The 1950s were a decade known for experimentation with new styles and culture. Following World War II and the austerity years of the post-war period, the 1950s were a time of comparative prosperity, which influenced fashion and the concept of glamour.
Hairstylists invented new hairstyles for wealthy patrons. Influential hairstylists of the period include Sydney Guilaroff, Alexandre of Paris and Raymond Bessone, who took French hair fashion to Hollywood, New York and London, popularizing the pickle cut, the pixie cut and bouffant hairstyles.
The American film industry and the popular music industry influenced hairstyles around the world, both in mainstream fashion and teenage sub-culture. With the advent of the rock music industry, teenage culture and fashion became increasingly significant and distinctive from mainstream fashion, with American style being imitated in Europe, Asia, Australasia and South America. Teenage girls around the world wore their hair in ponytails while teenage boys wore crew cuts, the more rebellious among them favoring “greaser” comb-backs.
The development of hair-styling products, particularly setting sprays, hair-oil and hair-cream, influenced the way hair was styled and the way people around the world wore their hair day to day. Women’s hairstyles of the 1950s were in general less ornate and more informal than those of the 1940s, with a “natural” look being favored, even if it was achieved by perming, setting, styling and spraying. Mature men’s hairstyles were always short and neat, and they were generally maintained with hair-oil. Even among “rebellious youth” with longer, greased hair, carrying a comb and maintaining the hairstyle was part of the culture.
Here’s a gallery of 35 fascinating vintage photobooth portraits of young women from the 1950s:
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