1940's Updos

[longgone]

I love all the neat ideas on this site and tried a 5-strand braid for the first time today... I thought it looked neat, but the boy wasn't too impressed... He didn't notice it until I pointed it out and his reaction is best described as indifferent... The good thing is that it got us into a discussion of what he does like... Of course, being a guy he couldn't really describe it... I definitely caught that he likes it up... Apparently what he really likes is "1940's style like you see in all the swing pictures"... Of course that isn't particularly specific and I couldn't figure out if he meant all the way up or only partway up...

I did some internet and LHC forum searching tonight and it didn't help me much... I couldn't find many updos and none with directions... As for partway up, those seem to involves curls and lots of effort (I have extremely straight hair that can't hold curls to save my life)... Am I right about this... Can anyone give me any further info/instructions on updos? Are there any simple ways to get the partway up styles?

[HildeMV]

Could it be like the sttle where you have three poufs in the front? One on each side and one in the middle leaning to one side?
Or with two poufs and a side part. Both look kind of "square" from the front.

[clairenewcastle]

Could it be like the sttle where you have three poufs in the front? One on each side and one in the middle leaning to one side?
Or with two poufs and a side part. Both look kind of "square" from the front.
That is exactly the style I tend to associate with the 1940's but it's not one I'd recommend - think of all that backcombing...far too damaging!

[HildeMV]

I don't think you need to do that. you can twist the hair and bobby pin it

[bluewhiteblue]

I highly recommend poking around The Fedora Lounge (http://www.thefedoralounge.com/forumdisplay.php?f=24). Try searching for "victory rolls", "long hair" and "updos" and you're sure to find lots of stuff! The Livejournal group vintagehair (http://community.livejournal.com/vintagehair) also has a lot of information - the "long hair" tag (http://community.livejournal.com/vintagehair/tag/long+hair) has a great deal of tutorials.

[linda g]

That is exactly the style I tend to associate with the 1940's but it's not one I'd recommend - think of all that backcombing...far too damaging!

I'm not sure that backcombing is necessary. I remember my grandmother explaining how they used to put a hair rat under their hair to make it pouf up in the front. I vaguely remember her showing me the "rat", because my little girl mind was picturing something that looked like a toy mouse!

[longgone]

I highly recommend poking around The Fedora Lounge (http://www.thefedoralounge.com/forumdisplay.php?f=24). Try searching for "victory rolls", "long hair" and "updos" and you're sure to find lots of stuff! The Livejournal group vintagehair (http://community.livejournal.com/vintagehair) also has a lot of information - the "long hair" tag (http://community.livejournal.com/vintagehair/tag/long+hair) has a great deal of tutorials.

I did a little bit of searching and looking around... My conclusion is that most, if not all of these require hot rollers and a lot of time... Okay for going out once in a while, but not for daily wear... And I'm not sure I have the patience to practice any of them enough times to get good enough to wear them out...

Maybe I'll get him to show me a picture of what he's talking about tomorrow when he gets home... If I'm lucky it will be something easier, but, given his taste in style and clothing, I suspect it is these difficult updos that he likes...

[Roseate]

Are there any simple ways to get the partway up styles?

Search youtube for "victory rolls" or "quick pin-up hair", that sort of thing. There are many videos of people doing the little rolls/poofs in front which are the main element to making your hair look like a 1940's 'do.

It will take some practice, you're right about that. If your hair is all thigh length with no layers in front you will have to adapt the directions some, as most of the women demonstrating it have <BSL hair. I find combs hold better for me than pins in these styles.

If you don't like messing with your hair forget it, but if you feel like playing around in the mirror for a while it's a fun look to learn!

[misstwist]

I did a little bit of searching and looking around... My conclusion is that most, if not all of these require hot rollers and a lot of time... Okay for going out once in a while, but not for daily wear... And I'm not sure I have the patience to practice any of them enough times to get good enough to wear them out...

Maybe I'll get him to show me a picture of what he's talking about tomorrow when he gets home... If I'm lucky it will be something easier, but, given his taste in style and clothing, I suspect it is these difficult updos that he likes...

I have a very long pm I've been sending out to those interested in vintage hair. When you have 25 quality posts you will be able to pm me and I can send it to you. In the meantime, this is what you really need to know.

Many vintage styles start with pincurls, but you don't have to do those. You don't need to curl your hair at all.

All you need is to get the front right and you can then do anything in the back.

Getting the front right isn't hard, and doesn't require backcombing or a rat.

http://www.youtube.com/user/elegantl...11/xdibwcoofeg (http://www.youtube.com/user/elegantlyamused#play/uploads/11/xdibwcoofeg) http://www.youtube.com/user/elegantl...10/3mUYiWLQs4Y (http://www.youtube.com/user/elegantlyamused#play/uploads/10/3mUYiWLQs4Y)

These tutorials show an everyday look that you can achieve quickly and without much practice.

[longgone]

http://www.youtube.com/user/elegantl...11/xdibwcoofeg (http://www.youtube.com/user/elegantlyamused#play/uploads/11/xdibwcoofeg) http://www.youtube.com/user/elegantl...10/3mUYiWLQs4Y (http://www.youtube.com/user/elegantlyamused#play/uploads/10/3mUYiWLQs4Y)

These tutorials show an everyday look that you can achieve quickly and without much practice.

I had already bookmarked at least one of hers for later use... These I might be able to tolerate, but anything more than 15 minutes is too much for everyday wear... I'm just wondering how to avoid the hairspray... From what I've seen it seems to be sugar spray or aloe vera gel.... What's the ratio on sugar spray? Can I use aloe vera gel that has other stuff in it or do I need pure with no alcohol?

I'll send you a pm when I am able... This whole post thing is annoying... I'm almost to the point of posting randomly to up the count... I've already resorted to making personal replies on public threads to the one person I know..

[misstwist]

You don't need the hairspray. I you feel you are getting flyaways you can use a little bit of aloe gel on the palms of your hands, pulling it through the hair as you make the roll. Think of it as a pomade or gel.

Random posting won't up your post count. You need to make quality posts. I haven't seen all your posts. You can up your post count with quality posts by starting a thread that tell us a little about yourself and what your hair goals are.

Welcome to the boards, I hope you have a good time here.

[longgone]

I think I've already posted most of that stuff in other posts I've put up today...

I'm here to find styles and maybe take better care of my hair, but I've never really striven for length of any sort... I just don't cut it without a reason and it happens to grow fast...

[Curlsgirl]

I have a very long pm I've been sending out to those interested in vintage hair. When you have 25 quality posts you will be able to pm me and I can send it to you. In the meantime, this is what you really need to know.

Many vintage styles start with pincurls, but you don't have to do those. You don't need to curl your hair at all.

All you need is to get the front right and you can then do anything in the back.

Getting the front right isn't hard, and doesn't require backcombing or a rat.

http://www.youtube.com/user/elegantl...11/xdibwcoofeg (http://www.youtube.com/user/elegantlyamused#play/uploads/11/xdibwcoofeg) http://www.youtube.com/user/elegantl...10/3mUYiWLQs4Y (http://www.youtube.com/user/elegantlyamused#play/uploads/10/3mUYiWLQs4Y)

These tutorials show an everyday look that you can achieve quickly and without much practice.
Could you send me the lengthy PM? I am in a play that is set in the 1040s and am very interested in this!

[longgone]

So I tried my first updo today... Tried to start with something simple... So I gave this one a shot: http://www.youtube.com/user/torrinpaige#play/uploads/7/8u4neDtqsDk

I have pics but I can't post them yet...

The two things I noticed were that my front is kinda messy... I combed it all even before I started, but it kind of drooped when I flipped the pony tail... And the back came out messy as well... I've used many of the same few styles for years and tend to wear a very polished look (even if I'm just wearing braids) so I find messiness frustrating... I also don't do the soft look often, though that doesn't bother me as long as it's not messy... Hence, my frustration with the messiness... Any tips that might help me eliminate it would be most appreciated...

After looking at the video again, I think I may not have pulled the elastic down enough causing the rolls to end up too high on my head and the start of the first rolls to droop causing the front messiness... I think the messiness in the back might be because my hair thins out rather dramatically for the last 6-8 inches and I didn't have any bobby pins... I also did this with damp hair because my hair is thick and generally falls if I try to put it up dry... I'm not sure if this may have contributed to the messiness or if, alternatively, it was that the bottom portions had dried too much...

It is also very heavy on my neck... And it's only been in about 30 minutes... I can even tell which side it is slightly canted to based on how the weight is hanging...

[Heavenly Locks]

Ah I love Torrin's stuff. :) She's a member here!

The tips I have for that era (my fave and inspiration) is that as long as you get the front right, you can do just about any bun or anything in the back and it will look correct. Snoods were in during that time too.

Go for bobby pins and hair rats if you can get them. (I'm saving my shed hair to make rats)

Here is another girl who I like to watch for hair inspiration - http://www.youtube.com/user/elegantlyamused#play/uploads/9/ljLqBWXMv4M

[Flynn]

Can anyone teach me how to do a victory roll on "waist length +" hair? They all seem to be for hair that's, you know, bsl-ish or shorter, or with shorter layers or a fringe in the front... and all my hair is waist length or longer.

[longgone]

Here is another girl who I like to watch for hair inspiration - http://www.youtube.com/user/elegantlyamused#play/uploads/9/ljLqBWXMv4M

Yeah, I looked at some of her stuff last night... (I ended up looking for hairstyles until like 2am since I was home alone...) Her stuff looked a little more complicated (and fancier) so I thought I'd save it for later...

[misstwist]

Can anyone teach me how to do a victory roll on "waist length +" hair? They all seem to be for hair that's, you know, bsl-ish or shorter, or with shorter layers or a fringe in the front... and all my hair is waist length or longer.

It's just the same. My hair is about 32 inches right now. I gather the lock I want to put in a roll and comb it out nicely. If it's too clean I add a little aloe gel to make it hold together better. I find that using a finetooth comb, I usually use a rattail comb, to comb a lock together unifies it and makes it behave better as one unit.

Since I'm right handed, I gather the lock close to the roots in my right hand, between my index and middle finger, scissor fingers style. Then I slide those fingers down about halfway along the shaft.

Then, I wrap the remaining hair around both fingers, all the way to the tips. Be sure to keep hold of the tip for this next part. I tuck it between the two fingers and kind of keep ahold of it with my thumb. I just made a roll to check the movements. It seems that I make about a half turn down the roll toward my scalp after I have tuck in the ends.

Gently slide the formed curl off your fingers, holding it pinched like you see in the videos. Then use both hands to roll it toward the scalp, keeping the tension.

When you get to the scalp, stick your scissor fingers of the non-dominant hand inside the curl. For me, my left index finger holds the roll to my scalp and my left middle finger is on the outside of the roll, maintaining the tension.

Grab a bobbie pin and tuck it in under the finger you are using to hold the roll down. I can usually completely let go of the roll at this point. Tuck a bobbie pin in from the opposite side, crossing them inside the roll to lock. Add more if you feel you need to.

Shape the top of the roll and smile at yourself in the mirror to celebrate your victory over the victory roll.

The victory roll is just a neater version of the standing pincurl. If you practice by setting your hair in standing pincurls several times you will get the hang of the movements. You will soon be able to make it much neater and get a nice victory roll.

I hope this description helps.

[Flynn]

It's just the same. My hair is about 32 inches right now. I gather the lock I want to put in a roll and comb it out nicely. If it's too clean I add a little aloe gel to make it hold together better. I find that using a finetooth comb, I usually use a rattail comb, to comb a lock together unifies it and makes it behave better as one unit.

Since I'm right handed, I gather the lock close to the roots in my right hand, between my index and middle finger, scissor fingers style. Then I slide those fingers down about halfway along the shaft.

Then, I wrap the remaining hair around both fingers, all the way to the tips. Be sure to keep hold of the tip for this next part. I tuck it between the two fingers and kind of keep ahold of it with my thumb. I just made a roll to check the movements. It seems that I make about a half turn down the roll toward my scalp after I have tuck in the ends.

Gently slide the formed curl off your fingers, holding it pinched like you see in the videos. Then use both hands to roll it toward the scalp, keeping the tension.

When you get to the scalp, stick your scissor fingers of the non-dominant hand inside the curl. For me, my left index finger holds the roll to my scalp and my left middle finger is on the outside of the roll, maintaining the tension.

Grab a bobbie pin and tuck it in under the finger you are using to hold the roll down. I can usually completely let go of the roll at this point. Tuck a bobbie pin in from the opposite side, crossing them inside the roll to lock. Add more if you feel you need to.

Shape the top of the roll and smile at yourself in the mirror to celebrate your victory over the victory roll.

The victory roll is just a neater version of the standing pincurl. If you practice by setting your hair in standing pincurls several times you will get the hang of the movements. You will soon be able to make it much neater and get a nice victory roll.

I hope this description helps.

Yeah, thanks! ^__^

The way I'd learned it you take it to the end and start rolling, rather than starting off with that wrap-and-tuck. If you do it that way, it just ends up HUUUUGE and somehow the wrong shape.

[misstwist]

Yeah, thanks! ^__^

The way I'd learned it you take it to the end and start rolling, rather than starting off with that wrap-and-tuck. If you do it that way, it just ends up HUUUUGE and somehow the wrong shape.

That's what I learned, too. But instructions are just guidelines, we need to modify those techniques to work for us to achieve the same result.

[longgone]

It's just the same. My hair is about 32 inches right now. I gather the lock I want to put in a roll and comb it out nicely. If it's too clean I add a little aloe gel to make it hold together better. I find that using a finetooth comb, I usually use a rattail comb, to comb a lock together unifies it and makes it behave better as one unit.

Since I'm right handed, I gather the lock close to the roots in my right hand, between my index and middle finger, scissor fingers style. Then I slide those fingers down about halfway along the shaft.

Then, I wrap the remaining hair around both fingers, all the way to the tips. Be sure to keep hold of the tip for this next part. I tuck it between the two fingers and kind of keep ahold of it with my thumb. I just made a roll to check the movements. It seems that I make about a half turn down the roll toward my scalp after I have tuck in the ends.

Gently slide the formed curl off your fingers, holding it pinched like you see in the videos. Then use both hands to roll it toward the scalp, keeping the tension.

When you get to the scalp, stick your scissor fingers of the non-dominant hand inside the curl. For me, my left index finger holds the roll to my scalp and my left middle finger is on the outside of the roll, maintaining the tension.

Grab a bobbie pin and tuck it in under the finger you are using to hold the roll down. I can usually completely let go of the roll at this point. Tuck a bobbie pin in from the opposite side, crossing them inside the roll to lock. Add more if you feel you need to.

Shape the top of the roll and smile at yourself in the mirror to celebrate your victory over the victory roll.

The victory roll is just a neater version of the standing pincurl. If you practice by setting your hair in standing pincurls several times you will get the hang of the movements. You will soon be able to make it much neater and get a nice victory roll.

I hope this description helps.

Thanks for this.... It will work great for my as well... Turns out it's the 1940's front that the boy likes so that's what I really have to figure out... From what we talked about the other night he likes half-ups for the back if anyone has any suggestions..

[adiapalic]

I highly recommend poking around The Fedora Lounge (http://www.thefedoralounge.com/forumdisplay.php?f=24). Try searching for "victory rolls", "long hair" and "updos" and you're sure to find lots of stuff! The Livejournal group vintagehair (http://community.livejournal.com/vintagehair) also has a lot of information - the "long hair" tag (http://community.livejournal.com/vintagehair/tag/long+hair) has a great deal of tutorials.

I second the "victory rolls". I did these on my niece a few weeks ago, and it looks absolutely stunning on her little round face. I also slapped some matt red lipstick on her too, all she needed was some period clothes, and I could've got a great photo.