Achieving a 40s Hair Style

Getting an authentic 1940s hair style is actually pretty easy to do and can be achieve with only a few simple tools:

bobby pins

good brush

comb

hair spray

With these tools, you can achieve many classic 40s looks with minimal effort too. What I do to get my look is that I pin curl my hair every night. I've been doing so for almost 5 years now. Pin curling is very easy to do too. All you do is take a small pinch of hair, wind it around your finger (but not too tight), and secure to  the head with a bobby pin. I pin curl my hair wet so that in the morning it is dry. Next, I remove all the pins and the end result is akin to Shirley Temple. After the pins are out, I brush out the curls and that's it! I do very little with it. If there is a particular look I want that is down, I will give it a good hair spray and use a fine hairnet.

But, how do I arrange the pin curls? I arrange mine almost the same way every night. I will do two rows across the top of my head, two down the sides, and then three around the back of my head. That leaves my crown smooth. I like to do it this way so that I get a nice (well, sometimes) wave on the top of my head and nice curly volume elsewhere. Often, I will use a comb to sculpt the waves and curls. I will use my brush too. The smooth crown is where I wear my hats.

Do you have to do it that way? Oh no, there are hundreds of ways to arrange pin curls and each set will give you a slightly different look. A simple internet search will yield many.

example of a pin curl set

A period hair cut will help too. I went without a period hair cut for years and I was able to achieve some nice 40s looks but after I got a medium length middy, I was able to do many more and with more success too. There are more than one examples out there of the middy haircut so finding one to suit you can be done. There are long versions, medium, and even short.

What does this cut look like? This cut is basically a layered hair cut that is longer in the back and shorter at the sides like below:

When I got my middy cut, I was nervous about getting it done because I was afraid that I would not be able to do the up do styles that I liked. Thankfully, my fears were unfounded and I was still able to achieve them . . . .in fact, they turned out nicer. One flaw to this cut is that it really needs to be curled and styled each day. Over the summer, I did not curl it and trying to keep it in a ponytail was difficult. One solution I had was to keep it covered with a head wrap/ practical turban.


Another tip I can suggest about how to get a 40s hair do is to not wash your hair everyday. I know that sounds a little icky, but it really is not. When you wash your hair often, you are washing away natural oils in your hair. By washing less frequently, you are keeping those oils and those actually help keep a smooth look to your hair.