Shirley Temple Hair

[doghouse]

Anyone have any tips/tricks on how to get "Shirley Hair"? My daughter will be in her first local pageant, and I wanted to do her hair like Shirley Temple, since she looks a bit like her. I tried it out the other day, and it didn't look quite right. When I take down the pin-curls should I seperate them with my fingers or not?

Any help would be appreciated.

- Eva

 

[CherryRed]

You may have more success doing this type of set with sponge rollers, and when you remove them pull them downward instead of unwinding them, as this will help form the sausage type curl.

 

[mysterygal]

don't comb your fingers through the curls! here's how you can achieve them... before you go to bed, put in some gel into your hair and roll sponge rollers so that you are rolling your hair downwards. When you wake up, unwind the rollers, and you should have some shirly temple rolls.
Also, don't take too big of sections at a time in your rollers.

 

[LizzieMaine]

My grandmother used to do me up in Shirley curls using rag curlers -- just strips of old muslin, and she'd wind my wet hair around them, and I'd sleep on it that way. Next morning, she'd undo the rags and I'd end up with long sausage curls. As with the sponge roller method, the trick is to leave them like that and not brush them out into a wave.

Rags are also a lot more comfortable for a little girl to sleep in!

 

[doghouse]

Aha! Thanks. I think I will try the rag curls.. been a long time since I've done them but sponge rollers always tangle in her hair. Thanks!

 

[ricki]

In American Hairdresser, March 1935 here was an article called "Beauty-Conscious Little Girls Favor the Shirley Temple Hair Style." I scanned it in and posted in on flickr:
Page 1
Page 2

They say, "the curls are dressed individually by combing them out completely and brushing them around the finger."

I think, however, that rag curls sound like the best bet for comfort, and unless you're a professional brushing them out is likely to make them frizzy. But I thought some of you might enjoy this article anyway.

 

[AllaboutEve]

My grandmother used to do me up in Shirley curls using rag curlers -- just strips of old muslin, and she'd wind my wet hair around them, and I'd sleep on it that way. Next morning, she'd undo the rags and I'd end up with long sausage curls. As with the sponge roller method, the trick is to leave them like that and not brush them out into a wave.

Rags are also a lot more comfortable for a little girl to sleep in!

Definitely use rag curlers I agree. I did this on my step-daughter last year and it was sooooo ringlety and bouncy and lovely. Make sure that you avoid getting kinks in the ends though, so be careful when you tie them.
Try omitting conditioner too when you wash the hair I have found that this makes the curl last longer the next day! I ran a little Phomollient by Aveda through the wet hair too. This works wonders.
Good luck

 

[doghouse]

so.. roll from the bottom up...right?

should I roll all of them the same direction?

 

[jazzzbaby]

My daughter is about to turn two, and she has these incredible natural ringlets in her hair! I often think how fun it could be to try her hair in the Shirley style someday. Right now her hair reminds me of those darlin' styles that were popular in the late twenties & early thirties.

Let us know how it goes! Would love to see a photo too. Good Luck!

 

[AllaboutEve]

so.. roll from the bottom up...right?

should I roll all of them the same direction?

I'm certainly no expert but what I did was to place one end of the rag strip very near to the base/root end of the hair with enough of an end left to tie at this end. Then I wound the hair around and up the length of the strip (with my stepdaughter holding the end just described) till I got to the end I then tied the end I had to the end she had. I made sure that the ends were tucked in, most of them were good, there were a few that had a kink at the end but I suppose you could always iron out the kinks with a curling iron.
I didn't brush at all, I just teased it out with my fingers from the ends to the roots so that it didn't tangle or frizz.
I hope that makes some sense, I'm not sure if it's the right way to do it but it worked for me!

 

[doghouse]

For everyone who wanted to see how my daughters hair turned out...

I ended up doing pin curls after all.

 

[CherryRed]

What a sweetie! Nicely done Eva!

 

[Honey Doll]

Awwwww

What a pretty baby Eva. She looks darling!

Honey Doll

 

[RetroMom]

She's so cute!!!!!

 

[Shimmy Sally]

I think they still make Shirley Temple wigs, should you get in a pinch.
There may be some tips here: http://www.hairarchives.com/private/archivesnew.htm