Hair – Page 8 – Swing Fashionista

Gwen Stephani’s hair

I am a huge fan of Gwen Sephani, especially when it comes to her fashion choices. Do you remember this picture of her from the Billboard Music Awards?

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Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous! Well, you’ll be pleased to know the someone has bothered to break down how to do this hairstyle! Over at Bobby Pin Blog, Lauren takes you through step-by-step on how to achieve this look. Here’s a little preview (in case you haven’t already clicked over to the post!)

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The sections of the style are asymmetric. One side of the top section is parted above the outer eyebrow. The other side of the top section parts starting at the hairline about an inch above the ear. Clip this out of the way.

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Take all of the rest of the hair and create a French twist. The ends are not tucked in above the twist at this point. I am actually going to use the ends to help create some stamina for the pompadour. This doll has a decent amount of hair, so if you have fine hair, a rat may help you here.

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For more detailed instructions on hair basics such as curling and setting, check out Vintage Hairstyling: Retro Styles with Step-by-Step Techniques. I have the book and I love it. If you have questions about the book, click the link above and check it out or ask me a question and I’ll do my best to answer.

Katja has gone black!

The best bob hairdo in Lindy Hop without a doubt goes to the drop-dead gorgeous Katja Hrastar from Slovenia, and I just noticed on Facebook today that she’s gone from fiery redhead to femme fatale ebony black. Ooh la la! Either way, still the best bob since the 1920s. Luckily for us, one of her best buddies happens to be the brilliant photographer Luka Dolenc, so there’s plenty of documentation of Katja’s uber fabulous hair!

Come to think of it, Katja is a pretty smashing photographer herself. Check out her website for more photos. Anyway, check out these 1920s illustrations and you’ll see just how spot-on that ‘do is:

And of course, I can’t go without mentioning Louise Brooks, the 1920s and 30s actress who made this kind of bob iconic:

1940s Faux Bangs by Fleur de Guerre

A part-time pinup girl and full-time Forties enthusiast, Fleur de Guerre shares her knowledge of vintage and provides lots of authentic vintage & retro fashion inspiration, plus styling tips & tricks, events and other fun stuff. Here is a great video of her showing how to create faux bangs that were so popular in the 1940s.

Fleur is exceptionally skilled and truly has a knack for what she’s doing. She has styled for a number of photo shoots and here are some pictures:

Model Sinderella Rockerfella, and we shot at a Hot Rod garage in the depths of Bedfordshire.
Miss Mink, the Pinup Poet

Miss FanTeasy, burlesque star and owner of some seriously luxuriant tresses!

Top top it off, she’s a model as well. Click here to go to her gallery, otherwise here are a few of my favorites:

Pictures by John Evans, Tobias Key, Damon Allen Davison, and Paul Godfrey respectively.

Vintage Hair Styling

Click here to buy ‘Vintage Hairstyling: Retro Styles with Step-by-Step Techniques’ on Amazon.com

Vintage Hairstyling: Retro Styles with Step by Step Techniques is a guide showing how to create hairstyles from the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s using simple, easy-to-follow instructions. I have revised and revamped the book of worldwide popularity to be even more informative and fun. This 2nd Edition takes hairstyles and breaks them down so that the directions are clear. It uses over 750 brand new photographs and illustrations and detailed directions in a 200-page full-color book.

The book begins with the basic elements and works its way back to advanced techniques. It concludes with information on makeup, nails, and accessories to finish the look. No matter your skill level or hair type, Vintage Hairstyling has something for everyone.

A Review of the book from Debutante Clothing:

From cover to cover, the book is full of beautiful photography of vintage hair styling tools such as pink dryers and jars of Lustre-Creme. But this book is not a fluffy, pretty art book full of hair related pictures. The book is more instructional without being boring.

The beginning of the book walks you step by step through the necessary tools you will need and basic curl techniques in order to create a true vintage hairstyle. Then, Rennells leads you into the techniques for combing out the curls. Finally, you get into the actual styling.

I’m a very visual person. I have to see someone do something in order to determine if I am doing it correctly. The step by step directions with accompanying images are the next best thing to having Lauren right next to you. The steps are clear and concise.

I myself am thinking about getting the book. Perhaps it could be a Christmas or Birthday present?!!

The Great Victory Roll Folly

Victory rolls are a favorite hairstyle for swing girls, but so often I see this little mistake.Â If you have a round face, be careful not to leave the rolls too loose, causing the hair to balloon out at the temples. This will just make your face look rounder. Go for fullness at the top, not at the sides.

Because Naomi here is cute as a button, she absolutely gets away with it, but you can see how tightening up the rolls at the side (done here with the help of handy Photoshop), makes the look more elegant.

Of course, the opposite is true if you have a long, narrow face – then if you have a lot of height at the top and nothing at the sides, you can end up looking a bit like a Praying Mantis…

Just saying…

Anyway, here’s Dita doing Victory Rolls in fine style, and a few vintage shots to inspire.