40 Studio Portrait Photos Defined Women’s Hairstyles in the 1940s _ Throwback American Life

Hairstyles in the 1940s were fuller and longer than those of the 1930s and hair was cut in a rounded U-shape at the back, curving up towards the ears. There were always a lot of layers because the hair was usually worn in curls or soft waves, usually just below shoulder-length. Straight hair was simply unfashionable.

To achieve the curls, girls who couldn’t afford a weekly “wash and set” at the hairdresser would pin up their wet hair in bobby pins each night to make pin-curls.

As war rationing really began to bite, women still spent time and effort on their hairstyles, but no longer wanted lots of waves in intricate designs. Hair was worn shorter, in a practical style, still curly with a wave or two at the front. This sort of style looked good under small hats and military hats and could be hidden under turbans if the hair was dirty.

An iconic war-time hairstyle was the “Victory Roll”. The name seems to have come from the corkscrew through the air by RAF pilots before landing, if they had successfully downed an enemy plane. The hair was divided at the front and curled up and out, in a rather aerodynamic form.

Here below is a set of studio vintage photos that shows what hairstyles of women looked like in the 1940s.