Popular Short Hair Styles: The Debate Is On
What are popular short hair styles? This is a difficult question to
answer. Many people who treasured their long locks went from the long
straggly, fringed cut like Bridget Bardotte in the fifties to long
straight simple cuts, as worn by model Jean Shrimpton. This look was
still in keeping with the clean, straight lines of the fashions.
The Urchin
 Twiggy, the face of the sixties popularised the urchin
cut, which was an offshoot of the bob. This dolly bird style was very
popular with the teenagers. In the late sixties the Biba look was
popular, inspired by the twenties style fashions of the Bonnie and Clyde
film.
Defining Personalities with Their Hair
During the mid to late sixties there were also two major gangs called
the Mods and the Rockers. The hair defied which group they belonged to;
if the hair was short they were a Mod, if it was long they were a feisty
Rocker.
Technology and Better Hair With new advances in technology
more products were available and the health of the hair was to become
more important. The sixties saw the introduction of the first corrective
protein treatment for hair, the first approved anti dandruff shampoo;
ZP11, heated rollers and the first hand held dryers appeared in Vidal
Sassoon’s salon. Sassoon created a new attitude towards the condition of
hair, encouraging his clients to follow.
Wars, Breakdowns, Depression and Disco The great optimism
and utopia of the sixties was soon quashed by the worldwide economic and
political misery of the seventies. The devalued pound, the Middle East
oil crisis and the Vietman War all had a depressive affect on the
disillusioned nation. The breakdown of traditional values led to the
spread of the hippie lifestyle, where drugs and sex were readily
available. At the same time “disco” burst onto the scene with it’s
glitzy glamour, platform shoes and Afro hairstyles. Ethnic styles
generally, were all the rage and inspired the huge Afro hairstyle, as
seen on Marsha Hunt and the popular Dreadlocks. Inspired by the disco
king John Travolta and the Beatles, men began to have their hair
shampooed and set in the salons ready to hit the dance floors! This
meant the introduction of unisex salons. “Hair”
 People became
acutely aware of their hair during the seventies, with the hit musical
“Hair” confirming this. Layered hair was very in vogue during the
seventies for both men and women using varying degrees of length. The
layered style was first made popular with the “Klute” worn by Jane
Fonda; David Bowie with his brightly coloured long hair at the back and
short cut on top was typical of the humorous Glam Rock scene, and this
style was soon to develop into the mullet of the eighties. Farah Fawcett
Majors’ flicked-out, layered style worn with glossy skin, lips and
sparkly eyes, was sporty, glamorous and practical and became one of the
most popular looks of the decade.
More Popularity Shorter hairstyles of the seventies included
the Mia Farrow crop and the Purdy pudding basin cut worn by Joanna
Lumley. The bubble-cut made a comeback and in 1974 Trevor Sorbie
introduced the Wedge cut for Ice Skater Dorothy Hamill, which became
instantly popular.
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