1940s Hairstyles
The 1940s were deeply shaped by the Second World War (1939–1945) and its aftermath. With so many men away fighting, women stepped into the workforce in huge numbers, taking on roles in factories, offices, and military services. This new, active lifestyle had a direct effect on how women styled their hair.
The hairstyles of the 1940s are a testament to the creativity, ingenuity, and sheer beauty of the women who wore them. In this article, we will take you on a tour through every major hairstyle of the 1940s. Whether you are a vintage hair enthusiast, a history lover, or simply curious about the beauty of the past, we hope you enjoy the journey.
Victory Rolls
If there is one hairstyle that instantly brings the 1940s to mind, it is the victory roll. Victory rolls were large, cylindrical rolls of hair swept back from the face and pinned firmly in place. They could be worn on both sides of the head, on just one side, or at the top as a single cylinder. The rolls were quite large and gave the wearer an air of confidence and authority.
Creating victory rolls required some skill, but with practice, women managed to do them at home. The hair was first set in large pin curls or on rollers, then brushed out into a smooth, voluminous wave. The front sections were then rolled back and upward, secured with bobby pins, and smoothed with pomade or setting lotion.
Victory rolls were worn by women of all backgrounds: factory workers, office secretaries, housewives, and film stars alike. They worked well with the popular hair accessories of the time, such as wide fabric headbands, hair nets, and flower pins. The style’s popularity lasted well into the late 1940s and even carried over into the early 1950s.
The Pageboy
The pageboy was one of the most popular everyday hairstyles of the 1940s. It was a shoulder-length style in which the hair was cut to a uniform length all around, then curled under at the ends to create a smooth, rounded look. The result was tidy and elegant.
The pageboy had actually appeared in the 1930s but truly came into its own during the 1940s, when practicality and elegance needed to go hand in hand. Because the ends were turned under rather than outward, the style stayed neater for longer and was less likely to become messy during a working day.
The pageboy was beloved by women who wanted a feminine look without the complexity of elaborate updos. It worked well for women with naturally straight or slightly wavy hair. Many women would add a side parting to give the hairstyle extra elegance, and a small amount of pomade or brilliantine was used to keep the turned-under ends perfectly in place.
Soft Waves
Soft waves were a cornerstone of 1940s beauty. Unlike the tight styles of the 1930s, the waves of the forties were broader, looser, and more relaxed, suggesting movement and softness rather than rigid precision. These waves could be worn loose and flowing to the shoulders or combined with updos.
Achieving these beautiful waves was an art in itself. Most women used a technique called pin curling, in which damp hair was wound into flat, circular curls, secured with a bobby pin, and left to dry. Once dry, the curls were brushed out carefully and smoothed with a comb into long waves. The result was romantic and very feminine.
Soft waves were the hairstyle of choice for many film stars of the era. Rita Hayworth wore cascading red waves that became one of cinema’s most iconic images. Lana Turner and Greer Garson also favored soft waves, and their influence meant that the style was aspirational for millions of women worldwide.
The Pompadour
The pompadour involved sweeping the front section of hair upward and back, creating significant height at the crown. This gave the wearer a commanding, statuesque presence and worked beautifully with both casual and formal outfits.
The pompadour took its name from Madame de Pompadour, the mistress of Louis XV of France, who had popularized a similar swept-back style in the eighteenth century. By the time the 1940s arrived, the style had evolved considerably, but it retained that spirit of aristocratic confidence that made it so appealing.
In the 1940s, the pompadour was often combined with other elements: victory rolls on the sides, soft curls at the back, or a smooth chignon at the nape of the neck. This created a style that was both impressive and balanced. Women who worked in offices or positions of authority particularly favored it, as the added height gave them a sense of presence.
The Snood and Hair Net
No overview of 1940s hairstyles would be complete without a mention of the snood: a crocheted or knitted hair net that enclosed the back of the hair in a soft, decorative pouch. The snood was perhaps the most practical hair accessory of the war years, and yet it was also fashionable.
For women working in factories, the snood was a safety essential. It kept long hair safely contained and away from machinery. But outside the factory, women wore snoods as a fashion item. They were made in a variety of materials: fine netting in black, brown, or ivory; colorful crocheted wool; velvet-trimmed versions for evenings; and even beaded snoods for special occasions.
Even women who did not need to wear hair nets for safety reasons adopted the look, because it was elegant, tidy, and added a charming, almost medieval appeal to the wearer’s appearance.
The Chignon
For a truly ladylike look, nothing rivaled the chignon. This classic updo involved gathering the hair at the back or nape of the neck and pinning it into a smooth, rounded bun or knot. It was tidy and sophisticated.
The chignon was not new to the 1940s - it had been a staple of elegant women’s hairstyling for centuries - but it found renewed popularity during the war years for a very practical reason: it kept long hair up and out of the way. Women in roles that required a neat appearance, such as nurses, teachers, and office workers, turned to the chignon as their daily go-to style.
What made the 1940s chignon special was the way it was decorated. Women pinned fresh or silk flowers into it, added jeweled hair combs, or wrapped velvet or satin ribbon around the bun. Some women created a more relaxed version by loosening a few curls at the temples or leaving small, soft tendrils around the face.
While longer styles dominated the decade, not every woman wore her hair long. Short hairstyles were also popular, particularly among women who found long hair impractical or who simply preferred a neater, lower-maintenance look. And at the heart of almost every 1940s hairstyle were pin curls.
Pin curls were the building blocks of 1940s hair. A section of damp hair was wound tightly or loosely around a finger (depending on the size of curl desired), flattened, and secured to the head with a single bobby pin. Dozens of these curls would be set all over the head, often with a net covering them, left to dry, and then brushed out to create waves, curls, or volume.
For women with short hair, pin curls were used to create neat, soft waves close to the head. Short hair in the 1940s was never severe or boyish; it always retained a feminine softness, with waves or curls.
Half-Up Hairstyles
Half-up hairstyles, in which the top and sides of the hair were pinned back while the rest fell loose, were very popular throughout the 1940s. They struck the perfect balance between practicality and femininity: keeping hair away from the face while still allowing for beautiful length.
The simplest version involved gathering the top section into a small roll or knot at the crown, while soft waves or curls cascaded down the back. More elaborate versions incorporated victory rolls at the top, with the lower hair left in long waves. The contrast between the structured top and the free-flowing bottom was very appealing.
Hair accessories played an important role in half-up styles. Wide fabric headbands were enormously fashionable and were used to hold back the top of the hair while adding a charming, playful touch. Tortoiseshell combs, decorative clips, and flowers were also used to pin back the upper sections.
Hair and the Uniform
For the tens of thousands of women who served in the military during the Second World War, hair regulations were strict. Hair had to be kept above the collar. This meant that most servicewomen wore their hair pinned up or cut shorter.
And yet, even within these constraints, women found ways to express themselves. Pin curls, neat waves, and perfectly smooth buns became the style of women in uniform, demonstrating that elegance and discipline were not mutually exclusive. Many women who had previously worn their hair long cut it during the war years and discovered that they loved the freedom and neatness of short hair.
The military influence also introduced a certain crispness and precision into everyday 1940s hairstyling. Women who were not in the army often adopted similarly neat, contained styles out of practicality or in solidarity with those who were.
Color and Texture
Hair coloring was available in the 1940s, but it was less refined than today. Hydrogen peroxide bleaching was popular for lightening hair, and henna had been used for centuries to add red tones. However, the full range of permanent hair dyes that we know today was still being developed. Most women, therefore, worked with their natural hair color.
Perms were very popular in the 1940s and were used to give wave or curl to straight hair. A chemical permanent wave could last for several months and made it much easier to achieve the soft, wavy styles that were so fashionable. However, permanents were sometimes harsh on the hair.
Setting lotions were the modern equivalent of today’s mousse or hair spray. Made from ingredients such as sugar syrup, gum tragacanth, or quince seed, these lotions were applied to damp hair before setting and helped the finished style hold its shape.
The Late 1940s
As the war ended in 1945 and the world began to rebuild, hairstyles began to shift gradually. The tight wartime practicality began to give way to something softer, more luxurious, and more romantic.
Hair became a little longer, a little softer, and a little more loosely styled in the late 1940s. The very structured victory rolls and pompadours began to mellow, giving way to fuller hair that framed the face gently. The severe wartime updo began to soften into looser chignons.
This transition was not sudden – hair fashion changes never are - but by the end of the decade, the groundwork had been laid for the softer, more romantic styles that would define the early 1950s.
The Lasting Legacy of 1940s Hair
More than eighty years on, the hairstyles of the 1940s continue to captivate and inspire. Vintage hair enthusiasts around the world spend their weekends perfecting victory rolls and soft waves. Brides choose 1940s-inspired chignons for their wedding days. Fashion houses reference the decade again and again in their collections.
What made 1940s hairstyles so enduring? Perhaps it is their combination of practicality and beauty. The fact that they were created by real women with real lives, using simple styling tools and great skill. Perhaps it is their association with an era of extraordinary courage and resilience. Or perhaps it is simply that they are, quite objectively, gorgeous: structured yet soft, bold yet feminine.
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