The Curly Dolls Hairstyle Lookbook

I bet this isn’t the ideal palette you expect to start with when you get up to start on your hair…But for many Dolls it is. If you’re a Curlie like me stick around for some tips on vintage hairstyling with your natural texture.

            One of the key pieces in putting together any look and for us Vintage Dolls one of the key pieces to keep our looks authentic is our hair. Unlike what people think we don’t spend hours and hours on our hair but we do spend time on it none-the-less. We cut, color, curl, pin, roll, tuck, tease and that’s just to name a few. A lot of us follow some of our favorite YouTube vintage hair and makeup gurus like Lisa Freemont street, and A Vintage Vanity to name a couple of my favorites and we follow them religiously. Then feeling extremely proud of ourselves when we’ve mastered yet another style. However here’s the thing if you’re like me you notice an extreme lack in these tutorials for women with naturally curly hair or even women of color. For us Curly Dolls were often left a little baffled after watching these tutorials as great and informative as they are they are often of little use for women with really curly hair, or coarse hair, etc…. We have no idea how they will look on our hair and we have no idea how to begin cause at least half of the steps we don’t need.

            Many of us either don’t straighten our hair at all or like me very rarely nor have no desire to, so there is little to no use for the pink foam rollers or a curling iron which the majority or most vintage styles start with. So what’s a curly girl to do? 

            Well you do the same styles anyone else does that’s what- and you do them the exact same way, with a few adjustments to suit. Here’s the thing Dolls what we have working in our favor is that us naturally curly and wavy Dolls have God given what everyone worked so hard to achieve back then. Because the ideal hair type for women in the 40’s through 60’s was in fact curly, why do you think women spent so much time with the curly perms, and permanent waving systems, and the wet sets every week? It was because they wanted curly hair. And when you turn on YouTube or wake up in the morning  to get started on your hair what’s the first thing you do…put curl into it or take the rollers out because the fact is you just won’t get that perfect Monroe-brush out without them.

            When it’s all said and done, us Curlies have it a lot easier than our straight haired counterparts, though it may seem not seem like it at times.  We actually have the advantage in the end, women went through amazing even damaging lengths to achieve a different texture, and if you already have it naturally you can skip the one major step in just about every vintage style. Accentuate those curls Dolls and work them to their full advantage, you can do the same styles as everyone else without sacrificing your curl pattern or risking heat damaging from countless hours of straightening and then re-curling.

Here are some Tips to help when styling:

·         The most important thing is that your hair is not going to look like anyone else’s and that’s okay it’s what makes us unique right? So rather focusing on getting the perfect brush out, or making your hair look exactly like that picture of Greta Garbo. Instead focus on achieving the spirit and silhouette of the style trust me you will not lose the essence of the era.

·         Curly hair is easy to manipulate but can also be more fragile, so there’s no need for back combing, teasing or anything like that so skip that step.

·         Bobby pins are your best friend use them to manipulate your curls into the shapes, where you need it to be, and to tame stray strands.  You can never have too many Bobbies lol trust me I know.

·         Be willing to make adjustments to what works right for your particular hair, for example three victory rolls might not look too great in your hair but…with some tweaking and imagination you can turn the essence of the style into something that works for you.

·         I know that we tend to look at old Hollywood actresses, singers, etc. for inspiration for our styles and looks however it sometimes leaves you out of touch with how people truly looked during the era. Google pictures of everyday people during the era and pay close attention to their clothing and hair. While there weren’t many Hollywood actresses that kept their hair naturally curly plenty of everyday people did and still wore the popular styles of the era. Often times the best source of inspiration is street style.

Here are a few vintage styles done on my own naturally curly hair to give you an idea of what some vintage styles look like on a person that actually has curly hair:

 

 

 

- Rolled bangs w/Victory rolls and French roll in the back

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- Rolled side ponytail w/ rose hairpin

 

 

 

 

 

 

- Pin rolled faux bob, side parted w/ Green vintage French Beret

 

 

 

 

 

 

- Rolled bumber bangs w/ Victory rolls and rose accent. Back left out

 

 

 

 

 

 

- The pompadour w/ vintage Bill Blass Red , White and Navy Polka Dot and Strip Scarf  

 

 

 

 

 

 

- The Curly Marilyn

Hair parted to the side, tucked under and bobby pinned to appear shorter. Front section separated lightly sprayed with hairspray for lift then pin curled to the side to create a faux side bang.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remember Dolls Vintage is supposed to be fun not stressful. If something doesn’t work scrap, tweak it, or try it again but whatever you do BE YOURSELF.  Any style becomes a joke the moment you stop trying to look like you.

Fashionably Speaking…Joie Cuentista