Let me preface this title by saying that I do not fucking hate vintage hair. It is quite the contrary for me. I am in LOVE with vintage hair. I am enamored with the smooth aesthetic of the curls, waves and rolls so much that placing any vintage glamour shot of your grandmother in front of me will have me chatting in awe for hours! I may then preceded to rummage through your mother’s closet in search of any vintage psychedelic mini dresses or novelty print circle skirts in hopes of having a vintage fashion show but that’s best saved for another blog post. At the end of the day, vintage hair is the cherry on top for many retro and vintage looks but I have found myself feeling that these beautiful works of noggin art are simply not for my hair type. My hair long, thicc and untamable !!! It waves and sticks out where it should be smooth and It frizzes horribly even with all the bougie ass hair product my hair girl sells me. Because I’m a mom and must tend to my crotch goblin constantly, I find even trying new vintage hair styles is daunting. I honestly feel like I’m going to put what little time I have for myself into something that’s going to look even more terrible than if I had even tried. HOWEVER, I also know that you lose 100 percent of the shots you don’t take or some shit like that. So, I’m going to give y’all a very lazy guide for what’s worked for me in the past when you’re short on time AND you have crazy ass hair. The first thing on the list issss…….
WET SETS
Wet sets are a common method used by a lot of girls as a basis for many pinup hairstyles. When I first started I had rather short hair so I was able to use actual Bobby pins to curl my hair and the pin it down. Now, that shit just isn’t going to fly. My hair is INCREDIBLY thick and this method just wouldn’t allow my hair to dry properly causing a frizzy mess. So what I suggest is investing in a ridiculous amount of foam rollers from the dollar tree or from Sally’s. If you’re hair is like mine it’s better to buy more than not enough. You’re going to take those little devils and remove the plastic parts that never work very well. You’re going to take strips of fabric ( maybe like 6 or 7 inches ) and push them through the hole of the foam roller. That way when you roll your hair in them you can just tie them up! Easy peasy! If you want to see how to make these in depth, click here to see Andy’s Eye Candy’s video. I’d suggest rolling your hair once it’s dried a little but still has some moisture so it will hold the curl of your set. If you’re hair doesn’t hold curl very well I’d suggest getting some Lottabody Setting Lotion to spray in while your hair is still wet. It’s amazing and works like a charm! The next step is to section your hair! Feel free to section it to the desired thickness that works for your hair type. I do mine thicker so they frizz less. I always do a square section at the top of my head first and then section the rest of my head appropriately. Below is a cute little guide to help you visualize the way that I kind of do my hair! It’s handy to have a reference especially if you haven’t really done this style before.
Lastly, you can finish off the look with a head scarf to hold everything in place. In the morning or after several hours, you can take a paddle brush, a little bit of pomade and brush away until you get the desired look for your curls. If you want more of a wavy look in front, align your wave and secure it into place with alligator clips.
The Classic Rockabilly Pouf and Pony Tail
This look by far is the quickest and easiest for me to do when I’m running out of time and I don’t want to look like shit. First thing your gonna do is get those baby hairs in check if you have them! Gel, pomade or spray those fuckers down. Hell, cut em if you’re brave enough. Section a couple of inches of hair in the front and pull those bad girls as high as the heavens. Take a rubber band or clip and save those babies for later. Attempt to neatly pull the rest of your hair back into a pony tail. Then take some hair spray and a teasing comb and tease to your hearts desire. Smooth out the front with some pomade and while keeping your pouf upright, twist your section hair at the base. This helps to keep it upright a little better so your pouf doesn’t go poof. Pin that sucker with as many pins as necessary! I take two inch bobby pins and cross them and then stick smaller bobby pins in between vertically to lock in the twist. The next part is to spray the bejesus out of it so it doesn’t go anywhere. You can then integrate the tail of the pouf into the pony but be very gentle because you do not want any pulled hairs in your pouf. If you pin the pouf well enough you should be able to take a teasing brush and gentle brush it into the rest of your ponytail hair. You can add a cute scarf to help with baby hairs and add some flair!
The Lazy Curly UpDo
This one is an oldie but goodie from when I use to dress pinup almost every day at work! Not sure how I discovered it but it worked like a charm and I just stuck with it. First thing you’re gonna do is gather your hair into a high pony. Make the gathered pony hair and drape it towards the front of our head to make sure its close enough to cover the top of your head in curls. You’re gonna take your hot curlers curl the parts of your hair in the pony. Let those girlies sit until cooled and then take them all out. Take a stand closest to your hair tie and wrap it around and pin it to conceal your tie. Then arrange the curls in whatever way you want. I like to layer mine with the longest strands pinned to the front and the mid-length to short ones to fill in the spaces so it looks fuller. Spray and you have a look that will last you all day! Here’s a picture of me with the lazy curly updo on Halloween when I worked at Pinup Girl Clothing:
Bumper Bangs and RATS
Bumper bangs are a favorite in the Pinup Community and let’s be real, they be lookin’ hella cute. Some girls have issues with them because it requires you to roll your hair smoothly which doesn’t always help. When I first started doing vintage hair I would get so frustrated because I had so much hair and it would come out so floppy and lump! Over time I realized that using LESS hair definitively helps and using some Argan oil helps with the fly-aways. You can purchase rats on Amazon or at any beauty place but I find that if you’re trying to save money or you can’t find a rat that matches your hair color, using your own hair works perfect. What I mean by that is taking your old hair from your brush after a while makes for an amazing rat that blends in perfectly. It does look a little weird in your hair drawer but it does the trick. The best way to learn how to roll hair is to play around with it yourself. I would watch videos and would try to mimic what I saw but it didn’t work for me so I’d suggest just going at it. Just be sure to tease the hair you are rolling a little as it helps to stiffen and keep hair together as well as give it a nice full look. If you do it enough, you will get the hang of it and you’re bumper bangs will look smoooooooootth!!!!!
WIGS
Some days, I legit just wear wigs because they honestly look better and you don’t have to worry about overthinking how you style your hair and it’s going to hell in a hand basket. Because my hair is long, I just french braid my hair back as tight as I can and then pin the ends up between them to give a smoother look with the wig cap. I pop that wig cap on and then my wig and VOILA! Ready to hit the town! I really LOVE De Oro Wigs and hope to buy a few really soon!!! I’ll probably do another blog entirely on wigs because I’m that bitch but you know, that's me. Here’s a pictures of me being a wig slut:
Before: Natural Hair After: Fabulous Wig Slut
One of many goddess wigs from De Oro Wigs
So, it’s super apparent that I haven’t been on this blog for quite some time but I appreciate you taking the time to read or skim through the majority of this. Take some time to comment below and tell me how you liked it! What do you wish could have been different or what did you like about it? Share with us some of your super hand tips and tricks while your at it! VKV is a super supportive community and wants to hear your voice! Also, be sure to follow us on Instagram @vixenkittyvintage to be alerted of new arrivals to our shop and new blog postings!