How to Create a Retro 1940s Hairstyle

The 1940s was an elegant and sophisticated era in the world of fashion and hair. Ladies wore beautiful dresses, stockings, hats and jewellery – always looking sweet, feminine and polished. When you look back through photographs and advertisements of the time – you can get a sense of the ladylike grace that this period embraced. Perhaps ladies spent so much time making their hair look gorgeous, because their clothing, stockings and fabrics were rationed and this was the only way to feel stylish and dressed up.

You can recreate the style of the 1940s, by styling your hair in the ways that were popular during this decade. Some of the 1940s style hairdos require a lot of work and some styling products, such as bobby pins, hairspray, combs and rollers – so make sure that you have all of the supplies that you need.

Whether you are going to a 1940s themed party or you just want to capture the glamour of this era – here are some tips for creating a retro 1940s hairstyle.

How to Style a 1940s Updo

One of the most popular styles in the 1940s was the updo, a hair style that sweeps the hair up and looks formal and elegant. You can create a 1940s style updo for yourself by brushing your hair back and gathering it into a low ponytail at the nape of your neck.

The next step is to split the ponytail in two, using a comb – then tease each half. In order to do this, you should place the comb in a section of your hair and comb the hair backwards toward your elastic. Afterward, take a section of hair and twist it under, then secure it with bobby pins. Do the same with the section on the other side. In order to great the sleek look that was popular in the 1940s, use hair spray.

Peek a Boo Fringe

Another popular trend in the 1940s was to have long cascading hair with a fringe that dips dramatically over one eye. In order to create this look, start with hair that is freshly washed and dried. Then, part your hair very deep on one side so that it falls over your eye on the other side.

A peek a boo fringe almost always went hand in hand with pin curls. Use your curling iron to curl small sections of your hair – starting at the top. Don’t unwind the curling iron, just open it up slightly at the end and slide each curl from the barrel. Once you have done the curl, hold it in place with a bobby pin. Leave your hair for a minute or two so that the curls can cool down.

After you have removed the bobby pins, you can use your fingertips to loosen the curls into dramatic waves. If you have parted your hair very deeply, you might have trouble seeing out of one eye – so you can always use a bobby pin to keep the hair to the side. Make sure you practice giving a seductive gaze from behind your sultry peek a boo fringe.

The Glamorous Pompadour

Another great 1940s hairstyle to try is the pompadour. It is a hairstyle that gives a lot of height and really shows off your face.

The first step is to start with a section of hair near the front of your head, on the top. Hold the hair straight up and comb it backwards. That is, comb from a point halfway between the roots and the ends, down toward the roots. This will cause the hair to “fluff up” and become thick – creating somewhat of a “cushion” at the bottom of that section of hair.

Take the hair that you have back-combed and pin it in place. This should create a “pouf” of hair at the crown of your head. You can then comb the rest of your hair up into an up-do, such as a bun or a pony-tail.

Creating retro 1940s hairstyles can be challenging and it requires a lot of practice. However, if you take the time to learn a few classic styles, you will be able to capture the retro glamour of this exciting era.  Of course you could always use one of the fantastic wigs we have as featured in the images within this post.