As Summer sneaks off for another year and Autumn settles into London – we at Shine acknowledge the genius and creativity of bygone eras.
The Egyptians used Henna to cover their greys where as the Greeks made a permanent black hair dye out of leaches and vinegar. From The Titus cut of 1798 to the debut of the Castle Bob in 1915. We salute the independence, artistry and identity that hair has given the ages.
As you’ll know from our previous blogs and period inspired photo shoots, our team love to turn back the clock and gaze upon what has inspired us all. Recreating iconic trends and imagery is limitless and gems of inspiration are out there in abundance.
We hailed the 1920s. Oh the glorious liberation that was had. The female invasion of the Barbershop happened. Why? Well, the Bob of course! The Bob became a mark of freedom for women and brought shape to the new voices of the day. The 20s showcased the Eton Crop, the Marcel Wave, the finger wave, sharp Bobs, uneven Bobs, fake Bobs. It was Bob crazy! The Gibson Girl long haired feminine ideal was another popular choice.
For Men, the 1920s saw a lot of Brilliantine as hair oil was massively favoured. Short, neat cuts with severe side or central partings were in and it was crucial to keep the neck clean with an undercut, think Peaky Blinders sharp. At the same time Charlie Chaplin was applying hair oil to his curly locks and jumping on board the creative finger wave train.Next came the booming 1950s for our period inspired photo shoot and back then, as always, trends were erupting everywhere. Music, independent cinema, mass media and celebrity culture all opened the doors to change within the hair industry.
The Rockabilly vibes, the groundbreaking Pixie Cut, Betty Page fringes, Elvis Pompadours, Ducktails, Sophia Loren Bouffants, Billie Holiday ponytails. Everyone had a look.
In 1950, Lawrence Gelb – founder of Clairol, introduced the first one step hair dye product that lightened the hair without bleaching it. In 1953 bleached fringes started to arrive on the scene and this is when DIY hair at home became very popular. This man has a lot to answer for!
Towards the end of the 50s many styles were favoured and the world was readying itself for another game changing decade for hair, The Swinging 60s! And what a decade it was.
The 60s welcomed Vidal Sassoon’s restyled Geometric Bob, the Beatles brought the shaggy styled mop top, the Supremes’ bouffants, Janis Joplin’s wild wavy hair and Angela Davis’s beautifully natural Afro. Trends veered wildly from the natural and untamed to the ‘Could I be more styled?’ and there are so many looks to be inspired by.
Up next for our period inspired photo shoots is the 1960s! And as listed above – there are so many ways to go! Stay tuned for Feb. 2017By Marina Demetriadis – A creative Shine stylist in the making.
