History of hair - 1900s
The first signs of consumer distress with less tress came in 1900, right
alongside a public striving to achieve the "ideal" figure. While corsets were
drawn tighter than ever, chignon fillers like braids and swatches were wrapped
around thin hair coils to resemble fuller heads of hair. Creative invention
didn't stop there; it only flourished. As in many other fields, the 20th century
brought invention to the hair industry that dramatically changed everything.
In 1907, the first chemical hair color formula was born—named Aureole by its
originator, Eugene Schueller, and then later rechristened L'Oreal. Charles
Nestle invented the first permanent-wave machine in 1905. Madame CJ. Walker
began selling hair care products for African-Americans in 1906, which later
became a multimillion-dollar business.
In 1917, the double-process blonding technique was invented, giving blondes
worldwide more fun than ever! Inspired by the vacuum-cleaner hose, the first
hair dryer was invented in 1920, blowing away the old air-drying methods.
By 1925, there were already 25,000 beauty parlors in the United States! Breck
International set up shop in the 1930s.
Sisters Maria and Rosie Carita opened a beauty salon in Paris in the 1940S.
Present-day conditioner was created in the 1950s, when chemists discovered
that ingredients used in fabric soften- ers could also soften hair. The aerosol
spray can was invented in 1956, making hair spray possible—and, therefore,
probable. Redken popularized pH-balanced and protein-enriched shampoos for
better conditioning in the 1960s. In 1971, the first hand-held blow-dryer
limited trips to the salon by making it easy to simply "blow and go," and
a special iron was invented in 1972 by Geri Cusenza that crimped—but did not
cramp—anyone's style.
Hairstyles underwent rapid changes in the 20th century as well. Styles of
the times reflected what was happening socially and were most often worn by
icons of popular culture, which epitomized our ideals and our dreams. Until,
and through, the early i90os, wealthy women had set the stan- dard, donning
hair jewels, bone combs, and veiled hats with lace, flowers, and feathers
by day, and dusting their hair with silver and gold powders by night. A new
look, created by Antoine of Paris, showcased hair parted in the middle and
swept back in smooth bands over the ears. Edith Wharton sported a loose, wavy,
poufy feminine look that also turned heads. In 1907, Josephine Baker's sleek
style and the Marcel wave cascaded over the United States and Europe. By 1910,
American nurses in Europe had fed a copycat trend back home. They had cut
their hair short to protect themselves from flea infestation and women in
America began to do the same for fashion. Louise Brooks's 1917 bob became
the most popular hair trend of the 1920S as women strove to express their
freedom, shedding their corsets and entering the work force. The 1930s and
1940S found wartime citizens ogling the glamorous life. In 1931, Jean Harlow
starred in Platinum Blonde and a hair color craze soon swept the nation and
beyond. Also in the 1930S, child star Shirley Temple's tight curls had grown
women pinning their hair into ringlets. During the war, when the feminine
ideal was largely expressed through movies and film magazines, women copied
Hollywoodhairdos. In the 1940s, Rita Hayworth made side-parted finger waves
the sexiest style of her time, and Veronica Lake's cascading blond hair redefined
glamour.
Other Pages
History of Hair 1
History of Hair 2
History of Hair 3
History of Hair 4
History of Hair 5
