1940s Hair Styles

1940s hairstyles were surprisingly fashionable, considering the times. 1940-1949 was a turbulent decade, with the world at war, coming out of the longest, deepest economic depression in modern history, and then settling into an uneasy period of Cold War between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. The 1940s hairstyles were both beautiful and practical, reflecting the fact that women were expected to work hard for the war effort, while still maintaining their feminine allure.

The 1940s Chignon Hairstyle

A popular 1940s hairstyle was the Chignon, a French-inspired style that featured a knot or roll of hair that women typically wore at the nape of the neck (in the back). As with the other popular hairstyles of the 1940s, the hair was worn close to the head, except at the front, sides, and back, where a bit of volume was produced by adding medium-size curls or waves.

The 1940s Queue Curl Hairstyle

Another of the popular 1940s hairstyles was called the Queue Curl, an elaborate style that must have taken a good bit of time to create. It was fashioned by parting the hair above the center of both eyebrows, then slicking the center portion (between the two parts) and pulling it back into a queue that ran down the center to the back of the head. This 1940s hairstyle included twisting the hair on the side of the head (covering the temples) into bold curls and pinning it up. Finally, a row of tight, small curls adorned the back of the hair along the bottom at the nape of the neck.

The 1940s Ringlet Curl Hairstyle

One of the most popular of the formal 1940s hairstyles was the Ringlet Curl style. It was created by parting wet hair in the middle, then combing the hair from the right and left sides of the center in right angles to the center of each ear. The thumb was used to form a large ringlet curl on each side, which was swept behind each ear and held in place along the sides of the head with pins. Often, tissue paper was inserted into each curl to hold its volume until dry. This classic 1940s hairstyle look was finalized by combing the hair straight down in back, and setting one large ringlet curl or a series of small ringlets at the end, all along the back.

1940s Hairstyles – Hollywood Style

Of course, movie stars of the era inspired a lot of 1940s hairstyles as well. Veronica Lake’s “Peek-A-Boo” hairstyle was a very popular choice in the early 1940s, when she made an instant splash on the big screen. The Peek-A-Boo hairstyle featured Lake’s signature look – long, wavy blonde hair with a strategically positioned wave covering her right eye. This 1940s hairstyle was an instant hit with both male moviegoers and women who wanted to share that kind of attention.

All of the more popular 1940s hairstyles featured hair that was slicked with styling lotion and crafted to fit relatively close to the head. Curls and intricate wave patterns were used to add some volume and pizzazz. Hairpins were, as you’d imagine, used in great numbers! The everyday emphasis, again, was on keeping the hair in a manageable position while the women worked hard on helping the war effort on the home front. It was the desire to maintain a combination of beauty and practicality that inspired most of the 1940s hairstyles.