Vintage Hairstyles 1914 - 1918
1914 Hair with Waves
On November 3, 1914, the UN declared the North Sea a military area, consequently blocking the shipping of goods into East Germany. This had a profound effect on civilians as well. Note the drawn and somber mood in this picture.
Her hair is styled in Marcel waves with a side part in the fringe area, following the hairline down to the ears and seamlessly connecting to the back of the style.
Note that a constructed hairpiece was used to create this style, along with jeweled hair accessories. The hairstyle is in proportion to the silhouette of her head, with the bottom parts of her earlobes visible.
Illustration Source: Hairdressers' Weekly Journal, November 1914
Plain 1914 Hairstyle
Here we have another somber and morose mood enveloping this beautiful young lady. World War I suddenly became very real, as noticeably echoed in the photos, clothing, and hairstyles of the day. Note the absence of showy feathered headdresses and exaggerated height and width in this picture.
Here we see a plain hairstyle created with Marcel tongs, constructed with well-hidden hairpieces and probably a hair-hat to create thickness in the occipital bone region. Note the cast-down eyes and grave facial expression.
The waves frame her face and soften her features, and the visibility of her ears complements her cheekbone structure and neckline.
Illustration Source: Hairdressers' Weekly Journal, November 1914
Beautiful 1914 Hairstyle
On Christmas Day in 1914, men laid aside their weapons momentarily and met on No Man's Land in a truce during World War I. It was a moment of peace for some, even though they knew it would be short-lived.
Here we see a beautiful hairstyle dated December 1914. Could this have been for a celebration of the occasion? Her exquisite face is framed by Marcel waves, styled in a side part in the fringe area, flowing down the sides of her face, covering her ears, and joining the waves at the back of the style seamlessly.
A hair-hat is used to construct the pile-up above the occipital bone area, decorated with a feather and a jeweled hair accessory.
Illustration Source: Hairdressers' Weekly Journal, December 1914
1914 Look for Hair
Here is another picture that reminds me of "The Great Gatsby." She wears a side part in the front, the larger half styled in an asymmetrical line resting on her forehead, connecting in a V-shape to the Marcel waves on both sides.
A hairpiece was attached just above her natural fringe, creating waves that radiate to the back of the style. Emphasis was placed on the height and thickness of this style, culminating in an oval shape from both the sides and the front view.
A hair-hat was used to construct the height and thickness, while the jeweled hair accessory adds both aesthetic value and support to the hairstyle.
Illustration Source: Hairdressers' Weekly Journal, December 1914
Fringe Hairpiece
Here we have a hairstyle that echoes an Edwardian-era feeling. The lady is wearing a fringe hairpiece attached to the area of her natural fringe. The hairpiece is constructed of Marcel waves, radiating towards the back and down the sides of her face.
The Marcel waves frame her face and cover her ears, while seamlessly joining the back of the style. She wears a hair-hat attached to her natural hair in the parietal bone area, styled in three rows of uniform curls facing forward.
Note that emphasis is placed on height and thickness on top of the head, resulting in an oval shape from both the front and side views.
Illustration Source: Hairdressers' Weekly Journal, January 1915
World War One Clothing and Hair
By January 1915, the ravages of war were already bringing some towns to their knees. Most men and boys were needed on the warfront, meaning thousands of jobs that men used to do were now left unmanned. Women started working in their stead but needed more practical clothes and hairstyles.
Illustration Source: Hairdressers' Weekly Journal, January 1915
Wartime Hairstyle
By February 1915, the French and British launched a naval attack on the Dardanelles, sparking the beginning of the Gallipoli Campaign. An estimated 140,000 lives were lost during this ten-month battle. Women lost their husbands and sons; children lost their brothers and fathers. Women were forced to fill the vacancies left by their lost soldiers.
Note this lady's feminine yet simple hairstyle. Her fringe is styled in the middle of her forehead, radiating to the sides and to the back of her head. The waves are relaxed and natural-looking, bearing only one simple hair accessory on the side of her head.
Illustration Source: Hairdressers' Weekly Journal, February 1915
Vintage Up-Style
Here is a lady wearing a formal up-style. Note how even the up-styles were toned down, yet we still see the use of various hairpieces and a hair-hat.
Her hair is styled in uniform Marcel waves, radiating from the central point at her fringe area towards the back of the head. The waves frame her face and leave the earlobes visible, while seamlessly joining the back of the style.
The hair-hat is attached to her natural hair in the occipital bone area, covered with her own hair and hairpieces that have been styled with Marcel wave tongs. Emphasis is placed on height and thickness in the parietal bone area, creating an oval shape.
Illustration Source: Hairdressers' Weekly Journal, February 1915
Wartime Fashion
The Treaty of London was a secret pact between the Triple Entente and Italy, signed in London on April 26, 1915, by the United Kingdom, Russia, the Kingdom of Italy, and France. The purpose of this treaty was to gain Italy’s alliance against its former allies, including Germany.
This lady wears a hairstyle that echoes pre-war fashion, constructed with hair accessories, hairpieces, and a hair hat. Her hair is curled, framing her face and covering her ears.
A flowered hairband circles her head, while an extravagant hair-hat is fitted on the parietal bone area
Illustration Source: Hairdressers' Weekly Journal, April 1915
Relaxed Marcel Waves
On May 24, 1915, an armistice was arranged between 7:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. for both Anzac and Turkish officers to bury their dead at Gallipoli. At the sight of hundreds of bodies awaiting burial, a Turkish officer famously remarked, "At this spectacle even the most gentle must feel savage, and the most savage must weep."
These words are clearly echoed in this picture. Her hair is styled in relaxed Marcel waves, framing her face and covering her ears. A slight elevation in the occipital bone area is created by a hair-hat, but the shape is merely a shadow of the glamorous and exuberant styles worn in the pre-war era.
Illustration Source: Hairdressers' Weekly Journal, May 1915
Curled Hair
Here is a lady who refused to let the ravages of war influence her appearance. There was actually a whole movement of women who believed it was their duty to continue dressing beautifully and elegantly, defying the horrors of the war and doing their best to keep the morale of their men up.
This woman wears her fringe and sides short and curled, while hairpieces are attached at the front, styled in Marcel waves that radiate to the back.
A hair-hat is attached to her natural hair in the occipital bone area, creating exaggerated height and thickness. A pearl hairband is incorporated for aesthetic value and structural support, encircling the pile-up style at the back.
Illustration Source: Hairdressers' Weekly Journal, May 1915
Simplified Vintage Hairstyle
Here we see another simplified hairstyle. The hair framing the face is curled and softly swirled along the hairline to soften her features. The rest of the hair is styled in relaxed waves, moving backward and eventually styled into a twist at the back of the head.
Note the simple hair accessory at the back and the absence of exaggerated height or width in the style. The outline of the style follows the natural silhouette of her head shape. The ears are covered, while the length of the hair is curled at the tips and swept to the side to cascade slightly down the neck.
Illustration Source: Hairdressers' Weekly Journal, August 1919
