forties fringe
A question I receive a lot regarding 1940s hairstyles is what to do with short bangs. Understandably, if you’re a gal sporting a short fringe, it can seem like 1940s hairstyles with their pompadours and rolls means short bangs were just not done. Contrary to popular portrayal, there were plenty of styles in the 1940s that allowed for shorter bangs (both straight and curly). I thought I’d share a smattering of images I’ve collected of ladies with short bangs from the era (note: I realize not all these images are strictly from the 1940s; some are late 30s, but I feel they are great illustrations to my point! lol.).
[ l to r: 1942 ( via ), ella raines, 1947 (personal collection). ]
Straight, blunt-cut bangs seem to be most often worn with the smooth, minimalist styles of the decade. Think of the elegant chignons of the mid 40s, or the winsome pageboy style (first image) that was so popular throughout the entire decade.
[ l to r: unknown, paulette goddard, rosemary lane. ]
If you’d like some volume, try pincurling your short bangs! The key is to do probably 2-3 rows of pincurls to create enough depth (note the bangs aren’t “shallow”, they go back from the hairline a bit), and use a good setting lotion (such as the ever popular “Lottabody” brand) to keep the curls from falling. If you were feeling really glamorous, you could even tease the curls out into a poufy bang a la Betty Grable!
[ l to r: anna neagle, virginia vale. ]
This style is a nice mix between the severely blunt and curly bangs. Gently curling the hair under into a soft wave creates a nice line that allows for the rest of the hair to take center stage. This would be a great way to handle short bangs if you want to do side rolls.
The key really is just making the bangs look like a part of the entire ‘do, otherwise they will look decidedly modern with your vintage look. I hope this helps a tiny bit for gals who have short bangs, but still want to do 1940s styles with their hair!
Posted on January 27th, 2010 to beauty.
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ginger dress sneak peek »13 lovely thoughts to “forties fringe”
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Rodellee says:
Anna Neagle is just too cute, I love her hair here. And love her polka dot blouse and little bow tie too!
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Doo Wop Dolly says:
January 27th, 2010 at 10:02 am
Those are some really useful images- I am going for a fringe this Saturday so this is some great inspiration. x
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Trisha says:
January 27th, 2010 at 10:23 am
Thanks for thinking of us girls with bangs!
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Sunni Standing says:
January 27th, 2010 at 10:39 am
Oh I love! Thank you, because I have bangs and have watched a few of the demos on youtube and kept thinking, “oh, what should I do with these bangs?” Great pics. Totally inspired!
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Darla says:
January 27th, 2010 at 11:19 am
I love my betty bangs and when I have them short I just have to deal with the fact I can’t do middle part victory rolls. I usually will do one large roll on the side and two smaller rolls.
I ♥ Anna Neagle’s hair in that photo, its so cute I think I am going to style my hair like that today.
♥Darla
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Sarai says:
January 27th, 2010 at 11:49 am
Oh, I love her hair in the top right photo! It’s making me miss having bangs. They’re so flattering.
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Kathy says:
I cut my bangs about 6 months ago and am so glad I took the plunge. I love having bangs; they make my hair look put together with little effort. I’ve also noticed that I can wear a better variety of hat shapes with bangs. Love the breakdown you did of the different styles!
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Steph @ Tart Deco says:
Ooh, thanks for the post! I have been going back and forth for the past 2 months deciding on whether or not to grow out my Bettie bangs. I think I will just keep them, but longer and more blunt cut. If you run across any more pics, I would LOVE to see them!
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Victoria says:
I have bangs but they are longer now which I find easier to do 40s hair, but you are so correct in this. Bangs are quite a 40s thing! I tend to think it was more common than not having bangs even.
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Harpy says:
I curl my bangs using a mini straightener! I got one that has a rounded outside. This was the hot tip they gave me when I got my hair done at Nina’s Vintage Hair Parlour.
It takes less than 30 seconds, and you can do the blunt fringe, the soft fringe, and the Bettie Page style controlled-curl fringe. -
jasmine says:
i have bettie bangs but they are actually cut shorter than hers because i have such a short forehead (they still hit about 3/4 inch above my eyebrows but are basically an inch long. i love the idea that i can still do retro hair styles with my retro bangs, but my problem is that the rest of my hair is long (with layers to make it tougher)…thats where my problem lies, i never know what to do with the rest of it!
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Maegan says:
January 29th, 2010 at 11:23 am
I am so afraid of bangs! When I was 13, I got bangs, and they instantly curled up to my hairline and wouldn’t come down! I had these little corkscrews protruding from my brow. I managed to tame them a little, but I think really, my hair doesn’t like it, and my forehead is too short for them.
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Nina says:
These looks are so lovely, as I also have curly bangs and you gave me some ideas here
fashionableroad.blogspot.com
Thank you ever so much for taking time to share your comment! Although I try to answer questions, I am not always able to respond to each comment individually. But please know that I appreciate from the bottom of my heart every comment I receive!