1940s Updo For Short Vintage Hair Style

1940s Updo For Short Vintage Hair Style

A concern of many women with short hair is how to dress their short hairstyle for special or formal occasions. Hair that is jut two to three inches is not usually the ideal length for an updo.

 

From a 1940s vintage hairstyle comes ideas for creating a updo look where you can mold your short hair into styled lines.

particularly the lines that are so popular right now, vintage hairstyles from the 1940s.

You will see in the illustrations how short hair can be cut to the contours of the head.

 

This makes it possible to create many different hairstyles with upped or side-swept lines—and it goes without saying that even when down, lines look trimmer and better groomed when built on a short foundation.

 

1940s Updo For Short Hair Vintage Style

There are further advantages of using short hair for updo styles formerly reserved for medium to long hairstyles.

Short hair properly cut is more easily trained and can look better groomed than long hair.

If the hair is blended to the contours of the head, in the 1940s this was referred to as a "contour cut".

With a contour cut the waves that create the illusion of an updo stay in place longer as they are not dragged down by the weight of too much hair.

 

1940s Updo For Short Vintage Hair Style

 

Cutting Techniques

Illustration One

Divide hair into five sections, making preliminary part across crown of head from ear to ear.

Then part from hairline to crown directly above each eye for sections 1,2, and 3.

For section five, make part around back of head from ear to ear as show.

Illustration Two

Cutting begins in section 4.
Divide hair in one inch wide oblong segments to make sure you taper instead of cut, and hold scissors so tapering begins on underneath side of each segment.

Illustration Three

This sketch shows length to which hair will be cut.

Hold scissors or shaper at proper distance from scalp for desired length.
In this case hair will be three inches long in middle back area.

 

Illustration Four

Hair is weakest at nape of neck, so all hair in section five is cut shorter than in other sections so neckline curls will not drop in finished style.

Illustration Five

Side sections are done next.
Sides are cut to three inch length and, for cutting, are divided into three oblong segments.
Cutting from bottom of segment is assurance that hair will fall in proper contour when cut.

Illustration Six

Top is done last and, for cutting, is divided into three oblong segments.
Length will be two to three inches in front, as on sides.
Scissors are held on angle to make hair shorter closer to crown.
1940s Updo For Short Hair Vintage Style

 

1940s Updo For Short Vintage Hair Style
Styling Techniques

Illustration Seven

Before beginning setting, make a circular part from hairline around crown to separate top section.

This hair is pinned up, out of the way, and pinned last.

Illustration Eight
Setting begins on right side.
Make a deep finger wave at hairline and follow with one row of pin curls around clockwise.

Illustration Nine
Then make another deep finger wave behind first row of curls, and follow with a row of pin curls wound counterclockwise.
Short hair at bottom of wave, behind ear, is set in clockwise pin curl.

 

 

Illustration Ten
Make another full finger wave in back of second row of pin curls and fill in the rest of the back area, to left ear, with pin curls.
First row, in back of wave, is wound counterclockwise, all other curls are wound clockwise, and are placed in diagonal rows exceeding from nape to crown.

Illustration Eleven
On left side, make a half wave at hairline and follow with three rows of pin curls.
First row is wound clockwise, second and third rows counterclockwise.

Illustration Twelve
Now unpin top hair and set it in solid pin curls.
All curls here are clockwise, except for counterclockwise curl at hairline.

 

 

 

 

Show Your Style!

Do you have a 1940s vintage hairstyle?
Send your pictures in with a description, how you styled, and some details of what you wore it with and where you wore it to!
You will be included in the upcoming Show Your Style pages,
Submit to Show Your Style Vintage