1940s Natural Curl Hairstyles: WWII-Era Inspiration & How-Tos

How to get vintage hairstyles with their natural curly hair is a common question I get from readers. So I decided to do some tutorials with naturally curly hair.

We see so many images of starlets from the Golden Age of Hollywood with perfect curls and waves. It is very intimidating and almost seems that your natural hair texture will work against you. But the texture is where natural curly girls have the advantage. While straight haired girls are fighting to create a curl for a vintage look, your curl is already set. The curl is the basis of the vintage look and no matter the level of curl; the glamour can be achieved easily and quickly.

Table of Contents: (Click to Jump)

• Curly Hair in the 1940s
• Using your natural curl in a 1940s hairstyle
• Modifying your natural curl

The time periods we idealize in the history of hairstyling had very recognizable silhouettes. The Jazz Age was known for its bobbed hair while the Mod 1960s were known for bouffants and beehives. When you want to style your hair for a certain time period, study the shape of the common looks you are attracted to.  Manipulate your curls to emulate the silhouette and you are ready to go. 

The time periods we idealize in the history of hairstyling had very recognizable silhouettes. The Jazz Age was known for its bobbed hair while the Mod 1960s were known for bouffants and beehives. When you want to style your hair for a certain time period, study the shape of the common looks you are attracted to.  Manipulate your curls to emulate the silhouette and you are ready to go. 

Curly Hair in the 1940s

When we picture 1940s hairstyles, we often think of the polished, brushed-out curls of movie stars like Rita Hayworth, or Veronica Lake… so sleek and uniform that it’s easy to assume natural curl had no place in this era. But the truth is, most women of the 1940s were working with the hair they had, not against it.

Everyday women, who had so many responsibilities working for the war effort, learned to make their natural texture cooperate with the silhouettes of the time. The goal wasn’t about how curly your hair was, but about the shape your hair formed. Whatever the style, the 1940s hairstyle was defined by its curly balanced form.

Women with level 2 natural curl often enhanced their texture with pin curls or metal rollers and setting lotion to create big, curly waves or halo-shaped bobs that would last for days.

For women with level 3 curls, their natural texture was a blessing. It provided the fullness and body that defined many 1940s styles.

With level 4 curls, some opted for relaxer services or hot combs to slightly loosen tight curl patterns, allowing for easier sculpting and a polished finish, but the natural volume of the hair still helped build the foundation of the style.

The wartime years also shaped hair routines. With metals rationed and salon resources limited, home styling became essential. Setting your hair overnight in pin curls was reliable, frugal, and achievable for almost every woman. Even amid the chaos of war, the ritual of setting and brushing out curls was a small, normal feeling act that defined the decade’s look.

Using your natural curl in a 1940s hairstyle

There is no need to make yourself insane trying to copy the curl level or texture of a vintage style. For a finished vintage hairstyle to look great, I believe the most important thing is to get the silhouette and form right. The silhouette or form in hairstyling refers to the outer shape of the hairstyle.

WW2 early 1940s vintage hairstyle with natural curl how-to

Step 1 – Start by parting a section out that is about 3 by 3 inches square on top of you head. For the most authentic look, the outer lines of the section should line up with the outer corners of the eyebrow. Parts at that time generally lined up with the outer corner of the eyebrow.

Step 2 – Roll this section of hair over itself  to create a wave effect and pin it in place.

Step 3 – Allow some of the curl to sit in front of this form and separate it some with your fingers to create a curl fluff.

Step 4 – Section out the full side piece that runs from behind the ear and directly up to the first form.

Step 5 – Twist this section back like a mini French twist that sits above the ear and pin it in place.

Step 6 – Fluff the curl toward the top to add some height and pin it place.

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Step 7 – Repeat this step on the opposite side section so you now have the hair pinned back at the sides.

Step 8 – Direct the back section of the hair down toward the shoulders with your fingers.

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Modifying your natural curl

Single-pass Curl Reshape

Retexturizing (Relaxers)

A chemical relaxer permanently alters the structure of the hair by breaking down the bonds that create curl. Once hair has been relaxed, those original curls don’t return. You can still use rollers or a curling iron to form waves, but you’re styling straightened hair. In the 1940s, when smooth, shaped waves were fashionable, relaxed hair could still be set into soft bends that matched the decade’s look.

Relaxers are often confused with keratin treatments, though the two work quite differently. A keratin treatment smooths the surface of the hair rather than permanently changing its curl pattern. It reduces frizz and can slightly loosen the curl for a few months, but the effect eventually fades. Because keratin coats the hair shaft, it can also make it harder for curls from rollers or irons to take hold until that coating begins to wear off.