In this image of the back of Rita Hayworth’s hair, we get an idea of how it was styled. But why are so many hairstyles from this time period similar to this? I mean, why did so many hairstyles in the 1940s have these flat crowns with halos of curls around them? It’s all for the hats.
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Hats and Vintage Hairstyles
Hats were a staple accessory for people well into the 1960s. Many people did not have cars until after the end of WWII in the 1940s and walked most places. Even after WWII, and into the 1960s, lots of families only had 1 car. They needed to protect their heads from the elements, but that didn’t mean you couldn’t be stylish.
These hats were designed to sit at different angles on the head for different effects. It was important for a woman’s hairstyle to be styled so that it didn’t get crushed by the hat. That’s the reason so many vintage hairstyles had the flat crown at the back.
Want see more great Vintage Hairstyles to wear with hats? Check out my Vintage Hat Hairstyles Pinterest board here!
Rita Hayworth’s Hairstyle
A lot of people want to know how to do a style like wonderful Rita Hayworth’s. Here is a rare still shot of the back of her hair. Her hair was very thick and had many layers at the front. Those are the main factors contributing to its beautiful bounce and cascades of curls around her face. If you’d like to mimic the pin curl set for this crown of curls, check out my YouTube video of a basic vintage pin curl set called the Primrose.
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This was an image for either a hair test to make sure the director liked what the department was going to do with her hair or an image for continuity. Continuity is important in films and artists need photos to refer to to recreate looks if something needs to be re-shot or if shooting over multiple days. I think of where these continuity images must be hidden in some movie studio basement and it keeps me up at night.
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3 Comments
Jenny Kerr
Thanks for posting this! Rita is my favorite actress ever and I’ve always been a fan of her gorgeous hair. I can manage the front sometimes, but never knew what the back looked like to model my hair after it!
Marie Reed
She has such Fab hair! I can just see her flipping it in the movie Glinda!
Risque Rose
Hi, thank you so much for posting this I love Rita and other actresses/models of the 40’s/50’s and its great to see what the back looks like long enough to maybe get an idea of how to do it!! Thanks!