Les Fabuleuses Coiffures des Années 50
After the Great Depression and World War II dominating the 1930s and ’40s, the ’50s was a decade when increased prosperity meant more time was devoted to artistic pursuits like films and fashion. As a result, the ’50s is one of the most well-known decades for its iconic stars and the glamour coiffures they made popular. Women were ready to let their hair down, especially after WWII, when coiffures had to be work-appropriate and industries were focused on the war effort instead of manufacturing beauty products. If you’re looking to put some vintage flair in your next coiffures, the ’50s is the perfect decade to grab some inspiration. Many popular cuts were shorter than shoulder length, making pixies and short glamour boucles all the rage, while younger women with cheveux longs started wearing their locks in high ponytails. These 30 coiffures inspired by the ’50s show how easy it is to work some vintage chic into your modern hair.







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Explore every look in this curated collection.
1Grace Kelly carré
This classic ’50s style carré takes inspiration from Grace Kelly, and is a sophisticated way to dress up hair that lands above the shoulders. To get these boucles, set hair in pin boucles or rollers, then brush out and tame with serum or styling cream.
2The Italian Cut
A modern version of the ultra popular Italian cut worn by ’50s stars like Gina Lollobrigida and Elizabeth Taylor, this pixie is a great option for thick haired women. naturel boucles add lots of volume, while baby frange keep things clean around the face.
3Glamour boucles
In a decade when cheveux longs was for young girls, above the shoulder cuts signalled grown-up sex appeal. Scarlett Johansson’s look here reminds us that the idea of longer hair being more féminin is far from universal truth.
4Brushed Under Style
Unlike modern styles, where we usually see loose ends of hair whether it’s styled lisse or curled, a brushed under style like this leaves cheveux longs looking extra polished, with every strand perfectly in place. Stock up on hairspray before you try this look at home!
5Flower Pinned chignon
Inspired by the poodle cut popular in the early ’50s, this chignon has lots of naturel boucles piled up on top of the head. The rest of hair gets pinned at the back and adorned with a flower, reminding us of Billie Holiday’s signature coiffures.
6High Glamour queue de cheval
For women who didn’t opt for cheveux courts in the ’50s, high ponytails were the trendiest way to wear your longer locks. Reese Witherspoon’s red carpet look proves that this retro inspired style continues to be a glamour choice today.
7Piecey Bang pixie
Inspired by Audrey Hepburn’s iconic pixie, this short style is perfect if you’re looking for a spectaculaire way to change up your look while keeping vos cheveux in a classic style. Pixies like this are especially flatteur on women with oval and heart shaped faces, and the piecey frange can help to minimize a larger forehead while being easier to style than frange that are thick or bluntly cut.
8Double Rolled chignon
There’s something endlessly appealing about a prim and proper chignon, especially when paired with well-tailored clothing and a dark berry lip. This vintage-inspired double rolled chignon is one of the most élégant ways to wear a throwback style, either for an everyday occasion, or for your vintage themed mariage.
9Marilyn boucles
As the most iconic star of the ’50s, Marilyn Monroe’s platine boucles continue to be a way to ooze sex symbol style. To get these boucles, vous pouvez set hair in rollers, or use a standard curling iron, but be sure to lift hair up and out for maximum volume.
10Multi Rolled chignon
This intricate style is a great option if you’re looking for an chignon that’s outside of the norm. Featuring many, perfectly pinned rolls, you’ll probably need to practice this style before your big soirée.
11Brushed Back pixie
Another style inspired by Audrey Hepburn, this pixie is styled with hair brushed back and away from the face. This classic style puts votre visage completely on display, and requires a lot of confidence to pull off. For first time pixie wearers, we’d recommend a style with longer pieces in front before graduating to a look this audacieux.
12Curled carré With Deep Side Part
Copy Taylor Swift’s vintage style for the perfect mix of youth and Old Hollywood glam. This deep side part with a soft wave is a good choice for balancing and framing votre visage without the commitment of adding frange to your style.
13semi-attaché Rolled Style With frange
With short, Bettie Page frange in a deep indigo hue, this look is a perfect example of how vintage trends can be used in a modern style. By only placing half of hair up in rolls, the overall look is playful but audacieux.
14audacieux Pompadour
For short haired women who aren’t interested in the demure pixie style, why not try a pompadour as made popular by the greaser subculture of the ’50s. When mixed with this platine hue and a modern, audacieux undercut, this pompadour looks stylishly crisp, and definitely not stuck in the past.
16crans carré
Ce style sneaks in some vintage flair with crans near the roots, but allows the ends of boucles to fall in a more modern, spiral curl. Parfait pour when you want a dash of ’50s without going full on retro.
17Bumper frange chignon
This bumper frange and headscarf style became popular in the ’40s when many young women began working in factories during WWII, and continued to be seen in the ’50s. Think of it as Rosie The Riveter gone chic!
18Long Golden boucles
Proving that long, blond hair never truly goes out of style, Blake Lively’s boucles and deep side part are the perfect way to bring ’50s style to your modern black tie event or mariage.
19Wrapped queue de cheval haute
This is a sweet and simple style that’s easy for anyone with cheveux longs to wear. Wrapping the pony with a ribbon or scarf elevates this everyday style, and is an easy way to tie an outfit together, or add an extra splashy pattern to the mix.
20Soft crans Glam
Much like Dita Von Teese epitomizes the modern woman with a vintage heart, these soft crans and boucles are a ’50s inspired style that’s endlessly chic, and doesn’t look like it’s meant for a Halloween costume.
21Short And Golden
Another way to wear boucles inspired by Marilyn, this look features hair that’s on the shorter side, for an overall look that’s a little more subtil and mature.
22Curled Pony With Bow
Another ’50s way to wear a pony, this style features curled hair that vous pouvez set in rollers the night before, or style with a curling wand for a quicker fix. The bow in front ties everything together with a playful nod to the past.
23Jumbo boucles
These big brunette boucles are inspired by voluptuous starts like Sophia Loren and Elizabeth Taylor. This modern style is long enough to put in an chignon if needed, but has tons of vintage glam when it’s worn down.
24queue de cheval With Short frange
While Audrey Hepburn might be most known for her iconic pixie cut, she also popularized a queue de cheval haute with short frange when she wore the style in the 1957 film Funny Face. The frange seen here on Penelope Cruz are a little bit longer than Audrey wore, but still land above the eyebrows for instant face framing and eye-popping appeal.
25Gamine pixie
Another take on the ultra short pixie that was popularized in the ’50s, this gamine style creates an amazing contrast between « boyish » hair and soft, féminin features.
26blond Bouffant
This high-piled style was a glamour, more mature way to wear hair in a 1950s chignon. To get maximum volume, use extensions or a hair donut as a filler in your bouffant.
27Bettie frange And Long boucles
The epitome of pin up glam, Katy Perry’s raven hair with short frange makes her a dead ringer for ’50s pin-up icon Bettie Page. In addition to being audacieux and stylish, these frange will make your eyes pop like crazy.
28romantique Pageboy
Unlike modern bobs that often feature blunt or heavily texturized ends, this vintage style carré is all softness and romance, with the ends of hair being styled inward. Try setting the ends of your shoulder length hair in rollers to get this look on your own.
29Bouncy Pin Curl carré
Another example of retro styling that uses setting techniques instead of curling irons to add texture to hair, this vintage glam carré can be created with rollers or pin boucles.
30Pin Up Bouffant
For a sassier, less dressy bouffant, try this chignon with rolled frange and a bandana or headscarf to keep everything in place.
31Long vintage boucles
Even When Katy Perry isn’t wearing Bettie Page frange, she loves vintage styles like these big boucles worn with lots of volume and flipped out at the ends.