Flapper Hairstyles – A 1920’s Revolution

flapper hairstyles

1920’s Flapper Hairstyles Revolution

Bobbed hair was first made popular by dancer Irene Castle, as far back as 1916, is the definitive hairstyle look for the 1920’s. Known as the Castle Bob it was simply a tousled straight round cut that was level with the lobes of the ears. As the 1920’s advanced, it became synonymous with the flapper look. To wear your hair short was a major statement by a woman, one of independence.

Flapper Hairstyles

The hair revolution took off so much that Scott Fitzgerald, the author of The  Great Gatsby, wrote a short story called Bernice bobs her hair which tells the story of a girls transformation from sweet society girl to vamp !
Bernice became a role model for many young flapper women.

Bernice bobs her hair – 1920’s Film

Flapper Hairstyles
Flapper Hairstyles
Flapper Hairstyles
Flapper Hairstyles
Flapper Hairstyles
Flapper Hairstyles

In Paris, fashion designer Coco Chanel had her locks cropped. Young Hollywood stars such as Colleen Moore and  Louise Brooks took the page boy look, also known as the ” Dutch Bob ” This is probably the most definitive and iconic bobbed hairstyle remembered today.

Louise Brooks - Flapper Hairstyles

The New York Times reported in 1924 that thousands of women of all ages were invading the traditional mens  barbers and demanding the new cuts !

The Eton Crop  – Shortest of all 1920’s hairstyles

eton-crop---1920s-hairstyle

1920’s Finger waves or the Shingle bob became very popular and soon hairdressers were falling over themselves
to come up with the next New Hair Look. By the late 1920s the Eton Crop was a dominant cut.
The differences between the Orchid Bob, Eton Crop, Brushed Back Bob, Tousled Frizy Bob, The Shingle and all the other popular haircuts for women in the 1920’s was not exactly easy to tell, other than that they were all generally influenced by taking a pair of scissors to the once cherished long locks of a woman. It was a big decision, as the soft condition engendered by long hair could never really be reversed.
Thanks to Photo Detective for these wonderful images of 1920’s hairstyles.

That’s all !
©Glamour Daze

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11 thoughts on “Flapper Hairstyles – A 1920’s Revolution”

  1. Sometimes I think it would be great if my face shape were more accommodating to shorter hairstyles, as posts like this wonderful look back at 20s era styles really makes me long to try out a cute Flapper-esque bob.

    Thank you very much for your lovely blog comment today. Like yourself, I've often wondered as well about when the word vintage made the leap from wine to fashion (and by extension, all things old, but not quite old enough to be antique). I'll look into this and perhaps even do a future Chronically Vintage post on the topic.

    Wishing you a marvelous Thursday, my friend!
    Jessica

  2. I could never wear a bob, as my face is too round, but I've definitely gone shorter. Thanks for the references! Also, I have given you a blog award; come check it out at

  3. Just in time! I just cut my hair (myself) and you wouldn't believe the grief I got! My thought: it grows back so why not :D

  4. I've always worn a bob, as the style suits me and it's easy to manage. I dread to think how I would have managed had I been born earlier than the 1920s. I would have spent my whole life shedding hairpins and combs as I really find it hard to secure those kinds of things in my hair!

  5. fabulous post…. l have a photo of my grandmother with a bob and have always wanted to go the chop….very brave women… it has always amazed me the jump from huge edwardian hair and layered outfits to the twenties bobs and backless flapper dresses so radical it must have been an amazing time….

  6. I wore a bob for many years and it suited me very well. I've never been into the 1920s look as much as the 1930s-50s, but I'm finding that a lot of vintage hairstyles rely on shortish hair. The midi isn't that much longer! Thanks for the great vids.

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