MYTHBUSTER : Hairstyles in the Golden Era

[Zach R.]

My hair is similar, it isn't coarse, but every barber/stylist that has ever cut my hair has commented on just how THICK my hair is...and they also ask me why I have so many grey hairs at such a young age.

I really have to douse it with pomade to get some of the more "radical" waves to straighten out a bit, especially on my left side. Though, I don't think I've ever had hair as long as I have now, is there a limit to just how long is TOO long on top?

 

[skillbilly]

I have hair just like those gentleman in the pics and I can tell you that if you don't have a team of stylists running around with you and weekly hair cuts, thick wavy hair gets unruly quick. I keep it short and mildly White-walled because it's easier to maintain and kinder to the pocket book.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Bump! For newer Loungers. Since we're talking about haircuts and brillantine these days ...

 

[Fletch]

Hiya Baldy...

Did the Princeton (liedown crewcut) or Caesar (brushed forward) cuts have any acceptance at all pre WW2? Or did prevailing fashion require the crown to be long and swept back/parted even if the hair was well thinned?

 

[Hammelby]

To cover up an unsightly growth maybe?

But seriously.. did guys fingerwave their own hair? They certainly didn't get a permanant wave...... did they??

Hm i have wondered about the same thing. But i guess its natural.
My hairdresser taught me to "press down" on both sides of the the front part so it makes the bang go up sort of like a hilltop.

 

[The Wingnut]

Did the Princeton (liedown crewcut) or Caesar (brushed forward) cuts have any acceptance at all pre WW2? Or did prevailing fashion require the crown to be long and swept back/parted even if the hair was well thinned?

I'm wondering this myself. I look much better with a modern military cut since I'm getting pretty thin up front...a good crop takes almost 10 years off my age. I like having a '30s / '40s style, but I just can't seem to pull it off anymore.

Wallace Berry had a pretty close crop as Preysing in Grand Hotel. Makes me wonder how *short* hair was pulled off back then, and how often.

 

[Fletch]

Beery of course is playing an echt-German industrialist Junker with all the charm and savoir-faire of mustard gas. The tonsorial treatment was obviously meant to intensify that personality for a 1932 US audience.

 

[Mr. 'H']

I would love to know how to get a parting in my hair like that - I have to spend ages with heavily pomaded hair to get that effect. Is it just practice with a comb?

Also, those guys must have had braces on their teeth - they're all perfect!

 

[Mr. 'H']

Did barbers ever buzz a line down the parting to give the distinctive line? It just seems so wide, so definite.

 

[FredDairy]

I would love to know how to get a parting in my hair like that - I have to spend ages with heavily pomaded hair to get that effect. Is it just practice with a comb?

Also, those guys must have had braces on their teeth - they're all perfect!

Must be the hairline. I think that's what they refer to as a "mature" hairline. Cary Grant had that too. Looks like brylcreem.

 

[Benny Holiday]

Hm i have wondered about the same thing. But i guess its natural.
My hairdresser taught me to "press down" on both sides of the the front part so it makes the bang go up sort of like a hilltop.

That's the way my Dad effected the wave in his hair.

 

[6StringShooter]

every barber/stylist that has ever cut my hair has commented on just how THICK my hair is...

I hear ya. Mine is CURLY too! It does that wave thing on it's own. What is a "fingerwave"? If it is precisely what the name implies, is that even possible to acheive with pomade? It must be very time consuming!! I'm sure some of yall have stumbled onto some of my other posts lol (there's a few pics on there). My hair looks most like

This guy... Most recently I've been combing it just like this except parted farther over...I think I'm gonna stick with it. My main product is Murrays and right now I'm mixing in Murray's Hair Glo for some shine. I'm not sure if I'm going to try to use Brylcreem in addition to Murray's (not even sure if those two can coexist, but we'll see). Long hair on the sides gets too bushy for me so I have to keep it at about a 2 on the clippers....tapered up to a scissor trim at the shortest of course

 

[The Wingnut]

Also, those guys must have had braces on their teeth - they're all perfect!

They're retouched...retouching was quite the art form before the advent of digital photo manipulation.

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

I like it short on the sides because it makes my hats fit better. lol

Also, the hair on the sides of my head grows faster than what's left of my hair on top. I have to cut the sides short to avoid the Larry Fine effect.

 

[jamespowers]

I like it short on the sides because it makes my hats fit better. lol

Also, the hair on the sides of my head grows faster than what's left of my hair on top. I have to cut the sides short to avoid the Larry Fine effect.

lol lol lol lol lol Larry Fine Effect! Help I have LFE! lol lol lol Hilarious.

Regards,

J

 

[Baron Kurtz]

[huh]

keep a sporting cane/stool under your hat? I didn't think they folded up that small!

bk

 

[Hammelby]

Barber tips!

This might interest you gentlemen,
I went and got a cut today, and my oldschool hairdesser told me this:

1. Men did get fingerwaved their hair (and some of his older clientelle still demands it)
2. When he did his barber education they had to practice to use hot irons to wave the hair (it was tested on toiletpaper first, to see if it burned)
3. The waves practically stays there untill you wash it
4. He showed me that its either done by clamping some hair between your fingers and holding it, then continue backwards and reverse the wave, then the other way and so on. When he did it on me today he used some liquid stuff, and then used a small stiff roll-brush and blow-dried (almost scorched my scalp) lol (for the record i must say that i had pomade in the hair and that worked fine (if it was dry it would probably look very fifties).

Ill post a pic later tonite!..

I like it short on the sides because it makes my hats fit better. lol

I agree, then the hat wont shape your hair in a stupid way either

 

[Mr. 'H']

They're retouched...retouching was quite the art form before the advent of digital photo manipulation.

Thank you.

 

[Hammelby]

Heres is the waves my hairdresser did (its a bit flat but stil holds the wave after 48 hrs of working).

 

[Hammelby]

What is a "fingerwave"? If it is precisely what the name implies, is that even possible to acheive with pomade? It must be very time consuming!!

Hm.. i dont think it is timeconsuming for us gents, you just have know the technique wich i guess i hard to learn theese days?

I gues to learn this will be my next mission, and i will ofcourse share the results and experiences in due time. (i think it gives a veery vintage gentleman look

http://www.vividinfinity.com/fingerwave/fwpage1.html