Why Hair Matters

I am known amongst many of my friends as the person who loves doing hair and makeup. I do my own of course but over the years I've had lots of practice on others, especially having two little sisters. Some of their friends would even pop round before a night out for a quick hairstyle!

When I got into the vintage scene it took some practice of the older techniques to get the kind of hair I wanted but eventually I had it down. I also invested in a middy cut which lots of people are wary about having done because of the layering involved.

I have a very long middy and my pin curl sets have much improved. I'd recommend going to a vintage hairdresser for this. Don't bother trying to explain to anyone at a generic salon what you want, I've seen too many disasters to risk it. I use Vertity at the Vanity Box in Essex, although I am long overdue for a cut!

Vintage hair does require practice and patience and those in the scene will be familiar with the aching arms of your first pin curl set! Recently a colleague asked me if I would give her a vintage style so she could try out the look for herself, and being a good Office Manager I said I would!

It was partly because I was dying to practice my skills on hair that is not as straight as mine, practicing on people with different hair types helps me to perfect and adjust my technique to suit.

So we hid ourselves in a meeting room after work and got started.

Before

I made a side parting and pin curled her hair in approximately 1 inch sections, rolling them under and securing with proper pin curl clips (not bobby pins - they leave dents) All in all it took about an hour as her hair is quiet long. Once all the clips were in I sprayed lightly with some hairspray and left them to cool before taking them out and completing the brush out.

After

Her reaction was priceless. She said the set made her feel womanly and sophisticated, she felt very Marilyn! It was interesting to hear that something as simple as vintage hair had made such a change to her mood.

It did get me thinking about how much I love to wear vintage and how happy it makes me to pull on a dress with some history too it rather than primark's latest offering. I think how feminine it is has a lot to do with it, at least for me, because I have a very femme personality. I was recently asked if I always wear skirts and dresses and had to admit that I don't even own any dress trousers!

Getting up and putting on a slick of red lipstick can make or break my day, and there is nothing fickle about that! Vintage is so much a part of my life now that when I am less vintage I just don't feel like myself. I feel sloppy!

Vintage really does put a spring in our steps and seeing someone who is not on the scene enjoy it so much was a real thrill. We made sure to go out for a drink afterward as it felt like a waste otherwise! Another colleague has put her name down for a hair night so I might have to start a little side line in the office.

Next week: Putting on The Blitz - Blitz Party review! 

Love
RB
xx