Blog / hairstyles

The art of vintage hairstyling can take a long time to learn, and really the best advice I can give anyone starting out is that you just need to keep practicing.

However…..You want that look right now, don’t you?

With a few basic skills (and I mean a few) and the right tools you can turn out a vintage inspired hairstyle in as much time as it takes to make a coffee! 

I want to share with you my four favourite “beginner” styles, all of which are tried and tested, because I too was a beginner once (and still consider myself quite the novice despite several years of practice)!

The best thing about each of these styles is that they are as quick to do as they are easy. Even if you’re a seasoned vintage hair stylist I have no doubt you’ll still  appreciate these swift ‘dos.

Twist and Go

This one is my “go to” style when I am massively short on time and need a “done” look! All it takes is a pintail comb and a bobby pin. If you’ve got a few more minutes, grab a wide barrelled curling wand and loosely curl the ends of your hair for a bit of extra body and movement.

Style this look:

This is a really simple, yet polished hairstyle that would look great with the Riley Dress in black to create a vintage-esque, very office-appropriate look.

Victory is Yours!

Victory rolls – gah! Super hard, soooo time-consuming. Am I right? Maybe not? This tutorial by Rebecca, guest blogger at A Beautiful Mess, puts to bed once and for all the myth that victory rolls are impossible. The key with this swift and simple style is to embrace the mess and go with a relaxed style that looks all the better for the fly-aways and bits of hair that didn’t quite make it into the roll.

The trick to rolling your hair is to wrap the end of the section you want to roll around your first two fingers to create a loop. Pinch the loop between your fingers and start rolling towards your head. The direction can change depending on what style you’re creating, but for Victory Rolls you want to roll inwards towards the middle of your head so that the roll pops up on top of your head.

The best bit about this style is that you’ve just learned one of the staple skills for vintage styling. Knowing how to successfully roll your hair opens up a whole world of new styles!

Style this look: 

Victory Rolls are as vintage-hair as it gets. Style your look with any one of our Cherry Bomb Vintage Couture dresses for a knockout vintage look that will have you standing out from the crowd for all the right reasons. 

Beehive Cheat Sheet

I stumbled across this look a couple of years ago when I found Polish blogger Marlenka’s website. It’s so easy to do, I can whip it up in the bathroom just before opening the shop and you’d never know I’d walked in 5 minutes earlier with a mop of unkempt hair on my head! As with most vintage styles, it works best with unwashed hair.

You’ll Need:

• Hairspray
• Bobby pins
• Hair elastic
• Comb or brush

Loosely tease your hair, then scoop it up into a high ponytail, leaving the front section out for later. Secure with your hair elastic. Grab the end of your ponytail and start rolling it up, towards the top of your ponytail.

Secure the roll with bobby pins, then fan the roll out and secure the sides with bobby pins. You may also want to smooth the roll out a little so there’s no crazy fly-aways or lumps and bumps. Blast with hairspray for good measure. 

With the front section of hair you left out of the ponytail sweep it across to one side and tuck behind your ear. If you’re feeling adventurous, use your new-found victory roll skills and roll the front section of hair back into a swept-back barrel curl. Add a flower, or tie a bandana in your hair.

Style this look: 

A fit and flare frock is the perfect choice for such a sweet hairstyle. The Lana Dress, with it's scoop neckline, fitted bodice, and pleated full skirt will be just right!

Fringe Dweller

Technically, my final vintage hairstyle is actually 6. Yep, I can’t count, and you get a bonus round!

YouTube vlogger, Vintagious, takes you through 6 distinct styles, all focusing on different ways of working with the front section of your hair. Most of these you can do in about 1 minute! As she mentions in her video, it helps if you’ve already curled your hair as this gives you a bit more body to work with and also makes your hair a bit easier to manipulate. However, even if you haven’t done this these styles will work.

Like I mentioned earlier in this blog, unwashed hair is easiest to work with. If your hair is too soft and slippery throw on a bit of dry shampoo or some hairspray just to gunk it up a little bit and get a bit more control.

Style this look: 

Get your rockabilly on and style with the Kay Capri Pant in pink spot, an off-shoulder gypsy top and killer heels!

 All of these styles look great on their own. However, as you develop your vintage hair styling skills you can start to incorporate these elements into more elaborate styles. A well-styled 'do really does step up your vintage fashion game, so get some supplies, get yourself in front of a mirror and start practicing! 

I'd love to see your finished hairstyles so be sure to tag #miskonduct on Instagram or post your pics to our Facebook feed. 

If you have any tips or tricks you've learned we'd love to hear about them in the comments below, and don't forget to check out our blog Top 5 Tips to Perfect Your Vintage Look where we share our favourite makeup tips! 

'til next time, 

Alice X