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Getting a vintage haircut: what to ask for?

FaintlyMacabre

Registered User
Messages
38
Location
Seattle, WA
From what I'm gathering....a good cut is going to have "layers" but not "feathered". What's the difference?
And I've noticed when I get my hair cut the stylist always cuts into the ends...little snips out of the ends as she holds it between her fingers so that the cut is no longer straight. I don't know what this technique is called and I hope I described it well enough to make sense. Is that also a "no-no"?
 

texasgirl

One Too Many
Messages
1,423
Location
Dallas, TX
FaintlyMacabre said:
And I've noticed when I get my hair cut the stylist always cuts into the ends...little snips out of the ends as she holds it between her fingers so that the cut is no longer straight. I don't know what this technique is called and I hope I described it well enough to make sense. Is that also a "no-no"?

That's how my hair is cut right now too. I think it's great for a blowdry and you're done kind of style. But I'm letting mine grow out and I'm using my curlers and curling iron more and it definitely makes it harder.
 

dollydahl

New in Town
Messages
9
Location
San Francisco
Shampoo & Set

Hi Ladies. I'm so excited. Tomorrow I get to have a very proper vintage "salon" morning. I found a great place in SF that specializes in vintage cuts, styles, and the lovely shampoo and set! I've been looking at so many images trying to decide how I shall have her do my first professional set. I'm a little giddy! I intend to take my new Mae West biography to read while under the dryer.

Have any of you gone for a salon shampoo and set? Any tips?
 

KittyT

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,463
Location
Boston, MA
new cut!

I should've taken before photos! It was a bit past my shoulders, layers that had grown out so long that they were pretty flat.

I went to a new gal, someone on my derby team, and took a bunch of photos from the Middy thread, and said I wanted something similar, but with longer layers that would look ok if I didn't set my hair. When I explained to her what the ideal cut was, but one that I didn't think I could deal with (all hair the same length from scalp to ends) she was like "oh, that's called a Middy." I was astonished. Anyway, what she gave me was a very layered bob, angled toward my face with shorter layers on the sides:

DSC00226.jpg

DSC00229.jpg

DSC00231.jpg


Next up: trying the set!
 

jillybeanlynn

Familiar Face
Messages
53
Location
New Orleans, LA
Way back on the thread, it was mentioned how cutting your hair in odd numbers of inches made it lay more square, even number more round...

So my question is - as a person with a rounded face, should I get a more squared cut with an odd number of inches on the hair? Kinda like what they recommend with glasses?

Sorry if this has been asked already...long thread...

~jillybean
 

Lillemor

One Too Many
Messages
1,137
Location
Denmark
jillybeanlynn said:
Way back on the thread, it was mentioned how cutting your hair in odd numbers of inches made it lay more square, even number more round...

So my question is - as a person with a rounded face, should I get a more squared cut with an odd number of inches on the hair? Kinda like what they recommend with glasses?

Sorry if this has been asked already...long thread...

~jillybean

I have a round face and my cut had more of a drop or rounded v shape when I had something resembling a long middy. It meant that when I set my hair, I didn't have a lot of bulk at the sides where my face can appear sort of wide; You know, the classic chipmunk cheek look. I don't know about the number of layers. My salon still had an older owner who didn't require much explaining. Of course she's sold the salon to a smart modern punky mom.:rolleyes:

KittyT, I really like how thick and full that makes your hair look and you can even wear it straight when you're on the run. The color is beautiful and "alive".

Ah, to have Asian hair that looks "alive" is but a dream. I'm not in to layers these days. Just shortish blunt cuts for myself.
 

CinnamonCinders

New in Town
Messages
33
Location
Anglesey, Wales
I have such hair envy at the moment that I've decided that I seriously need to do something with my hair sharpish.

About 6 months ago I agreed to be a hair model for a hairdresser in a competition, and I came out with a rather avant garde look that at the time looked quite 20s ish with a modern edge. Unfortunately, this is growing out into a disaster. I had long hair on the top and the rest of my head was cut 1.5cms.

I really aspire to getting back to having longish hair that I can play around with, but my underhair is now only 3ins long in the middle at the nape of my neck.

I was looking at the diagram for the Baby, but am feeling a little apprehensive. And I can't seem to find any illustrations of the Baby, though maybe my searching technique is flawed.

Has anybody here had the Baby? What does it look like unstyled and styled?

I'm really torn between getting the Baby or leaving my hair to grow for a few more months before trying to get a Middy.
 

AdrianLvsRocky

One of the Regulars
Messages
238
Location
Wales, UK
Hi CinnamonCinders,

There is an entire thread dedicated to the Middy either in here or The Powder Room (can't remember sorry!). I'm sure there are lots of disgrams, pictures etc. in there for you to peruse.

I think you should go for it!

P.S. Welcome to another Welsh girl!
 

CinnamonCinders

New in Town
Messages
33
Location
Anglesey, Wales
Hi CinnamonCinders,

There is an entire thread dedicated to the Middy either in here or The Powder Room (can't remember sorry!). I'm sure there are lots of disgrams, pictures etc. in there for you to peruse.

I think you should go for it!

P.S. Welcome to another Welsh girl!

Hey :) Whereabouts in Wales are you?

I checked out the Middy thread but from what I can gather, the Baby is a bit shorter still and I'm not sure how that'd look. The Middy looks fairly short, so I'm concerned that the Baby will look a bit too boyish.

I wasn't sure whether to post this enquiry in that thread, because this image made me think that maybe the Baby is a different cut. :confused:

Baby.jpg
 

Tatum

Practically Family
Messages
959
Location
Sunshine State
Hey :) Whereabouts in Wales are you?

I checked out the Middy thread but from what I can gather, the Baby is a bit shorter still and I'm not sure how that'd look. The Middy looks fairly short, so I'm concerned that the Baby will look a bit too boyish.

I wasn't sure whether to post this enquiry in that thread, because this image made me think that maybe the Baby is a different cut. :confused:

Baby.jpg

Cinnamon, if you look at the diagram (other than the bangs, which seems to be open to interpretation), the only difference between the Baby and the Middy is the length in the center back. It would really depend on how much "visual" length you would like. Why not try the Middy, and if you don't like the major "U" in the back, have it trimmed up to a Baby?

I don't think it would boyish at all, just a tad more subtle in the back :)
 

CinnamonCinders

New in Town
Messages
33
Location
Anglesey, Wales
Cinnamon, if you look at the diagram (other than the bangs, which seems to be open to interpretation), the only difference between the Baby and the Middy is the length in the center back. It would really depend on how much "visual" length you would like. Why not try the Middy, and if you don't like the major "U" in the back, have it trimmed up to a Baby?

I don't think it would boyish at all, just a tad more subtle in the back :)

I only just have the length to get away with a Baby at the moment, I'd have another couple of months growing in order to get a Middy.

I'm inclined to go for it then rather than waiting with this awful cut any longer. When I get round to it, I'll post pics of The Baby unstyled, and hopefully, styled hehe.

Thank you for your help :)
 

Lady Jessica

One of the Regulars
Messages
243
Location
Southern California
My hair is curly and my mom always convinces me to not get any bangs cut. However, I would like to wear my hair in victory rolls and things more often and it's hard with my length. One uses the bangs for the victory rolls, right? Or am I misunderstanding?
 

Land-O-LakesGal

Practically Family
Messages
864
Location
St Paul, Minnesota
Lady Jessica you don't have to have bangs for a victory roll but if you want the look of bangs then try rolling under some of your hair to give the appearance of bangs thats what have done in my profile picture.
 

Lady Jessica

One of the Regulars
Messages
243
Location
Southern California
Oooh, thank you! I appreciate the answer. I want to cut my hair as it reaches my mid-back right now and honestly it's heavy and I can't do much with it. I am more of a fifties girl than anything else although I do like the forties too... would the middy be right for me? I seem to like forties hair more and fifties clothes more. I can do pincurls pretty well and when I take them out they are tight Shirley Temple ringlets. I've tried brushing them out with a brush for twenty minutes but all I get is puff. I've tried fingering them out and that works a little better but still they get frizzy. Will a cut help alleviate those issues or is it more to do with setting lotion? I haven't been able to find any setting lotion just yet so I haven't been using any. Also how important is a "set"? Do I have to pin the curls to my head in a specific way to get certain styles or does it matter?

Sorry for all of the questions!
 
Last edited:

beth

Familiar Face
Messages
72
Location
Houston
I've tried brushing them out with a brush for twenty minutes but all I get is puff. I've tried fingering them out and that works a little better but still they get frizzy. Will a cut help alleviate those issues or is it more to do with setting lotion? I haven't been able to find any setting lotion just yet so I haven't been using any. Also how important is a "set"? Do I have to pin the curls to my head in a specific way to get certain styles or does it matter?

My frustrations and questions at the moment also. :) I don't attempt much with my hair frequently, because every time I try to brush the curls out or to style them, they just become an awful frizzy pouf!
 

Tatum

Practically Family
Messages
959
Location
Sunshine State
Lady Jessica, I am not sure (and can't seem to find much info) on whether or not the Middy was still considered fashionable in the '50s. I don't see why not, as many of the styles were similar. Shorter cuts seemed to be popular as well.

Particular sets are used to get particular styles, but I have gleaned from many of the ladies here (and in my own experience) that what really makes the difference is the brushing out. Lolita Haze does a great tutorial here; and LisaFreemontStreet also has a great one, but I can't seem to locate it at the moment!
 

Land-O-LakesGal

Practically Family
Messages
864
Location
St Paul, Minnesota
I agree with Tatum watch the tutorial. Personally I don't think its time into brushing so much as how you brush it. Try brushing it under as Ms Lolita Haze suggest or Lisa Freemont Street suggest brushing against your hand. I find both to be effective depending on the part of my hair I am working on.
 

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