Betty Grable's famous updo- how-to? (pin-up photo)

[Frenchy56]

I've done some searching both on here and elsewhere, including youtube, and I couldn't find any detailed and suitable instructions for doing Betty Grable's famous curly updo, I can't post a photo but I'm sure most of you will know which one I mean, the pin-up one where she's looking over her shoulder wearing a swimsuit I think?

I've seen instructions on how to do this with pincurls but I am rubbish with them and I didn't really understand the diagram anyway.

It sort of looks like you could just pile all your (curled) hair on top of your head but somehow I don't think that's the case!

Could anyone give me some advice?

 

[Berlin]

Jitterbug doll made a tut on this;

http://queensofvintage.com/the-betty-grable-peek-a-boo-hair-do/2

 

[Frenchy56]

Jitterbug doll made a tut on this;

http://queensofvintage.com/the-betty-grable-peek-a-boo-hair-do/2

That's brilliant, thank you! She looks beautiful! I just tried it out and it's a lot easier than I thought! It looks a bit different on me cause I have Bettie bangs but it still looks good I think, plus it's an excellent way to show off my new hair flowers It definitely looks better when you make the curl by rolling your ends over rather than just leaving them loose, IMO, a bit less like you've just piled all your hair ontop of your head...

I guess this could probably be done on unset hair too, but I guess like most retro hairstyles it'd work best on hair that at least retains the weight and volume from setting. Nice to know I have an elegant and fairly practical solution to bad hair days though!

 

[cherry lips]

Ava Gardner with the Betty Grable do (it looks lovely on brunettes too!) http://suicideblonde.tumblr.com

 

[Frenchy56]

I just wanted to add, for the benefit of any future readers, I have had success with actually setting my hair into this shape beforehand- you have to be a bit organised and know for certain that you want to wear this style the night before, but I greatly prefer rolling my hair so the standing pincurls/sponge rollers sit on top of my head already. Then when I take them out I generally don't brush them, or move them from the top of my head- I just arrange and pin where they are. I always find that pushing in combs at the sides and back helps to keep all the curls on top and stop them looking as though they've wilted!

Sometimes also, if I can't be bothered to do my whole head, I put the back bits into two or three big flat pincurls and leave them like that, and then put a huge flower in to cover up my lousy attempts at flat pincurls!