Here’s our guide to women’s 1920s hairstyles. The Roaring Twenties were book-ended between two cataclysmic events – namely, the aftermath of World War I and the financial crash that led to the Great Depression. The Great War had taken many lives, and this shadow cast a desire to live embrace life. It was off with the old – literally in the case of hemlines and hair – and on with the new. The bob was the hairstyle of the decade – symbolic of women’s newfound freedom, rights, and opportunities.
Influences on Women’s 1920s Hairstyles
Change in Attitude
The carefree attitude of the young generation was, in part, a reaction to World War I. Losing so many young men to war gave people live-for-now energy.
Women were also getting more opportunities in life because of the war. Having taken the place of men in factories and fields gave women a taste for jobs outside of domestic service.
Working with machinery meant hair was an inconvenience, time-consuming, and got in the way. Therefore, getting it cut short was one way to solve the problem. One significant change was getting their long hair cut short, discarding the Victorian belief that hair was a girl’s crowning glory.
The time for the young, free and independent woman was now. Women started to rebel against moral restrictions and how society saw them.
Trailblazers
During Victorian and Edwardian times, it was OK for little girls to have a bob. Women would only have their hair cut short for things like illness, lice, or as punishment.
Overall, short haircuts on women were not the done thing. It was not seen as respectable or feminine. However, there were trailblazers and arty types who liked attention. They cut their hair short long before it was considered acceptable.
One such showoff was French singer-actress Polaire (Émilie Marie Bouchaud, 1874-1939), who wore short skirts and cropped hair in the 1890s.
Stars of Stage & Screen
In the United States, influential dancer and trendsetter Irene Castle cut her hair short c. 1913-4. Subsequently, American women wanted to get a “Castle Bob”.
Another dance star was Josephine Baker (1906-1975) – a highly successful entertainer and the first African-American to star in a major motion picture. She sported an Eton crop, slick and shining with hair pomade, often finished with a few kiss curls.
In the 19