We are living through the Roaring Twenties all over again, so what better time to bring back these 1920s hairstyles? Beyond the flapper dresses and jazz music, the fashion of the 1920s served plenty of inspiration.
Popular hairstyles of the 1920s included finger waves, bob haircuts, marcel-style waves, and long ringlets. This era marked a pivotal change for women’s hair. Just as skirts shortened, so did hairstyles.
“The New Woman” emerged, sporting short haircuts influenced by movie stars like Louise Brooks and Colleen Moore. Some women even visited barber shops, as many salons were still focused on long, styled locks.
Explore the most iconic 20s hairstyles for short, medium, and long hair showcased by the era’s biggest stars.
1920s Hairstyles: Short
The Eton crop
The Eton crop was the most extreme of the new, shorter hairstyles of the time. It attained its name since it resembled how Eton schoolboys wore their hair. The style was slightly longer than was fashionable for men during the 20s.
The Eton crop involved cutting the hair above the ears and sometimes even shaving it at the back, but with some free curls or waves at the front and sides to make it more feminine.
Pixie Cuts
Although pixie cuts would not become mainstream popular until the 1950s, stars like Josephine Baker would wear a short hairstyle reminiscent of the style we know today. Josephine Baker’s iconic style went beyond her hair with her famous banana dress.
Curly Bob
1920s hairstyles are known for their sleek looks, but women also showcased looks like the curly bob, which was popular with stars like Clara Bow. The pin curl could help achieve this look if you don’t have naturally curly hair, adding volume to a short hairstyle.
Medium Hair
The bob cut
The bob became a groundbreaking cut, made famous by icons like Josephine Baker and Colleen Moore. In stark contrast to the long, flowing styles and intricate Victorian updos of the past, trendsetters in the 1920s embraced the freedom of short hair.
Some women opted for sleek, straight versions, while others styled their curls flat against their heads using shellac.
Shingle Bob
Movie stars like Louise Brooks made the iconic hairstyle popular. The shingle bob is a variation of the bob that was cut at the nape at the back and the ears near the front. It’s one of those 20s hairstyles that young women wore frequently.
Many went to the barber to copy the silent film star’s look. Not everyone wore a bob straight. By the decade’s second half, curls and waves became more popular.
Bobs were worn straight and sleek, wavy, or curly. Women often wore bangs with them, either straight across or heart-shaped. Some women wore strip curls, which were sections of hair that were tightly curled and held stiffly in place against the side of the face with gel.
The bobs’ lengths varied from so short that the ends of the hair scraped the cheekbones to jaw-length. Although often associated with the 20s, the bob haircut was also worn in the 1910s by figures like women’s fashion designer Coco Chanel.
Finger waves
When you picture classic 1920s hair, you probably imagine finger waves. These waves have a distinctive look that was so popular that they continued into the 1930s and 1940s. Additionally, they even came back into fashion as late as the 1990s.
Finger waves were created by taking sections of wet hair and forming an “s” shape. These shapes were held in place with gel or special wave clips. Once the hair dried, the hair would fall into even waves that framed the entire head.
Another way to achieve a similar look was to use a Marcel iron. This option was quicker, but the heat could damage the hair.
1920s Hairstyles for Long Hair
Faux bob
At the beginning of the 1920s, many women wanted the bob’s shorter look without committing to cutting their hair. These women used a faux bob to cheat having short hair.
This usually involved arranging the hair at the base of the neck or putting it into a bun and pinning it underneath the top part of the hair to hide it by using bobby pins.
Women usually styled the sides of their hair with curls or finger waves. This is an excellent option if you want to create a 1920s look but aren’t willing to sacrifice your hair’s length.
Pigtails
Although medium and short hairdos are often spotlighted for 20s hairstyles, many women still had long hair. Women with longer hair could wear their hair in braided pigtails worn straight down.
Or opt to have them pinned up. In addition, long but wavy hairstyles were another option for women to wear.
Long Curls & Ringlets
Young women like Lillian Gish at the time could showcase their long hair in gorgeous ringlets. These could be made by using curling tongs or setting the hair overnight. The tongs would be heated by flame with hair curled around them.
In fact, they weren’t much different from modern-day curling irons, except for the contemporary version being electric. Those who did not use curlers could wet their hair, wrap it with ribbons, and sleep with it overnight using setting lotions.
1920s Hair Now
As you can see, 1920s hairstyles offer so much fashionable inspiration. There is nothing quite like embracing the classic looks from this era with a modern twist. Women of today have the opportunity to enjoy 1920s-inspired looks.
For example, finger waves create a beautiful wave pattern throughout your hair and can be tailored to fit any face shape.
Quick Tips
How do I style my hair like the 1920s?
Finger waves can give you a glamorous 1920s-inspired look. To make finger waves, first, apply setting lotion or mousse to your damp hair and comb it through. Then, divide your hair into sections with a rat tail comb, and create an S-shaped wave pattern with each section using the handle of a fine-tooth comb.
Secure the wave in place with a sectioning clip, and repeat the process with each section of hair. Let the waves set with a hair dryer or allow them to air dry. If you don’t have short hair, you can just do finger waves in the front and put the rest of your hair in a ponytail or low bun.
How did flappers wear their hair?
Flappers usually wore their hair short in a bob cut or Eton cut. Women would often pair these hairstyles with headbands, turbans, decorative hair combs, or hats like the cloche.
What are 20s curls called?
There were so many different 1920s hairstyles, and one could use pin curls to get the look. The look is achieved by setting the hair, usually overnight. You dampen the hair and then apply setting lotion.
Section the hair into different sections and twist the sections into a circular form using hair pins. When you wake up, remove the pins, and you will get beautiful curls to create those 1920s-inspired waves.
Retro Beauty
If you want to bring a taste of the 1920s to the 2020s with your hairstyle, there are plenty of options. It doesn’t matter the length of your hair. From Eton crops to bob cuts to finger waves to faux bobs, there is a hairstyle out there for every hair type to get that Great Gatsby look.
Whether you recreate these iconic looks or just draw inspiration from them for your own look, these vintage hairstyles will always be remembered for their timeless appeal.
