As a hairdresser over forty years, I have seen hairstyles transition from rigid into “radical”! Looking back at the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, the hairstyles were neatly coiffed. Women came into the salon on a weekly basis to have their hair washed and re-styled. Permanent waved and chemical relaxed hair was set in rollers, then teased and combed into place, and held together with lacquer and hair spray, leaving it styled stiff to the touch. It usually had to last about a week.
In the early 1960s, hair style icon Vidal Sassoon created short hair styles with movement that fell perfectly into place without much styling effort. It was all about a precision haircut that was executed by cutting small sections of hair using smaller shears. The majority of the appointment time was spent creating a flawless haircut and then the hair was then effortlessly blow dried in place. It was still a neat look, yet not as rigid as the previous eras.
By the time the civil rights movement arrived, ethnic women’s hairstyles began to appear more natural as a cultural statement, as the Afro entered the scene. By the late 1960s the popularity of the Afro typified the “black is beautiful” movement. Eventually caucasian men and women joined in sporting this ethnic fashion statement, as permanent waves became the rage in the next few decades. The ease of wash and wear hair represented the free spirit of the Woodstock generation. People of all ethnicities donned natural curly hairstyles like the one Barbra Streisand wore in the movie “A Star Is Born” in 1976. The hairdressing industry embraced the trend calling it Solar Hair. No need for blowdrying with the onset of these “perms”.
But, as I take a trip down memory lane back in the 1960s, I mostly remember the hippie movement and it’s anti war sentiment, chanting mantras of peace, love and free sex. While masses of women were busy making a “radical” statement by burning their bras, I was busy stuffing mine with cotton, until my sister discovered my secret and revealed it to the whole family. God Bless my mother! She showed me exercises that summer that helped me develop nice breasts. Thanks mom!
Moving on, it didn’t take long until many women realized they were duped, and there was nothing pretty about the detrimental side effect, “D.B.S.” (droopy boob syndrome). And so, as the women’s rights movement continued, D.B.S. contributed to ushering in the next phase, as plastic surgery and breast augmentation became the rage. Eventually, Victoria’s Secret made history with its sexy lingerie and padded bras for those who wished to conform to the style of large breasts and shapely bodies. As I matured and a bra became necessary, I realized there was something to be said about the comfort of not wearing one. (Now-a-days, it’s the first thing to come off when I get home from work.) Wow, how did I get off on this tangent from hair to bras?
Refocusing on the 1960s revolution, as some have called it, that era became reminiscent of “radical” people starting to throw off their restraints with organized peaceful protests. They labeled and viewed law enforcement as “The Man” who only wanted to suppress them due to their anti-American/anti-war mentality.
In the 1070s the popular hit play “Hair” was on Broadway and the song was at the top of the billboard chart, echoing the long flowing hair styles donned by both genders, (back when there were only two genders). This era continued with free flowing hairstyles and an “anything goes” kind of mentality. Black and white people, (politically incorrect terminology today), embraced each other and donned whatever style suited their fancy. It was a sign of the times and we were on the mend from age old racial tension…or so it seemed.
Fast forward to the 1980s and 1990s when music influenced hairstyles in a big way. Disco, New Wave and Punk Rock (big hair), Grunge (sloppy choppy hair), and androgynous styles in both hair and clothing emerged in this sexual revolution. Remember Boy George, Grace Jones, Donna Summers, Michael Jackson and Madonna to name a few? Wow those were crazy times! Mohawks, mullets, and cross dressing was making fashion statements. Modern hairstyling had taken on a controlled chaos approach to hair design. The style had a clean line that was heavily texturized, giving a “radical” or chaotic effect, but retaining its shape.
In 1985 my husband and I were honeymooning in London. He was an artist and a musician, so this was a trendy place to visit. The shopping was incredible and the fabulous outfits I brought back were so vogue. I remember being on a bus and overhearing two girls sitting behind us talking about a horrible haircut a friend of theirs had received. Apparently, it was way too even to be in style, (at least in London). I was so pleased that I had been up to date with my husband’s androgynous texturized mullet. It was very apropos for a musician in the 80s. That was 35 years ago, and hair continued to change with the times.
It was a bold new future. As the dawn of a new millennium approached, “The Artist Formerly Known As Prince” encouraged partying like it was 1999. Oh wait, it was 1999 and he was actually called Prince then! As the drug culture grew worse, the once neatly groomed, stay in place hairdos from eras gone by, gave way to chaotic new looks that were fast becoming the norm. Skip two more decades and here we are today. The controlled chaos approach to design has lost control, and anything goes takes on new meaning. Today you can’t tell a good haircut from a bad one. Only your hairdresser knows for sure… or not! But, what ever floats your boat or tickles your fancy, no judgement here.
I loved all the different trends in hairstyles over the past decades and I’ve worn many of them. Retro styles continue to make their way in and out of fashion. However, I personally feel disdain for this current movement in hair color. Maybe it’s just me. But, I studied and specialized in corrective hair color over the years, and I love creating beautiful natural looking hair color. In my opinion, these funky, do it at home, crazy hair colors seem to be cartoonish. Yet, they have become the new normal. Maybe my new senior status has me feeling melancholy for my heyday. But then again I digress. Time to move on! I would be remiss if I didn’t add an encouraging Word from the Lord to this post:
“Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:18-19
So, Im holding on to hope for our future, even if Im no longer a fan of radical hair. In summary, looking back through the decades at hair styles and color trends, I see a glimpse of the “radicalism” that is emerging in society today. Coming soon, part 2 of this blog “The Reality of a New Morality”.
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