styles too. Information has just been lost over the years as the older generation pass away. Anyhoo, here are some great style to inspire you. My fav 30s ladies are Carole Lombard, Myrna Loy and Ginger Rogers.

* All items are linked back to their original Etsy store. 

]]> http://www.swingfashionista.com/2012/01/michelles-etsy-picks-of-the-week-vintage-hair-setting-accessories/feed/ 1 http://www.swingfashionista.com/2011/10/etsy-pick-of-the-day-dinkybirdboutique/ http://www.swingfashionista.com/2011/10/etsy-pick-of-the-day-dinkybirdboutique/#comments Tue, 01 Nov 2011 05:54:10 +0000 Sharon http://www.swingfashionista.com/?p=7462 Gorgeous handmade blossoms for hair and lapel, at Etsy store DinkybirdBoutique. Most are in the $10-$20 range, aren’t they beautiful? Thanks Stephanie for sharing!

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You probably know Olivia de Havilland as Melanie in Gone with the Wind. She was a fairly serious actress in the 1930s, 40s and 50s, and often played in period pieces. She also happens to be Joan Fontaine’s older sister. She is still alive today (she is 93 years old).

Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous! Well, you’ll be pleased to know the someone has bothered to break down how to do this hairstyle! Over at Bobby Pin Blog, Lauren takes you through step-by-step on how to achieve this look. Here’s a little preview (in case you haven’t already clicked over to the post!)

The sections of the style are asymmetric. One side of the top section is parted above the outer eyebrow. The other side of the top section parts starting at the hairline about an inch above the ear. Clip this out of the way.

Take all of the rest of the hair and create a French twist. The ends are not tucked in above the twist at this point. I am actually going to use the ends to help create some stamina for the pompadour. This doll has a decent amount of hair, so if you have fine hair, a rat may help you here.

For more detailed instructions on hair basics such as curling and setting, check out Vintage Hairstyling: Retro Styles with Step-by-Step Techniques. I have the book and I love it. If you have questions about the book, click the link above and check it out or ask me a question and I’ll do my best to answer.

The best bob hairdo in Lindy Hop without a doubt goes to the drop-dead gorgeous Katja Hrastar from Slovenia, and I just noticed on Facebook today that she’s gone from fiery redhead to femme fatale ebony black. Ooh la la! Either way, still the best bob since the 1920s. Luckily for us, one of her best buddies happens to be the brilliant photographer Luka Dolenc, so there’s plenty of documentation of Katja’s uber fabulous hair!

Come to think of it, Katja is a pretty smashing photographer herself. Check out her website for more photos. Anyway, check out these 1920s illustrations and you’ll see just how spot-on that ‘do is:

And of course, I can’t go without mentioning Louise Brooks, the 1920s and 30s actress who made this kind of bob iconic: