Classic Hairstyles (2)
Previous pageThe grown-up woman's ponytail is a styling element used to make the most of her long, luxurious locks. Today's classic tails are usually built on hair that has been "pre-styled" to some degree - either to smooth and straighten the hair or to add soft curls. This gives today's woman the best of both worlds. She has the length and flow of her long, luxurious hair and the control and low maintenance of her ponytail.
The loose ponytail can be simply a tail gathered and wrapped by the wearer’s own hair to hide the band or can be adorned with virtually any kind of clasp. Extension pieces can be added to increase the volume of a tail for a fuller look or even to make for a longer tail on hair that is normally much shorter.
The Pageboy
The pageboy style is another of those classics that many women don't realize it is a classic, because every era has its own variant.Some have been longer (as with the modern trend) and others have been shorter (in the 1950s and 1960s) but they’ve all followed the same basic formula: A blunt (or only minimally layered) cut styled to create smooth, silky waves.
As with almost any style, you can change the placement of partings to adapt the style to flatter many face types. In addition, the advances in cosmetic chemistry have created a plethora of products to give the hair that silky shine and ultra-firm hold that is sought after in this look.
While few modern women know it, the pageboy is a classic mostly because it was such an easily maintained style. When it originated in the 1940s, our country was at war and women were taking jobs in factories. Society dictated that these women still had to be feminine, so their hairstyles had to be the kind that could survive a long, hard day on the factory floor, while still looking good in the dance halls at night.
The combination of finger waves and low-set rollers could be snugly tucked into a hairnet and be ready to take down and dazzle after the whistle blew and it was time to go home.
Today, finger waves and rollers can still give you the same effect and new products improve the smoothness and hold, but you can get the look in a fraction of the time through heated irons and rollers. If you want to look like a movie star at your next big event, follow Dita Von Teese's example and try a shoulder-length pageboy. I promise you, heads will turn.
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