1940s Women's Hairstyles for Short Hair

World War Two, Rosie the Riveter and Dieselpunk Hair Styles

Jun 19, 2009

WWII and the post-war years were characterised by short but feminine hairstyles such as the Victory Cut and shingle, accented with pin-curls, waves and reverse rolls.

Women’s hairstyles were political in the 1940s. On the one hand, war work was considered a patriotic duty, meaning women needed easy-care, sensible styles which would not get caught in machinery. On the other hand, women were expected to look feminine and attractive to inspire the boys on the front line – a task made more difficult by restrictive clothing rations.

The solution for most 1940s women was short layered hairstyles which could be curled, rolled and waved. These styles conformed to above-the-collar uniform regulations, but still allowed plenty of feminine styling options. Short hairstyles ranged from the shingle (two inches long), the baby (three inches) and the middy (four inches) to the Rita Hayworth femme fatale length of around six inches. Longer hairstyles were still worn by some 1940s women; however, short hairstyles were the norm. A modern equivalent for women who want to occasionally wear '40s styles is a pixie cut, cut long enough to allow for pin-curling.

How to Make Pin Curls

Pin curls are the basis of many a '40s hairdo. They work best in very short hair, two to four inches long. Girls in the 1940s used setting lotion on damp hair to help hold the pin curls – mousse or gel can fulfil the same function if you can’t find setting lotion. Simply take a small section of hair and wind it flat (not twisted!) into an overlapping circle shape. Hold the shape in place with two bobby pins crossed in an X-shape over the curl. Let pin curls on top of your head stand up to dry, while pin curls on the sides and back can dry flat against your head. Wait until the curls are completely dry, then remove the pins.

1940s Hair Styles Using Pin Curls

How to Make Waves and Rolls

Waves and rolls are made by brushing out pin curls, so that instead of separate curls they form a uniform ripple of hair. One row of pin curls will make a half-wave; two rows of curls going in opposite directions will make a full wave. Alternating rows of pin curls in different directions down the back of the head allows for a continuous wave look – however, like most 1940s short hair styles, it requires heavily layered hair.

How to Make a Reverse Roll

Separate a rectangular section of hair or bangs from the rest of the head – from temple to temple, a few inches deep. Use rollers or make pin-curls to curl this hair, ensuring the hair curls away from the face. Brush out curls and form hair into a hollow sausage shape, pinning the ends under.

How to Make Curled Bangs

Pin curls set away from the face curl backwards from the forehead. Setting pin curls in short hair towards the face results in curled bangs, which can be brushed into a smooth roll like Judy Garland’s or fluffed out.

Names on Ribbons – 1940s Schoolgirl Fad

According to Daniela Turudich, author of 1940s Hairstyles (Streamline Press, 2001), school- and college-girls in the mid-'40s used to decorate their hair with ribbons embroidered with their boyfriends’ names. This cute style can be created more quickly today by using a permanent fabric marker on ribbon rather than embroidering the name.

Rosie the Riveter Headscarf

Factory girls would tie their hair up in a scarf to keep it safe among machinery. The style was also useful for hiding hair that was still being set in pin curls! To copy this style, hold a diagonally-folded headscarf with the long side at the nape of your neck and one end in each hand.

Bring the ends up to the top of your head and smooth the remaining corner up over the back of the head to the top, covering your hair. Knot together the long ends, incorporating the third corner into the knot to hold it secure. A few bobby pins may be needed to hold all the corners in tightly.

The copyright of the article 1940s Women's Hairstyles for Short Hair in Hair Styling is owned by Sarah Tennant. Permission to republish 1940s Women's Hairstyles for Short Hair in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.