Hairstyles have been an integral part of personal style since the ancient world (one hairstyle on this list was first used in Ancient Greece). In the last century, the social-acceptable possibilities have widened and differentiated by decade—until now, when we have a wide range from short to long for any gender identity. Dyes, curls, gel, once the haircut is decided on, the styling possibilities are nearly as endless. Check out our list of vintage style haircuts ready for your modern take!
The List
I) Vintage Hairstyles for Medium Hair
1. Rag-Rolled Curls
Period: 20th century
This style is an all-time favorite: easy to do, more comfortable to sleep on than pins, and a beautiful look that holds for days sans hairspray. 10-20 pieces of fabric in roughly 8×2” pieces and damp hair (not full wet), separate your hair into sections, wrap it in a roll around a rag, and knot the rag so it stays in place. Let it dry then shake out the curls.
2. Curly Bob
Period: 1920s forward
The bob—the notorious haircut of the flapper, a statement of equality—also an easy-upkeep vintage look for naturally or not-so-naturally curly hair (see rag rolling above). The bob is a straight cut that be a range of lengths, with or without bangs.
3. Pin-up Curls
Period: 1930s
Sort of the drastic version of the Swirled Fringe (below), this style is any of a number of elaborate curls and twists all neatly pinned against the head.
4. Swirled Fringe
Period: 1940s
This is a particular style of pin curls, where the fringe hair is wrapped in a large swirl atop the head with the end tucked under and pinned. It can be worn with any styling but typically the rest of the hair would be pin-curled and let loose in curls.
5. Pin-up Bob
Period: 1940s
Don’t want the commitment to short head that a bob haircut requires? Just curl your hair in a loose style and pin it up to fall at bob-length, typically at the jawline.
6. Ava Gardner Curls
Period: 1940s
A side-part hairstyle where the fringe is rolled towards the part and the rest of the hair is curled in tight pin curls. This style was typical of Hollywood starlet Ava Gardner, catching on in the 1940s.
7. Marilyn Curls
Period: 1950s
This style is a bit looser than the typical hairstyle for this era, the pin curls are brushed out to waves and light-set with a spritz instead of full pomade (or hairspray).
8. Flick-Up Bob
Period: 1950s
Shag haircuts are a layered style popular in the rock-and-roll scene, the style would later slide into the grunge era. Fringe cuts left most the hair long at a single level but cut the fringe and bangs to frame the face, so two different styles of edgy looks.
9. Shag & Fringe
Period: 1970s
Shag haircuts are a layered style popular in the rock-and-roll scene, the style would later slide into the grunge era. Fringe cuts left most the hair long at a single level but cut the fringe and bangs to frame the face, so two different styles of edgy looks.
II) Vintage Hairstyles for Short Hair
1. Straight Bob
Period: 1920s
A curly bob, like mentioned above, requires a longer length of hair to account for the curls. But a straight, geometric bob requires even shorter hair. Whether you chose an regular or angled bob, it’s a very slick 1920s style!
2. Finger Waves
Period: 1920s
Finger waves were an effort to mix up the typical straight bob styling. In this variant, the fingers are used to create indents and outdents in the hair that are pinned into place. Finger waves were also used to style only the bangs or fringe on otherwise straight styles.
3. Audrey Hepburn Pixie Cut
Period: 1950s
The pixie cut, popularized by Audrey Hepburn, was the next short hair cut after the bob faded through the ‘30s & ‘40s. This haircut is more layered than the bob, cut short around the sides and back of the head and left longer on top, often with short bangs or else hair styled forward.
4. The Artichoke
Period: 1960s
Sort of a twist on the pixie cut, the artichoke is a layered cut fanning out from the top of the head (artichoke stem) in petal-like cuts. Generally, 2-3” long at most and teased to create dimension in the style.
5. Asymmetrical Bob
Period: 1960s
In a twist on the 1920s classic, the bob made a comeback in asymmetrical style. One side longer, at or past the jawbone, and one side shorter, eventually as short as pixie-cut length.
6. The Wedge
Period: 1970s
Sharp angled layers slope from forehead-covering bangs to mid-neck length in back to form a wedge-shaped style in this popular 1970s look.
III) Vintage Hairstyles for Long Hair
1. Gibson Girl Topknot
Period: Late 19th century
If you can gather all your hair on top of your head, this supposed-to-be-messy hairstyle is for you. The easiest version requires an ear-to-ear part and two separate tucks. In front, you want a under-tucked loose coil to make a poof of hair. The rest of the hair goes in a loose coil in back, pin it down and you’re ready to go!
2. Gibson Girl Tuck
Period: Late 19th century
Two strands of hair twisted and pinned in back, with the rest of your hair gathered in a ponytail fashion and pinned around the strands—gives you a Gibson Girl tuck with all your hair tucked in at the nape of your neck.
3. Marcel Waves
Period: 1920s
These waves, sort of the big sister to the finger waves, were created with a special iron invented by one Francois Marcel of Montemarte, France. Initially used only by specially-trained technicians, the continued refinement of electrics allowed for commercialized irons by the 1920s.
4. Hollywood Glam Waves
Period: 1920s-40s
Quintessential waved hair, popular for Hollywood starlets during the Golden Era. This look takes a deep side part, a curler, lots of pins to set the waves right, and patience.
5. Side Bun
Period: 1930s
An asymmetrical twist on the classic bun, this one has the hair gathered to one side of the nape. (Finger-waved fringe on the same side of the head really makes this style pop.)
6. Reverse Rolls
Period: 1940s
Hair rolls were a popular trend in the 1940s, but reverse rolls are specifically rolled up or back, away from the face. Some slight teasing and a gentle finger-rolling technique (and bobby pins, of course) can give you a lovely reverse roll hairstyle with vintage appeal.
7. Back Bouffant
Period: 1950s
Bouffant hairstyles, with teasing and hair spray adding volume, don’t necessarily have to focus on the top of the head—some instead focus on the back.
8. Half-Up Curls
Period: 1950s
Half-up hairstyles finished with curls were popular choices in the 1950s.
9. Rockabilly Roll
Period: 1960s
Rockabilly styles took the rolls of the 1940s to a whole new level with hairspray and added volume. This one is a large roll of long hair pinned at the crown for max height.
10. Beehive
Period: 1960s
No list of vintage hairstyles is properly completed without the bouffant masterpiece that is the 1950s Beehive. Achieved with copious amounts of teasing and hair spray, the actual health of this hair-do is debatable.
IV) Easy Vintage Hairstyles
1. Retro Headscarves & Bandanas
Period: 1940s
Think Rosie the Riveter style bandana over pulled-back hair for an accurate take on popular work-a-day styles of the time. Thinner bands with larger bows gained popularity as the style became less about practicality into the 1950s.
2. Low Roll
Period: 1940s
A popular alternative to the bun, a low roll gathered all the hair in a roll style at the nape of the neck. It was often paired with victory rolls in the fringe.
3. Beatle Ponytail
Period: 1960s
The crown hair is either teased or something placed underneath to create height, before the hair is gathered into a high ponytail for an easy 1960s bouffant look.
4. Small Braids
Period: 1970s
Braid both sides of your fringe into individual braids, then pin them together on the back of your head for an easy, vintage look.
5. Perm
Period: 1980s
The classic ‘80s perm: big frizz and wavy bangs. It’s a style that, once done, can be upkept for up to six months.
V) Old School Hairstyles for Ladies
1. Victory Rolls
Period: 1940s
Oftentimes, 1940s rolled styles are indiscriminately referred to as Victory Rolls—that isn’t accurate. True Victory Roll are two rolls on the top of the head, rolled opposite to each other to form a V-shape.
2. Bumper Bangs
Period: 1940s
Sort of the opposite of the low roll mentioned above, this style takes the fringe hair and rolls in a single roll above the forehead for a built-in vizor effect. (The rest of the hair can be either left down in curls or gathered in a bun, rolled bangs and low roll is a interesting but untraditional choice.)
VI) Vintage Hairstyle for Straight Hair
1. Overnight-braid Waves
Period: 1940s
Go to sleep with your hair braided, shake out the braid in the morning for gentle waves.
2. Flared Sides
Period: 1970s
Mostly straight hair with a single angled curl rolling away from the face, this was a popular style in mainstream 1970s.
3. Plaits
Period: 1970s
Anything plaited or braided went in the 70s, associated with hippies but also used in mainstream culture. Whether a single French braid or small fringe braids pinned back or an elaborate blend, braids were in!
VII) Vintage Wedding Hairstyles
1. Loose Chignon
Period: Ancient Greece on
The Chignon was a knot or coil of hair gathered at the nape of the neck or back of the head—the bun is a simplification of this style first popularized in Ancient Greece. The Chignon was popular through the Victorian era before dying out temporarily during the flapper era, it made a comeback in formal styles during the 1930s.
2. Poodle Hair
Period: 1950s
Large rolled curls gathered up either at the nape of the neck or on the crown (the higher the curls, the better) is a beautiful style with an odd name popularized in the 1950s.
3. French Twist
Period: 1950s on
An easy and yet elegant look, the French Twist has been popular for weddings and other formal events since the 1950s. It’s easy to dress-up with accessories or a wedding veil as well.
4. Reverse Tuck
Period: 1950s on
Usually, a tuck ends with the hair tucked underneath, a reverse tuck ends with the hair tucked over and in. This can be done in either a bun or a Gibson roll.
VIII) Vintage Hairstyles for Men
1. Double Undercut
Period: 1920s
An update to the original 20s look, the sides of the head are faded out at two different lengths of undercuts, while the top is left slightly longer.
2. Combover w/ Undercut
Period: 1920s
Combovers aren’t always to hide something, this look is a styling asymmetrical do with an undercut on the short side.
3. Finger Waves—For Men
Period: 1920s
The finger waves more commonly associated with flappers were also borrowed by men to style sideswept bangs over a slicked-back or short cut.
4. Relaxed High Part
Period: 1920s
More of a relaxed take of older styles, this one features a high part (one side shorn short) with the hair left to do as it wills instead of gelled into place.
5. Slickback Greaser
Period: 1940s
A look associated with both Hollywood stars and gangsters; this look was usually a mid-range length all combed towards the back of the head. (To be fair, the gangster look was usually longer than shorter…)
6. Pompadour
Period: 1940s
“Pompadour” was sort of the equivalent to women’s rolls, achieved with gel and intended to add dimension to the hairstyle.
7. Slickback Up-top
Period: 1950s
This is the symmetrical version of some earlier listed styles, where both sides are cut short while the top is left long and slicked back—greaser style.
8. Asymmetrical Quiff
Period: 1950s
Another version of the symmetrical look above, this one features long enough hair up-top to comb over one side, creating an asymmetrical styling-illusion.
9. Presley Pompadour
Period: 1960s
This guy really made pompadour into a new thing, pushing it up and beyond what it had been before.
10. Short & Curly
Period: 1960s
A first on this list, this is an unstyled-style. Naturally curly hair cut around the jawline level, this hairstyle was left to its own possibly unruly behavior.
11. The Man Bob with Bangs
Period: 1960s
Straight-cut, average of jaw-length, long bangs to cover the forehead, we’ve seen this style before on this list. But this time, it’s for men!
12. Rocker Messy with Slick Sides
Period: 1960s
Like the messy look, but also digging the smoothed-back Greaser take? Don’t worry, there’s a rocker look just for you! Leave the top messy, and slick back the sides for the ultimate two-in-one.
IX) Retro Hairstyles for Men
1. Shag
Period: 1960s
We’ve covered shag for the ladies, but guys were getting in on the chopped, layered style too! (It often overlapped with the mullet… see below.)
2. Gel-back (Bangs on the Side)
Period: 1970s
The gelled back look with the hair all running to the back of the head—popular since the 1920s. But this one added some dimension with bangs that are brushed in a windswept look to the side instead.
3. Mullet
Period: 1970s
Another classic hairstyle no retro list can be completed without. All the same, consider leaving the mullet to the 1970s.
4. Shoulder-Length with Bangs
Period: 1970s on
Another edgy style, this one was rocked by bands from the Beatles to Queen (does that make it a British-inspired style?).
5. Long & Straight
Period: 1970s
Long and straight, this hairstyle is … straight-forward. Pun intended. Another outbreak from the old norm, this is a look associated the non-mainstream.
6. Perm
Period: 1980s
It wasn’t just women getting their hair permed in the 1980s, this was a low-maintenance (albeit high-commitment) style for men too.
7. Buzz-cut
Period: 1980s
Another low-maintenance option, minus the big hair look, popularized in the ‘80s was the military buzz-cut. Easy to do a as a home job with a set of clippers, this is an extremely short one-length haircut.
8. Mohawk
Period: 1980s on
Buzzcut with a high-rise twist, this one was technically around before the ‘80s. But it was popularized during this time by Mr. T before being adopted by the punk movement into the ‘90s and ‘00s.
9. Spiky
Period: 1980s-90s
Ever wanted to look like a bleached hedgehog? Here’s your look! This short-cut style uses gel to create a spikey look across the entire head, sometimes with dyed or bleached tips for an extra pop of color.
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