Big Hair for an Even Bigger Icon

What would fashion be if not for the timeless style of Jacqueline Kennedy? Without her eye for elegant accessories, trends like oversized sunglasses and pillbox hats would likely remain buried treasures of the 1960s, never having reached their full potential.

"This hair only looks simple!" FavoriteTVShows.com.

But looking past the famously stylish First Lady's impeccably tailored suits and designer gowns, one cannot help but notice her equally tailored hair, also known as the classic 1960s bouffant.

Although Jackie's hairstyle often varied, going from tight curls on her wedding day to teased, flipped hair at the White House, most associate her with the latter style, and rightfully so.

Volume was the most important factor of the bouffant. Unfortunately for Jackie (and her followers in the sixties), the most effective way of creating volume was to sleep in rollers, then backcomb the curled hair the following morning.

Time-consuming as it was to create, the bouffant could last several days with minimal touch ups if enough hair spray was applied--and given that this trend took place in the 1960s, a decade of intricate 'dos, this probably wasn't an issue.

Another woman who may spend some time at the White House, Sarah Palin, often wears a relaxed bouffant. Wikimedia.org.

Today's version of the bouffant, like many retro hairstyles, is a watered-down style injected with modern touches, but it's only a matter of time before teased hair and rollers make a huge comeback.

After all, given that Marie Antoinette and Jackie Kennedy, two icons separated by 200 years, both donned the hairstyle in all its glory, the bouffant is obviously here to stay. But one question: Do we have another 150 years to wait until it makes an appearance again? Read more...

Sweet Victory

It was the mid-1940s: War had finally come to an end, and in the midst of the ensuing celebration (and there was plenty of it!), hair conscious women suddenly felt a strong urge to design a new hairstyle to further push the parties. And what's more fitting than a victory roll?

"We're going to miss all the celebrations if we have to pose much longer!" Zimbio.com.

The term "victory roll" originated from a fighter plane maneuver, but clever women felt it better represented their new 'do, which consisted of delicate "rolls" throughout the hair.

Making a victory roll today is as simple as using curling irons and a blow dryer, but since the forties didn't have any of those fancy options, sleeping in tight pin curls was generally required to create the hairstyle.

By putting their hair into pin curls before calling it a night, women ensured they'd be greeted in the morning with beautiful, bouncy curls. But who wants bouncy curls when everyone else has those neat victory things? No one, that's who, so those perfect curls were then styled into equally-perfect rolls placed and pinned on top of the head.

Gwen Stefani often wears modified victory rolls. 14Gwen.com.

As the excitement from the end of World War II slowly decreased, so did the popularity of victory rolls. Come the 1950s, women had already traded their rolls for relaxed, soft curls, and by doing so made the hairstyle an image of the 1940s only.

Women today can be spotted wearing the look for parties and other retro affairs, but if the victory rolls and all they stand for will ever be needed again in the future is unknown. For now, wear them for your own personal victories! Read more...

Making a Splash

With swimming now on virtually every television viewer's mind, questions are popping up left and right over athlete's underwater wardrobes. Questions like, do those new Speedo swimsuits really make a difference? And what's the point of wearing a swim cap if you hardly have any hair, anyway?

"Our new swim caps double as gardens!" Corbis.com.

Swim caps weren't always designed with competition being the main concern - in fact, there was a time when every swimmer wore one, regardless of how intense their swim would be. For a significant period of time, many pools required the caps, only relaxing on the rules about thirty years ago.

Women wore swim caps for one particular reason above all: Their hair, of course! Why, can you imagine the effects of chlorine on those lovely locks? Neither could they, so every time they went out for a swim, their caps came along with them.

Today's athletes are equipped with personalized swim caps. GettyImages.com.

And we're not talking ordinary swim caps, either. After all, if you had to wear one, why not make it somewhat pleasant? During the 1950s and 1960s, colorful florals were all the rage, with some especially elaborate designs costing up to $50 in today's money. Expensive, but keeping hair healthy and dry seemed to justify the cost.

Now, the question that really matters: Think Michael Phelps would wear one? Read more...

The Bee's Knees

How often do pesky insects inspire trendy hairdos? Rarely, which is perhaps the reason behind the massive popularity of the buzzworthy beehive back in its heyday.

"Hello, you've reached 1-800-BEEHIVE." Corbis.com.

Although now often the butt of jokes, back in the sixties women took their beehives seriously, spending hours perfecting the heavily teased updo. Some chose to visit the salon for the perfect hive, but either way it involved liberal use of hair spray, rollers, and backcombing.

By the mid 1960s, the buzz over beehives could be heard everywhere, and the hairstyle reached new extremes. Using hair spray by the can and dozens of bobby pins, women gave real beehives a run for their money.

The advertisements for Chanel Paris-London 2008 featured updated beehives. TheFashionSpot.com.

As most trends go, the beehive craze gradually faded with the increasing regard for the 1970's less demanding styles. In recent years, however, watered-down versions have been spotted on runways and on stars. Looks like this is one hairstyle that hasn't buzzed off just yet! Read more...

Calling All Gibson Girls

Waists so tiny they could throw Barbie into a fit of jealousy, curled hair piled taller than one's head, and corsets so tight and constricting that women were forced to permanently adjust their posture - it's no wonder modern fashion has yet to tackle the Gibson Girl look in its entirety.

"I'm sorry, I can't suck in my stomach any more!" ViewImages.com.

Named after the creator, illustrator Charles Dana Gibson, the Gibson Girl was known as a beauty icon for women in the 1890s and early 1900s. Men loved her unbelievably perfect hourglass figure and fashionable bouffant, and women gradually learned to love it.

Eventually, after years of waddling in uncomfortable corsets, the Gibson Girl was no longer seen as the ideal woman. World War I had begun, and suddenly her high hopes and model figure felt outdated and meaningless in the midst of chaos. Women decided, in a reflection of the somber times, to ditch their corsets and extravagant gowns for narrow, shorter dresses and tailored coats.

For his Spring 2007 collection, designer Alexander McQueen created a toned down Gibson Girl. Style.com.

These days, corsets are rarely worn outside of costumes, and even then, they hardly come close to the extreme designs famous Gibson Girls like Camille Clifford and Alice Roosevelt donned, and rightfully so. Brings new meaning to the phrase, 'suffer for fashion,' doesn't it?

How to get the Gibson Girl look:
- Style your hair into a bouffant (Guide to the 1960s bouffant)
- Wear a form fitting gown with a nipped in waist and train (Golden Dot Mermaid Dress by Jovani, $400)
- Corset is optional! Read more...