Dear Audience,
"Everything is new in May" is an old German saying and how could the sight of blossoming trees and bushes not make you think of a change - maybe even a complete makeover? How about a sassy bob or an elegantly curved wave, for example? Or are you looking for ways to reinterpret the long mane? Come along to the 20s beauty salon and let yourself be inspired!
For the brave: The Bob
Does your heart beat for everything wild, loud, unconventional? Are you a little rebel inside? Then maybe a bob would be just the thing for you! But in which length, with fringes or without, straight or curly? Those who choose the bob are spoilt for choice, for the possibilities are endless and the celebrity sources of inspiration numerous.
From a scandalous hairstyle to the signature cut of an entire generation
Although courageous women such as the French writer Colette or the dancer Polaire dared to do it at the beginning of the 20th century, it was to take quite some time before the bob became socially acceptable. A few decades before, a luxuriant head of hair was still considered the epitome of femininity and beauty, but the First World War changed this abruptly. In many places, women took over the jobs of the men who were fighting in the war. Due to this new work routine, long hair was increasingly perceived as impractical or a hindrance. When, after the end of the war, women continued to provide for themselves, the triumph of the short hairstyle was unstoppable - the Bob was born.
If you now fancy a bob cut, here is a small selection of different variations:
The Eton Crop
Probably the shortest bob variation owes its name to a boy's haircut that enjoyed great popularity at the prestigious Eton School in England. Combed smoothly to the head and fixed with pomade (brilliantine), two ladies made this cut particularly popular: Josephine Baker and Bessie Love.
But the Eton Crop did not only have admirers. Margot Asquith, Lady Oxford said of the haircut in 1927:
Women with neither backs nor tops to their heads, and faces as large as hams, appear at the King's Drawing Rooms with the nuque of their necks blue from shaving.
The Orchid Bob
The Orchid Bob is a classic 1920s bob, usually worn straight with a side parting.
The hair tapers to a crescent shape at the cheeks and the sides are often pinned with bobby pins.
The Coconut Bob
With the Coconut Bob, the hair is cut short and angular down to the cheekbones. This includes a fringe that usually stops slightly above the eyebrows. The cut is similar to that of Louise Brooks, but no brilliantine is used here and the parting is almost invisible.
The Windblown / Windswept Bob
As the name suggests, this is the tousled, "windswept" version of the bob. Often the front part is combed smoothly forward (as a fringe) or backwards, the sides are curled and blow-dried outwards. Some wearers also pile up sections of hair into small works of art (see photo, centre).
The Egyptian Bob
With the Egyptomania that broke out after the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb (more on that here), Egyptian Bob became popular. Inspired by the depiction of Egyptian women on ancient reliefs, this bob was worn straight and with very thin fringes.
The Charleston Bob
A softer, more feminine variation is the Charleston Bob or Charleston cut, named after the famous dance that is associated with the 1920s like no other. Usually with a side parting, sometimes with, sometimes without fringes, but always with the characteristic water wave.
For the glamorous appearance: The Water Wave
Like the Charleston dance, the water wave has become a symbol of the 1920s. Especially popular from the middle of the decade, it was still worn in many variations into the 30s. While the water wave was applied wet with combs, it was also possible to create the same structure with heat, in which case it was called the Marcel Wave. This technique was named after the French hairdresser Marcel Grateau (who later changed his name to François Marcel).
For the not-so-short-tempered: The Fake Bob and other alternatives
You have beautiful, long hair and even the thought of a short haircut gives you vertigo? Are you looking for new inspiration to show off your mane in the best flapper style? Then maybe these hairstyles are for you:
The Pringle Bob
Actress Aileeen Pringle didn't want to take the step to short hair right away and approached the look slowly at first. She kept her long front sections and only shortened her hair in the back. For the short bob look, she pinned the longer hair in rollers at the back so that the illusion was perfect.
The Fake Bob
There are also other ways to curl your long hair into a bob without cutting anything off. The hair can be gathered into a chignon at the nape of the neck or pinned tightly to the head in pin curls. The fake bob looks particularly beautiful with wavy hair.
The Earphones
Another popular hairstyle that creates a bob illusion is the so-called earphone style. The hair is parted in the middle, both sections are braided and rolled up at ear level like snails. Since the braids rest directly on the ears like headphones, it is not surprising that the hairstyle received this nickname.
I hope I have been able to inspire you, whether you dare to go to the hairdresser or not. If you are still looking for new ideas for your wardrobe, take a look here.
Sincerely yours,
Marleen Tigersee
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