Sweet Sixty!

Fashion in the 1960s saw a lot of diversity and featured many trends and styles influenced by the working classes, music, independent cinema and social movements. Vidal Sassoon transformed women’s hairdressing, taking the humble bob and reinventing it to suit the mood of the decade.

Hairstyles of the 1960s were eclectic. The 1960s began with the highly formal up-sweep big hair styles from the late 1950s, but as the women’s movement, protest groups and hippies got into full swing toward the end of that decade, hair styles reflected the changes and became more casual and easier to maintain. Slowly, the bouffants, pompadours and poodle cuts that reigned over the previous decade were replaced by more exaggerated, edgier hairstyles.

While the 21st century is known for all things modern, we wouldn’t mind trying the sweet ’60s hairstyles. To help curb our retro hair obsession, we decided to roundup the best ’60s-inspired looks. What makes these styles so amazing is that they’re updated, and also have today’s laidback, carefree vibe...

The Bouffant:

The quintessential ’60s hairstyle was the bouffant. Hair was teased (backcombed) all the way around the head and featured an exaggerated hump at the crown.

Famous bouffants wearers include First Ladies Jackie Kennedy and Lady Bird Johnson.

To get this look, backcombing the front and back sections of your hair across your crown. Then, pull back the front bang area and pin it in place with bobby pins. Finish with a flexible-hold hairspray, like L’Oreal Paris Elnett Satin Hairspray.

The Vidal Sassoon Cut:

In close connection with the new craze for short, boyish pixies, Vidal Sassoon, a British hairdresser who soon became established in the U.S., pioneered the modern bob during the mid-1960s. The geometric, ‘Bauhaus-inspired’ looks he created were incredibly radical for the time, but that didn’t stop Sassoon styles from exploding in popularity. Vidal’s bob was in vogue throughout the decade, popular with Mary Quant and the mod brigade.

Bardothalf-updo:

French model and movie star Brigitte Bardot created some of the most iconic looks of the 1960s. This half-updo is a perfect example of her style, and luckily for us, it’s one of the easiest DIY retro look. To copy this style, simply backcomb your hair at the back of your crown. Take a piece of hair from the front-to-middle of your crown and brush it over the backcombed section. Pin that piece to the back of your head, pushing up the pin depending on how much volume you like.

The Pixie Cut:

On the exact opposite end of the spectrum from big, bombshell hair, many women began opting for shorter, rebellious cuts. Actress Mia Farrow and supermodel Lesley Lawson, better known as Twiggy introduced another craze into the mix with the boy cut. Hair was cut short all over the head. The ease and glamour of this hairstyle made this a first-choice cut among working women. It was quick, stylish, and modern.

Twisted Updo:

A little bit retro, a little bit modern, but a lot of amazing. Julia Robert’s twisted voluminous updo is a perfect look for weddings and parties. The Oscar winning actress pairs her structured and elegant updo with flicks of black eyeliner and nude lipstick.

The Beehive:

The beehive was one of the enduring symbols of the early 1960s. The exaggerated look, which involved piling one’s hair on top of the head in a conical shape and setting it in place with copious amounts of hairspray, got its name due to the fact that it looked similar in shape and size to an actual beehive. The elegant updo was incredibly popular; worn by the masses and the famous alike including Dusty Springfield and Audrey Hepburn.

While the finished style looks sleek, that top layer of hair is actually covering a whole lot of backcombing. To get this look, backcomb at the crown of your head and work down and around until you’re an inch or two from your hairline. Then, take your hair and pin in a low twist or knot. Finally, comb and smooth the top layer of your hair to cover the teased hair.

The Flip:

The flip came into vogue in the late 1960s when the larger, fluffy hairstyles began to wane. Mary Tyler Moore on the Dick Van Dyke Show, so popular in that decade, wore her hair in her signature flip. This easy-to-shape style reached popularity due to its ageless appeal and suitability to women of all ages.

Want a ’60s-inspired style for shoulder-length hair? To get this look, apply a firm-hold foam to the bottom of your hair, then curl the ends with a 1 1/2-inch curling iron - just rolling the hair a few inches up. Once curled, ease the flip by separating the ends lightly with your fingers.

’60s High Ponytail:

Long hair could be put into a ponytail, which were worn high and often combined with a beehive or bouffant at the front.

Modern day diva, Kate Beckinsale looks pretty and poised with her ’60s-inspired high ponytail. Simply add a bit of hairspray and tease your hair up, and voila! You will have the perfect sophisticated look.

Hippie Hair:

Toward the later half of the decade, the counterculture movement peaked with the introduction of ‘hippies’ into the mainstream. War protests, Woodstock and The Summer of Love challenged the more straight-laced, older generations, as did the increasingly long hair that began showing up in hippie culture. Men and women alike began growing out their locks into long, natural, unkempt styles that directly challenged the structured, glamorized looks of previous years.

Headscarves:

The fashionable young liked to tie their headscarf right on the point of the chin, as opposed to being tied under the chin like their mothers. Alternatively, scarves could be tied behind the head at the nape. A long scarf could be crossed under the chin, wrapped around the neck and tied at the back. Scarves accompanied by big dark sunglasses was the fashionable way - very Jackie O and very Cannes Film Festival! Natural items like feathers, leather bands and flowers were worn later in the sixties with the advent of ‘flower power’ and the hippies.