Just released today, a new book claiming to be the most comprehensive survey of hairstyles ever published. I trust this will be an amazing sourcebook, with tonnes of inspirational images, since it’s coming from Charlotte Fiell, the editor behind those fantastic Taschen design icon books – you know the ones? She also has two fashion sourcebooks being released soon: being released in a few days, and due out in March 2012. I’ll post about those shortly.
Here’s the blurb for Hairstyles Ancient to Present:
No part of the human body is as culturally determined, and as diverse in its possible expressions, as hair. The afro, beehive, bob, bouffant, bowl cut, dreadlocks, mullet, mohawk, perm, pompadour – from year to year, and from era to era, old and new hairstyles come and go, telling a new tale about their wearers each time around. Hairstyles: Ancient to Present is not only the most comprehensive survery of hairstyles ever published, it is also a visual celebration of this endlessly inventive cultural phenomenon that looks at the entire cultural sprectrum of hairstyle, from ancient Greek tresses and eighteenth century powdered wigs to Art Deco bobs and Punk spikes, to the latest directions in the world of hairdressing today. Throughly researched, with 800 illustrations, this book showcases an amazing array of wonderfully imaginative styles, while also demonstrating the remarkable skill of their creators. It includes over 1,000 hairstyles, from resplendent Victorian chignons to 1950′s ponytails to the creations of today’s top stylists. With page after page of visual inspiration, Hairstyles contextualises through its accompanying texts the historical and and cultural relevance of hairdressing in society, as well as analyzing its role as a signifier of social status.
Backstage shots of hair and makeup at the show, fantastico! You can see, to give the models that haughty, high cheek-boned and highly arched brow look of Rene Gruau’s fashion illustrations in the 1950s, they used Face Lift Tape! Apparently it’s common in the fashion world and the entertainment industry, I had no idea!
Remember this photo of Dita’s stunning hair that I posted a few days ago? Well I just stumbled across an image of Olivia de Havilland sporting a similar ‘do in the late 1940s, and had to share. If anyone knows how to create a look like this, please do let us know!
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).
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 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:
A lot of SwingFashionista.com readers have written in mentioning this book, so I thought I’d post it up, just in case any of you lovely ladies hadn’t heard about it. It’s called Vintage Hairstyling: Retro Styles with Step-by-Step Techniques, and it’s by Lauren Rennells. I wish I’d had this when I first started out! Here’s the blurb:
There was something very special and beautiful about women in the early- to mid-20th century. The way they dressed was elegant and the way they wore their hair was feminine. This book shows how to create so many of those hairstyles by taking hairstyles from the 1930s, 40s, 50s, and 60s and breaking them down into simple, easy-to-follow instructions. It uses brand new photographs and detailed directions. Not only a manual, it is also fun to read. The Finished Styles chapter of the book contains coffee table book quality images of models with their finished hairstyles. Sprinkled in introductions and throughout the book are interesting facts about the history of hairstyling, origins of styles, and information about starlets and performers who made the styles popular. This 200-page full-color book has 6 main chapters. The book begins with the basics of styling and works its way back to advanced techniques. It also provides information on makeup, nails, and accessories for a finished look.
A part-time pinup girl and full-time Forties enthusiast, shares her knowledge of vintage and provides lots of authentic vintage & retro fashion inspiration, plus styling tips & tricks, events and other fun stuff. Here is a great video of her showing how to create faux bangs that were so popular in the 1940s.
Fleur is exceptionally skilled and truly has a knack for what she’s doing. She has styled for a number of photo shoots and here are some pictures:
Model , and we shot at a Hot Rod garage in the depths of Bedfordshire.
Miss FanTeasy, burlesque star and owner of some seriously luxuriant tresses!
Top top it off, she’s a model as well. to go to her gallery, otherwise here are a few of my favorites:
Pictures by John Evans, Tobias Key, Damon Allen Davison, and Paul Godfrey respectively.
Vintage Hairstyling: Retro Styles with Step by Step Techniques is a guide showing how to create hairstyles from the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s using simple, easy-to-follow instructions. I have revised and revamped the book of worldwide popularity to be even more informative and fun. This 2nd Edition takes hairstyles and breaks them down so that the directions are clear. It uses over 750 brand new photographs and illustrations and detailed directions in a 200-page full-color book.
The book begins with the basic elements and works its way back to advanced techniques. It concludes with information on makeup, nails, and accessories to finish the look. No matter your skill level or hair type, Vintage Hairstyling has something for everyone.
A Review of the book from :
From cover to cover, the book is full of beautiful photography of vintage hair styling tools such as pink dryers and jars of Lustre-Creme. But this book is not a fluffy, pretty art book full of hair related pictures. The book is more instructional without being boring.
The beginning of the book walks you step by step through the necessary tools you will need and basic curl techniques in order to create a true vintage hairstyle. Then, Rennells leads you into the techniques for combing out the curls. Finally, you get into the actual styling.
I’m a very visual person. I have to see someone do something in order to determine if I am doing it correctly. The step by step directions with accompanying images are the next best thing to having Lauren right next to you. The steps are clear and concise.
I myself am thinking about getting the book. Perhaps it could be a Christmas or Birthday present?!!
Victory rolls are a favorite hairstyle for swing girls, but so often I see this little mistake. If you have a round face, be careful not to leave the rolls too loose, causing the hair to balloon out at the temples. This will just make your face look rounder. Go for fullness at the top, not at the sides.
Because Naomi here is cute as a button, she absolutely gets away with it, but you can see how tightening up the rolls at the side (done here with the help of handy Photoshop), makes the look more elegant.
Of course, the opposite is true if you have a long, narrow face – then if you have a lot of height at the top and nothing at the sides, you can end up looking a bit like a Praying Mantis…
Just saying…
Anyway, here’s Dita doing Victory Rolls in fine style, and a few vintage shots to inspire.
has some great hair tutorials on you tube. She is quite the glamour girl and clearly a fan of classic cinema and rockabilly culture. What I like about her videos is that they move along quickly and she the main points are written out. Here is her most recent video:
This video is a mixture of two styles, a more casual and a more formal one. It’s rather simple in the front, but still very lovely.
She has a myriad of videos on her page. Check out her , , and .
Look at these perfect water waves and tiny, tiny pincurls!
Lilyan Tashman was a Ziegfeld girl, silent film actress and a model, from the late 1910s until the early 1930s. She appeared onstage in the Ziegfeld Follies, and in films including Head Over Heels, The Garden of Weeds, Ports of Call, Pretty Ladies, Seven Days, Texas Steer, Camille, So This is Paris, Craig’s Wife, The Trial of Mary Dugan, The Marriage Playground, and The Gold Diggers of Broadway. She died in 1931 of cancer, at the age of 38.
Old-fashioned barber shops seem to be having a bit of a renaissance right now, getting recent mentions in The New York Times, Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair and Esquire, just to name a few. The perfect antithesis to the androgyny of modern spa-salons, get a straight-blade shave and a no-frills haircut, with old-world customer service in a boys-only zone. But this is old news for swing boys, and anyway, the best barber shops around are still the ones that have actually been around for a long, long time. Here are a few such establishments, and feel free to email us with details of your favourite old-timey barbershop in your local city!
F.S.C. Barber, New York City
Cool retro styling – even the barbers are decked out in retro threads. Not too cheap but hey, have a haircut $75, straight razor shave $40, and someone has to try their Hangover Treatment $25 and report back to us! But don’t bother with an appointment, they don’t take ‘em.
Truefitt & Hill, London
Claim to be the world’s oldest barbershop! Grooming London gents since 1805, get a traditional hot towel wet shave for £35.00, or for £70.00 you can even take a traditional cut throat shaving class!
The Art of Shaving, locations across the USA
Ok, it’s a chain, but they’ve got the aesthetic right. Old-style leather chairs, dark wood surrounds, jazz in the background. Haircut $40, straight-razor shave $35, Royal Shave (45 minute package, with steam towels and mask) $55.
Rudy’s Barbershop, Seattle Funky, retro-styled barber shops, incorporating local art and music. The vibe is barbershop meets coffeehouse meets tattoo parlor. Walk-in service, no reservations needed, cheap and casual. In the words of AskMen.com: “Coolness of yesterday without trying too hard.” Seven locations across Seattle, but stores in LA and Portland too. Visit the original Seattle (Capitol Hill) shop on East Pine.
Hyde Park Hair Salon, Chicago
Established in 1927, and the first integrated barbershop in Chicago. Haircuts $21, shaves $10, shave & a haircut for $27. Past clientele have included Muhammad Ali, Spike Lee and even President Obama.
State Street Barbers, Boston & Chicago
Admittedly not old, but in a nostalgic style – in their words “An old fashioned barbershop with contemporary style and convenience.” They offer a hot lather shave, complete with steaming towels and a classic straight razor shave. And the standard haircut comes complete with a shampoo, scalp massage, straight edge neck shave and shoulder massage. Not too shabby…
Gornick & Drucker’s, Beverly Hills
Established in 1936, this barbershop has some serious Hollywood pedigree. This is where gangster Bugsy Siegel got his last shave & trim, hours before being shot dead. President Ronald Reagan was a loyal customer for 40 years, and the Rat Pack filmed the original Ocean’s Eleven there. Enjoy the original mahogany and leather barber chairs, get a shave, haircut, manicure – even get your shoes shined.
Al’s Barber Shop, Denver
Opened with the aim of creating the ultimate relaxing space for men and men alone, Al’s Barber Shop is all black counter tops, shiny stainless steel and large screen televisions. The retro styled barber chairs are their own own operable stations, so you get your hair washed and cut, a straight-blade shave, whatever your fancy, all in one seat without being ushered all over the shop. Haircuts from $30, and hairline clean-ups are only $5, just so Al and his staff get to see you more often.
House Cuts Barber Shop, Washington DC
A hidden gem, why not get your hair cut where the Congressmen have been going for 37 years? You’ll have to go through the metal detectors at the Rayburn House Office Building, and head to the basement, but there you’ll find Joe Quattrone’s storied barber shop, open to the public. He’s cut the hair of Al Gore, Dick Cheney, even trimmed Gerald Ford the day before he assumed the presidency. And cheap as chips: haircuts $14, shave $10, beard trim $5.
As a kid I hated bows, but for some reason I just love them now. Some of the bows below clip in and some are on headbands (or alice bands if you are British). Well priced at £7-£20, except for the last two are over £130. Hopefully this will at leave give you ideas so that you can make your own if you have the time and means.
ASOS.com has expanded into one of the most comprehensive shopping destinations online and is the no. 2 player in the UK online clothing market. They’ve got some incredible pieces that are sampled from celebrities as well as their own unique designs. Here are some of their fun hair accessories that are all on sale!
