Short haircut dilemma

[Mrs.Williams]

Hello, ladies! I'm having a bit of a dilemma. I've been keeping my hair short for years now; it's easy, flattering, and totally low maintenance. I always had a thing for dressing like Audrey Hepburn, so the haircut really worked.
Awhile ago, I grew it out a bit and had a chin length cut that I could do in a 1930s style. Now that I'm seriously into vintage, I can't decide if growing it out some would be worth sacrificing morning prep time.
Is it possible for a short haircut like mine to fit into vintage looks?

 

[fortworthgal]

I've worn my hair short for about the last 13 years. I've gone everything from pixie length (similar to your avatar) to a long bob, which is what I'm wearing now. I found that pixie cuts really work well with most vintage looks - especially 50s and 60s. I have seen ladies at reenactments with pixie cuts wearing 1940s clothing, and while it isn't exactly period correct, I do think it can look quite stunning.

Ginnifer Goodwin and Evan Rachel Wood both have longer pixie cuts that are often styled retro and look very glamorous. Obviously you won't be able to do big victory rolls or a curled middy, but I personally think a pixie is actually pretty versatile when it comes to fashion.

If you want to grow it out a little, short hair was very popular in the 1950s, and wouldn't require too much grow-out (maybe a couple of inches).

 

[fortworthgal]

Sorry, double post!

 

[MissLaurieMarie]

One time I was at a dance and I saw a girl with short cropped hair, almost like a faux-hawk but then she had a victory roll in it as well. I regret not getting a photo as it was amazing!

I fell in love with the blonde model's hair in this modcloth stylebook too, I think it is stunning and something you could probably pull off with a pixie! I used to have short hair, but I never did vintage with it, but after seeing her hair I was very tempted.

 

[RodeoRose]

Yes, pixies were quite the rage in the '50s. Audrey, Jean Seberg, and Leslie Caron all looked very gorgeous with cropped hair! Though if you are growing it out, I love the fingerwaved look in the shoot Miss Laurie Marie posted.

Also, this great blog is run by a gal with the cutest pixie cut, and a penchant for '40s and '50s vintage. Well worth a look for some inspiration

Then there's always hats and pretty headscarves for a more authentic look too.

 

[SugarKitten]

Currently growing out a beloved pixie here!

I've been at it for about six months, mostly because my best friend got engaged, and wanted all the bridesmaids to have matching hair - seeing as I was the only one with short hair (a Jean Seberg pixie), that made the plan pretty clear.

I dress more mix-and-match vintage/contemporary than true vintage, and people "got" my look a lot more often when I had my pixie than they did once my hair was longer - perhaps just because it was more 'normal' to girl-length hair. (I also got mistaken for a boy a lot with a pixie, go figure)

Obviously it depends a ton on your natural hair, but the middle of the growing out - pre-pony/pig tails but post-pixie - required more maintenance than before or after in my case. Mine is naturally big curl waves, so short it was almost straight and longer than that, I had bits at every angle. The closest I could get to styling was barrettes and headbands, I couldn't get a real curl to work, and ended up blowdrying to almost straight to save the headache. I'm not particularly skilled at hair to begin with, but the amount of maintenance was more than I liked! I found I had a better retro look at pixie for sure, and up until the last month or two most curled vintage styles were pretty hard to reach - it's currently layer between chin and shoulder and thankfully growing quickly!

RodeoRose - Bookmarked! Love everything in that blog! So fab.

 

[Flicka]

I'm currently growing out a pixie cut. It's still short-ish (my bangs are maybe halfway down my nose) but I can get pretty decent waves with it just the same (see avatar) for when I feel 30ish and for a 40s/50s style I usually just curl it, but like someone said, the pixie cut was most definitely around in the 50s so it works perfectly well for that.

What period are you mostly leaning towards?

 

[Mrs.Williams]

Thank you all, you've given me some great inspiration! I was also thinking of Jean Seberg, who probably had the shortest haircut I've ever seen on a girl back then.
Flicka: I really love the 30s and early 40s. Many girls had bobs in the 30s, but I've never been able to pull it off. I style a lot of things around Nora Charles in The Thin Man, and I love her haircut in that.
(I'd love to go the whole Marilyn Monroe, curvy, sexpot route, hair and clothes and all... But the only curves I've got are in my hips and derriere, and nowhere else. :-{ )

 

[fortworthgal]

I like the pixie, but if you want to be able to do more 1930s/40s styles, you honestly don't need much length at all. A fingerwave set would work really well with just another inch or 2 of length on your pixie, and you could wear it more slicked down/close to the head for 20s or 30s, or fluff it up more for a 40s look.

Btw, Myrna Loy and Thin Man are favorites of mine. You have great taste!

 

[HadleyH]

Hello, ladies! I'm having a bit of a dilemma. I've been keeping my hair short for years now; it's easy, flattering, and totally low maintenance. I always had a thing for dressing like Audrey Hepburn, so the haircut really worked.
Awhile ago, I grew it out a bit and had a chin length cut that I could do in a 1930s style. Now that I'm seriously into vintage, I can't decide if growing it out some would be worth sacrificing morning prep time.
Is it possible for a short haircut like mine to fit into vintage looks?

Whenever this question raises its head ( no pun intended lollollol...) I tend to bring up lovely Kay Francis!

 

[Mrs.Williams]

Oh, Kay Francis is lovely! I've never seen her photo before, actually.
Fortworthgal-- That's a good haircut idea. It seems very versatile. I was watching 'Roman Holiday' last night with my husband, but he didn't like my idea of me trying out Audrey's haircut. He likes it really short.

 

[Highball Emy]

Mrs. Williams, I LOVE your hair... maybe you should get a longer wig for variation???

 

[fortworthgal]

Oh, Kay Francis is lovely! I've never seen her photo before, actually.
Fortworthgal-- That's a good haircut idea. It seems very versatile. I was watching 'Roman Holiday' last night with my husband, but he didn't like my idea of me trying out Audrey's haircut. He likes it really short.

My husband likes short hair as well! I vote for growing it out just a little, maybe like 1.5", just long enough to put a wave in it.

 

[Frenchy56]

Ms Williams, your pixie cut is stunning on you- you pull it off impeccably! I do understand that it might be limiting, though. I had my hair cut short a few months back - from almost shoulder length to two or three inches long! - and for the first month I was almost in tears trying to get it to curl! I bought the slimmest possible curling iron and made do, but I have to say, I love that my hair's grown a bit now. I even think I might let it grow out another couple inches (though I do like having it short).

 

[Mrs.Williams]

Thanks so much, all! I'm seriously considering growing it a bit, just for fun, but I definitely see now that a vintage pixie look can be done.