Vintage Hairstyles 1914 - 1918

1914 Hair with Waves

On the 3rd of November 1914, the UN declares the North Sea as a military area, consequently blocking the shipping of goods into East Germany. This had a profound effect on the civilians as well. Note the drawn and sombre mood of this picture.

Her hair is styled in Marcel waves, with a side part in the fringe area, following the hairline right down to the ears, seamlessly connected to the back of the style.

Note that a constructed hair-piece was used to create this style, along with jewelled hair-accessories. The hairstyle is in proportion to the silhouette of her head, with the bottom parts of her ear-lobes showing.

Illustration Source: Hairdressers' Weekly Journal, November 1914

Plain 1914 Hairstyle

Here we have another sombre and morose mood enveloping this beautiful young lady. The World War I suddenly got very real, and is noticeably echoed in the photos, clothing and hairstyles of the day. Note the absence of showy feathered head-dresses 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 fact that her ears are visible complements het cheekbone structure and neckline.

Illustration Source: Hairdressers' Weekly Journal, November 1914

Beautiful 1914 Hairstyle

On Christmas day in 1914, the men lay 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-parting in the fringe area, flowing down the sides of the face, covering the 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 jewel hair-accesory.

Illustration Source: Hairdressers' Weekly Journal, December 1914

1914 Look for Hair

Here is another picture that reminds me of "The Great Gatsby" movie. She wears a side parting at the front, the larger half styled in an asymmetrical line resting on her forehead, connecting in a V-shape to the Marcel waves to both sides.

A hairpiece was attached just above her natural fringe, creating waves radiating to the back of the style. Emphasis was put on the height and thickness of this style, culminating an oval shape from both the sides and the front-view.

A hair-hat was used to construct the height and thickness, while the jewelled hair-accessory offers 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 on 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 joining the back of the style seamlessly. She wears a hair-hat attached to her natural hair in the parietal bone area, while styled in three rows of uniform curls facing to the front.

Note that emphasis is placed on height and thickness on top of the head, resulting in an oval shape from the front- and side-view.

Illustration Source: Hairdressers' Weekly Journal, January 1915

World War One Clothing and Hair

By January 1915 the ravage of war was already bringing some towns to their knees. Most of the men and boys were needed on the warfront, meaning that thousands of jobs that men used to do, was now left unmanned. Women started to work in their stead, but needed more practical clothes and hairstyles.

Note this woman's clothing, and simple hairstyle. She wears her hair in a side part at the fringe area, styled in relaxed, almost natural looking waves. Her hairstyle is in perfect proportion to the silhouette of her scalp, meaning that she is not wearing any hair-pieces or a hair-hat.

Illustration Source: Hairdressers' Weekly Journal, January 1915

Wartime Hairstyle

By February 1915, the French and British launch 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 in this area alone. Women lose their husbands and sons; children lose their brothers and fathers. Women are 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 very much toned down, event here we still see the use of various hair-pieces 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 joining the back of the style flawlessly.

The hair-hat is attached to her own hair in the occipital bone area, covered with her own hair and hairpieces that have been styled with Marcel wave tongs. Emphasis is put 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 26 April 1915 by the United Kingdom, Russia, the Kingdom of Italy and France. The purpose of this treaty was to gain the alliance of Italy against its previous allies, including Germany.

This lady wears a hairstyle that echoes fashion before the war, constructed with hair-accessories, hair-pieces 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 of her head, creating greatly exaggerated height and consequently an oval shape from all angles.

Illustration Source: Hairdressers' Weekly Journal, April 1915

Relaxed Marcel Waves

On the 24th of May 1915, an armistice was arranged between 7am and 4:30pm, in order for both the Anzacs and Turkish officers to bury their dead at Gallipoli. At the sight of hundreds of bodies waiting to be buried, 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 ghost 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 that it was their duty to continue to dress beautiful and elegant, defying the horror of the war and do their best to keep the morale of their men up.

This woman wears her fringe and sides short and curled, while hair-pieces are attached in the front, styled in Marcel waves and radiating to the back.

A hair-hat is attached to her own hair in the occipital bone area, creating exaggerated height and thickness. A hair-band constructed of pearls 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 hair-line area to soften the face. The rest of the hair is styled in relaxed waves, moving in a backwards direction, where it is 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 of 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 to the side of the neck.

Illustration Source: Hairdressers' Weekly Journal, August 1919