Historical Research

Introduction to the 1940's hair

The end of 1930's brought on a profound change not only to Europe but the whole of the modern world, as 1930 turned into 1940 World war 2 had only ranged for a year but had a profound effect on how women.

The biggest change was women from being seen and having a place in society as home makers, were driven by necessity to aid the war effort. The gaps women filled in the home front and war effort ranged from signals radio operators and radar centres for the R.A.F. to heavy industries factory workers as skilled labourers and even working in agricultural roles as "land girls"

land girls - Women's Land Army harvesting beetroot

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_Land_Army

by the turn of the decade (1941) Britons National Service Act ensured by 1943 almost 90% of single women and 80% of married women were working towards the war effort

Most hairstyles of the period tend to be short or tied up, almost put away under various caps, hats or scarf's of some form during working hours. This was primarily do to the high risk and injury rate of long hair being caught in machinery. 

Miss M. Greatorex: a war worker in the manufacture of 17-pdr anti-tank guns, 1943.

http://dangerousminds.net/comments/working_women_wwiis_female_factory_workers

Unnamed war worker involved in milling breech blocks, 1943.

http://dangerousminds.net/comments/working_women_wwiis_female_factory_workers

Miss Miriam Highams welding the saddle of a 25 pounder gun.

http://dangerousminds.net/comments/working_women_wwiis_female_factory_workers

Unnamed draughtswoman drawing a 25-pounder gun, 1942.

It is interesting to note, although this women is not working with heavy machinery she still wears her hair in an updo.

http://dangerousminds.net/comments/working_women_wwiis_female_factory_workers

Also women who worked in the armed forces, regardless of not having to work with heavy machinery or not had to follow a rule which hair had to be "off the collar while on duty" and a hat being a mandatory to the uniform 

Women transport driver, notice her job includes carrying out repairs to the truck

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2389771/Amazing-vintage-photos-provide-vivid-snapshot-working-life-brave-British-women-World-War-Two.html

Women working at a naval base in Portsmouth

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2389771/Amazing-vintage-photos-provide-vivid-snapshot-working-life-brave-British-women-World-War-Two.html

1940 - Pauline Gower (centre), pictured with fellow pilots

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2389771/Amazing-vintage-photos-provide-vivid-snapshot-working-life-brave-British-women-World-War-Two.html

This trainee pilot must also wear the cap as a part of her uniform, also note the of the Nivea bottle in the picture, this is very rare because Nivea tins were hard to come by because of rationing and were usually small metal circular containers and this is a large bottle and also it is a German based product.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2389771/Amazing-vintage-photos-provide-vivid-snapshot-working-life-brave-British-women-World-War-Two.html

Popular culture:

Outside of the working life women were very limited in their options to relax and it was very common at the time for women to visit cinemas for everything from the news, to films, it was so common, that the united states government encouraged women to cut the hair short when they openly approached Veronica Lake to cut off her peekaboo long locks, her trademark look, naturally she did and as was the trend at the time so did many other famous stars.

Here are the styles popularised in the 1940's the main image is Lana Turner, Betty Grables and Rita Hayworth in the bottom left

http://hair-and-makeup-artist.com/womens-1940s-hairstyles/

The general cut

Women typically cut their hair with a rounded u shape that curved up to the ears, length was usually between just below shoulder length or shorter, partings were sat only on one side, fringes were always swept off the face by being pinned to a side or shaped to give a look, it never just hung.

Waves and curls:

completely straight hair was undesirable at this time period and free hair which was not being utilised in a part of a style was almost always tied in an updo, curls were dressed up and with the use of pins or twisted in rags, the use of hats and scarf's really came in hand as it would hold the hair in place and keep it clean as shampoo products were not always available and then rationed  

Rita Hayworth wearing a soft waved fringe and curls in an updo

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/fd/2e/60/fd2e605f1eecdb925380b037282f17a0.jpg

Rolls

The 1940's look cannot be defined without rolls, they offered a unique, flexible and stylish solution of how the wearer could dress their hair, they were literally used from top rolls being from the top of the head going down towards the sides, the side roll could be anything from one on each side, or just on the side the hair parting falls

Here are reverse side rolls in updo

http://www.vintagehair.com/blog/blog1.php/how-to-make-basic-1940s-reverse-side-rolls-using-pin-curls

The Victory Roll

The victory roll was the product of a haircut created by hairstylist Ivan Anderson who created a style called the "middy" which was essentially layers cut in such a way that they made a rounded shape.

Naturally the victory roll became an easy style to creature and it also was practical as it held the fringe in place stopping the risk of having hair getting in the way or falling in front of the wearers face. This utilitarian hairstyle had a very fashionable look which did not sacrifice practicality. 

Victory rolls became useful during wartime when women were shipped off into the workforce and were required to keep their hair off of their faces. This style proved useful for this very reason, while still maintaining a very feminine appearance. The victory roll has many variations and was decidedly  economical  when it came to both casual and formal styling.

Linda Darnell Wearing Victory Rolls. "While “victory rolls” were originally the name for a fighter plane maneuver, women adopted the term for the rolls of hair to celebrate victory in WWII."

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/530369293587450729/