Hairstyles

[gremlina]

Alright..I had to start this topic. This is something that I am always at my wits end about. I'm all thumbs with doing my hair. I also do other time period reenactments and so I keep my hair very long to do hairstyles for that and have successfully mastered that long ago but WWII styles I'm not so great with. There was this book called "1940s Hairstyles" that I wanted to get but its been out of print for awhile. Does anyone have any good web sites or even perhaps other books that might be of assistance? Some of the hairstyles I've tried haven't worked out because my hair is too long. Thanks.

I have found this web site which is interesting but does not really help any..lol. http://www.hairarchives.com/private/mainnew.htm

[Hoffman Grink]

Not Many "Ladies" on here but I'm a lady.... I do Lady things and wear lady clothes!
No seriously - The quickest one I believe is to roll your hair up around a stocking and pin it in place. Or a pleat. Or if you are doign german - Two lovely Plaits and you can "Donut" them!!!!! by pinning them into a circle.
A snood is a good accessory. Just pile your hair into a snood and it hangs down behind..... Lots of german servicewomen did this looking at the pictures I have.

[gremlina]

Haha..funny. Yeah..I've thought of that but I refuse to wear a snood (I can't help it..its such a stigma to wear in ACW reenacting..lol). I do German female military impression so I was just looking for new styles from the few ladies on here if they know any. I have a couple but always looking for something new to do. I do have a hair rat that helps some..I would love to do some of the plaits..so I'm working on trying to get some of that because it would be fun.

[axis sally]

Stacey,

I have got Daniela Turudich´s book "1940´s Hairstyles", but was lucky to get it as a good reproduction
Last time I saw the original book on sale on the German ebay, it went for 170 Euros...totally overprized in my eyes and to be honest, not really worth getting, unless you want to create a glamorous actresses style.
It does make an interesting read to see how the cuts and waves etc. were done, but even for me, being a trained hairdresser and make-up artist, far too difficult and time consuming.

I believe, fashion advisor Monsieur Dollman, has summed up the best already...he just forgot to mention, that instead of a sock ( to thick and unnatural colour ) you should use an old stocking and fill it with your hair, collected daily from your brush


Liebe Grüße,
Beate

[gremlina]

Ah thank you. I have never seen the book but had heard people gush on about how great the book was. Now I know that it wouldn't actually be helpful as I don't want the glamours "Hollywood" styles. I guess I will stick to my hair rat styles.. Instead of the stocking of hair I use a ready made hair rat. Is it easier to use one of your own hair? I know that probably sounds like a dumb question but I've never tried it that way.

[axis sally]

Is it easier to use one of your own hair?

Probably not easier, but hey, why wait 12 months for a full stocking, when you can buy modern helps

Stacey,

if you like I can scan Daniela Turudich´s book...send me a pm!

Liebe Grüße,
Beate

[Wilder Feger]

Hi ladies,
I posted this question previously somewhere else and never got a response, so hopefully you can help me. Is it accurate to say that the German military was not as strict about women's hair touching their collar as the US military? I've seen photos of Helfernin with their hair up and some with it down in loose curls as well... was there a hard and fast rule about hairstyles for women auxiliaries?
Danke,
Kelly

[helga]

kelly i think in they were strict about it on paper. but ive seen several hotos of longer haired women but this was a greeting parades and arrivals of officers and stuff so think that might just have been to keep the men happy with prettier hair. i think at the end of the day it would more likely be up to their superior, but thats just my opinion, i wear mine in plaits

[gremlina]

I haven't seen a rule as such (but then I don't know a whole lot of German to read all if there was or was not) but practicality speaking...if you are say a flak gunner wouldn't you want your hair tied back as well as possible? That being said I have definately seen pictures with auxilliaries with their hair down past their collar also. Having done Allied impressions previously I have the habit of keeping my hair up regardless.

[Wilder Feger]

Thanks to both of you. It's kind of along the lines I was thinking as well. I agree about a Flak gunner, but as a signaller it wouldn't seem as important. I know what you mean about doing US though and it becomes habit. I guess it comes down to vanity a bit for me as I look horrid with my hair up too much!! If I can get away with it being a little more loose and natural then I would prefer it. Thanks again for your help, ladies.
Kelly

[Johann]

There was this book called "1940s Hairstyles" that I wanted to get but its been out of print for awhile. Does anyone have any good web sites or even perhaps other books that might be of assistance?

Hi Gremlina
I have been informed that there's a new book coming out in the first half of 2006, which will cover 1940s Fashion, Hair & Makeup. which might be useful! I will let you know when it is published.

[Marlene Weissfeld]

There was this book called "1940s Hairstyles" that I wanted to get but its been out of print for awhile. Does anyone have any good web sites or even perhaps other books that might be of assistance?

Hi Gremlina
I have been informed that there's a new book coming out in the first half of 2006, which will cover 1940s Fashion, Hair & Makeup. which might be useful! I will let you know when it is published.

hi there
sounds very interesting
do you have any news?????????

cheers
michaela

[gremlina]

Is this book published yet?

[BDMhistorian]

I've found that you don't have to have really long hair to do good, period correct styles for World War II unless you're planning on doing Gretchen Braids (the kind that wrap around your head). I have shoulder-length hair and still can do most of the rolled-up styles. (Except the Gretchen braid, so if I want to do that, I use "fake" hair for the braid....)

In order to get good "volume" with your rolls, it helps using a filler. Some people like to keep a hair jar in their bathroom. You will it up with your own loose hair that you pick out of your brush every couple of days, and then stuff a similarly colored stocking with it, or roll it into a thick sausage when you have enough, and use it to roll your hair up over.

If you don't want to go through all the trouble of saving your own hair, you can purchase a device called a hair rat. It's a foam piece in a color similar to your hair color that you roll the hair up over. The Vermont Country Store sells them online (theirs are made in Germany, at that!), and I've been able to find them offline in the African American hair and braid stores.

I wrote an article for my BDM re-enacting page about proper hairstyles, which has photos and links to sites with instructions, that you might find helpful as well - http://reenacting.bdmhistory.com/thelook.html#one

[gremlina]

This might be a stupid question but would braids pinned up (like on your web page Chris) be an acceptable hairstyle for Helferin impression? I have a hair rat (in fact the very one you refer to from Vermont Country Store) and I have read all the instructions and web sites on performing it and it still doesn't turn out right. My hair is almost waist length so doesn't stay up well in those styles with the rat.