Creating a 1920s Wig

alinarads
Nov 21, 2020
8 min read

Updated: Jan 15, 2021

Research into 1920s history:

The 1920s was packed with jazz and buzzing nightlife, with the rebellion of women and flappers becoming the latest inspirations. ‘The First world war had ended in victory, peace returned with it, prosperity. For some the war had proved to be very profitable. Manufacturers and suppliers of goods needed for the war effort had prospered throughout the war years and become very rich. The wealthier classes, life had never been better. Nightclubs, jazz clubs and cocktail bars flourished in the cities.

Women felt more confident and empowered, and this new independence was reflected in the new fashions. Hair was shorter, dresses were shorter, and women started to smoke, drink and drive motorcars. The attractive, reckless, independent ‘flapper’ appeared on the scene, shocking society with her wild behaviour.’ (Johnson B, ND)

Figure 1, 2 & 3

Flapper – ‘Flappers of the 1920s were young women known for their energetic freedom, embracing a lifestyle viewed by many at the time as outrageous, immoral or downright dangerous.’ (History, 2019)

Women of the 1920s wore the rebellious fashions such as short, boy like hair, heavily jewelled accessories and shorter tasselled dresses. Compared to the previous decades women started to make more effort with their appearance and spend more money on luxuries that were unavailable during the first world war. The flappers were empowered women breaking the social structure of a woman’s role and how they should act, by drinking alcohol, smoking and driving vehicles. The flappers reclaimed themselves by cutting their hair short, wearing heavier makeup and wearing more revealing clothing.

1920s fashion:

‘By 1925, dresses were the shortest in history. There was an international outcry to protect moral code; campaigns were launched to save the future generation from chaos and destruction. Flesh coloured stockings of artificial silk – which women of all income levels could afford- gave legs the impression of nudity.’ (Herald J, 2007, p.g28) Women also wore less tight fitted feminine clothing, adopting a flat chested, box shape figure in the clothing shown in figure 6.

Figure 4, 5, 6

1920s Hairstyles:

‘In the earlier parts of the 1920s, hair was often shorter, smoother, and sleeker. This texture was often achieved by water waving or finger waving, a method of hair dressing that involved wetting the hair with curling lotion, combing it into waves with your fingers, and letting it dry.’ (Lowery A, 2013, p.129)

One of the most difficult hair dressing techniques; finger waves, is still used to this day to achieve either soft glamorous waves or tight sleek waves. The following figures taken from Daniela Turudich’s book: Art Deco Hair, hairstyles from the 1920s & 1930s, shows the process of finger waving. This book was extremely helpful when researching the 20s as it gave a breakdown of each cut and style of hair as well as step by step how to recreate.

Figure 7, 8, 9

The 1920s hairstyles for women wasn’t just finger waves, depending on: the year within the 20s, hair length and texture and the wealth of an individual effected the styles worn, below shows a gallery range of different styles and accessories, such as the orchid bob and finger waves, it was not uncommon for dancers are performers to wear jewelled large hair pieces shown in figure 17.

Figure 10, 11, 12

Figure 13, 14

Figure 15, 16, 17

Figure 18, 19, 20

Influential women of the 1920s:

Clara Bow

‘Another film star who set trends in the 1920s was Clara Bow. Her tousled curls, sad, down-turned eyes, and well defined cupid’s bow lip earned her the nickname of the ‘It girl’ (Lowery A, 2013, pg. 129)

Bow featured in many silent films of the 20s progressing into 'talkies' in 1929.

Figure 21

Josephine Barker

‘The Eton Crop was a very short haircut, named after the English boy’s public school, that left both the ears and neck exposed. This haircut was made popular by Josephine Baker, the famous African-American entertainer who rose to fame performing in France.’ (Lowery A, 2013, p.g 128)

As well as being an entertainer, Barker was also a civil rights activist fighting against fascism in Europe and racism in the United States.

Figure 22

1920s Interpretation in film and television:

The Great Gatsby - Film 2013

Set in 1924

Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan

Figure 23

Peaky Blinders - BBC 2013

Set in 1919

Sophie Rundle as Ada Shelby

Annabelle Wallis as Grace Burgess

Helen McCrory as Polly Gray

Figure 24, 25, 26

The Danish Girl - Film 2016

Set in 1920s

Alicia Vikander as Gerda Wegener

Eddie Redmayne as Lili Elbe

Figure 27

Downton Abbey - BBC 2010-2015

Set in 1927

Laura Carmichael as Lady Edith Crawley

Lily James as Lady Rose MacClare

Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary Crawley

Figure 28, 29, 30

From the industry examples above it is evident that the typical 1920s hair is finger waved or the short sleek ‘Orchid Bob’ hair is used for characters, as these were to most popular of the time. The hair and makeup have also been paired with hair and jewellery accessories most likely designed from the costume department to add to the night-time formal looks. Comparing The Great Gatsby to Peaky Blinders, not only is Great Gatsby American but the film is largely based around the night life therefore the hair and makeup is heavily accessorised and costumes more detailed and extravagant, unlike Peaky Blinders where it is based in Birmingham and most events are day time scenes the overall look of the women is more relaxed. Most likely human hair wigs would be set and designed to achieve these looks as they are the most realistic looking.

Setting a 1920s fingerwave hairstyle:

Figure 31

Using a human hair wig, the hair is wet down with a mixture of water and conditioner to make the hair smooth and manageable. A middle parting was set with galloon tape and blocking pins, these are available from any wig retailer such as The Wig Department. Gallon tape: https://thewigdepartment.com/collections/tape-galloons/products/300-new-fine-galloon-tubular-tape-0-7cm-by-the-metre Blocking pins: https://thewigdepartment.com/products/519-long-strong-wig-blocking-pin-50mm-2inch?_pos=1&_sid=6a7003c93&_ss=r The hair is then finger-waved with a complex technique using two fingers and a fine tooth comb, shown previously in figures 7-9.

Figure 32, 33

Once the finger wave is completed around the head, the bottom remaining part of hair is placed into flocked rollers with end papers to create clean curls. This will be later dressed into a chignon. The flocked rollers are available from the following link: https://thewigdepartment.com/products/781-24mm-green-flocked-hair-roller-6-5-cm-long?_pos=5&_sid=eed546628&_ss=r With a shorter hair wig, the finger waves would be done to the bottom of the neck with pincurls to finish off if necessary.

Figure 34, 35

The rollers are removed producing curls. Due to the hair having a lot of conditioner mixed with the water, the curls struggled to set fully. When the rollers were removed the student found the curls damp after drying the wig for 2 days, with the assistance of a hood dryer for 3 hours. In figure 35 the student curled the hair in smaller sections with a curling wand, to achieve the original intent for the curls.

Figure 36, 37

The curls are placed into a chignon on the back of the hair. This was achieved by forming 2 buns on the nape then joining them together with a fine bobble. To finish off the bun the ends of the hair were smoothed with an oil and pinned into pin curls.

Final Images:

Figure 38, 39

The finished finger-wave set without galloon tape, when removing the galloon tape the finger-waves slightly disrupted on the front right side, causing a small gap in the wave.

Figure 40, 41

The finish set with a 1920s inspired hair accessory

Applied wig:

Figure 42, 43, 44

The wig applied with 1920s makeup

Reflection:

In refection to the finished finger-wave set the student enjoyed the finger-wave technique as they grasped the skill quickly, although the hair became knotted when brushing down resulting in the rollers being neglected and unpolished. This added to the fact the hair didn’t fully dry, next time the hair will be brushed more and more care will be taken when placing in more rollers, the hair will then dry faster. When removing the Galloon tape, small off cuts of the hair became visible and made the overall look unpolished. To fit industry standards the student will have to practice the technique to get it perfect, adding a smoothing product to make sure every hair is in place and a glossy finish.

Comparison:

Figure 28 , 45

In comparison to Downton Abbey’s finger-waves, the students work is a good first attempt. Although the hair could be smoother and have an added shine to meet the standards, the placement of the waves on the face is very similar, with practice of the technique and use of products the students work could match the industries expectations. Despite the makeup is more exaggerated and Clara bow inspired in comparison to Downton Abbey’s minimalist look the overall images emulates 1920s.

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References list:

Herald J (2007) Fashions of a decade – the 1920s. New York, Chelsea House

History (2019) Flappers https://www.history.com/topics/roaring-twenties/flappers#:~:text=Flappers%20of%20the%201920s%20were,and%20sexual%20freedom%20for%20women. [Accessed 29/11/20]

Johnson B (ND) The 1920s in Britain https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/The-1920s-in-Britain/ [Accessed 25/11/20]

Lowery A, (2013) Historical Wig Styling Victorian to the present. Burlington, Focal press

Figures:

Figure 1

Book : Fashions of a decade the 1920s, Herald J (2007) Evening gown 1924[Image] Info base publishing, New York

Figure 2

Book : Art Deco hair hairstyles from the 1920s & 1930s, Turudich D (2013) 1920s flapper [Image] Streamline Press, Chicago

Figure 3

Book : Art Deco hair hairstyles from the 1920s & 1930s, Turudich D (2013) 1920s flapper [Image] Streamline Press, Chicago

Figure 4

Book : Art Deco hair hairstyles from the 1920s & 1930s, Turudich D (2013) 1924 drawing [Image] Streamline Press, Chicago

Figure 5

(reddit, 2017) 1920s Flapper girls [Image : Internet] https://www.reddit.com/r/OldSchoolCool/comments/6qpz2z/flapper_girls_1920s/ [Accessed 29/11/20]

Figure 6

Book : Art Deco hair hairstyles from the 1920s & 1930s, Turudich D (2013) 1924 drawing [Image] Streamline Press, Chicago

Figure 7

Book : Art Deco hair hairstyles from the 1920s & 1930s, Turudich D (2013) Fingerwaving technique drawing [Image] Streamline Press, Chicago

Figure 8

Book : Art Deco hair hairstyles from the 1920s & 1930s, Turudich D (2013) Fingerwaving technique drawing [Image] Streamline Press, Chicago

Figure 9

Book : Art Deco hair hairstyles from the 1920s & 1930s, Turudich D (2013) Fingerwaving technique drawing [Image] Streamline Press, Chicago

Figure 10

(Pinterest, ND) 1920s hairstyles [Image : internet] https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/215961744605961210/ [Accessed 24/11/20]

Figure 11

(Huff post, 2013) 1920s hairstyles that defined the decade, from the bob to finger waves [Image : Internet] https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/1920s-hairstyles-photos_n_3720290?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9jb25zZW50LnlhaG9vLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAGs8FlUF1NFDjsVFox7iazDvrFHNppj1PfLp2Uhu9mMVJ5NJA4vxasfGFqViVn10Z3kQzOmwhfWN1W4-gdeBaNCFSG908eFS_lbayTJhd5weKrBmCSmv_o4xGGETUCerV4xi5ZQKGoc1nCXCSnxLAvh5vewn55I3Exx4BGtepp5Q [Accessed 24/11/20]

Figure 12

(Stylezco, 2018) Wonderful 1920s women’s hairstyles [Image : internet] https://www.stylezco.com/1920s-women-hairstyles/ [Accessed 24/11/20]

Figure 13

Book : Art Deco hair hairstyles from the 1920s & 1930s, Turudich D (2013) Orchid haircut [Image] Streamline Press, Chicago

Figure 14

Book : Art Deco hair hairstyles from the 1920s & 1930s, Turudich D (2013) short 1920s hairstyles [Image] Streamline Press, Chicago

Figure 15

Book : Timeless beauty icons 1200-2010, Pissimiglia R (ND) 1925 [Image] Edizioni Esav, Italy

Figure 16

Book : Art Deco hair hairstyles from the 1920s & 1930s, Turudich D (2013) Head scarf accessories [Image] Streamline Press, Chicago

Figure 17

Book : Art Deco hair hairstyles from the 1920s & 1930s, Turudich D (2013) 1924 drawing [Image] Streamline Press, Chicago

Figure 18

(Makeup artist handbook, 2013) Womens 1920s hairstyles [Image : Internet] https://hair-and-makeup-artist.com/womens-1920s-hairstyles/ [Accessed 29/11/20]