Fashionable Folks: Five Decades of Hair by Ria Arora

It’s really not an exaggeration to say that hair is man’s crowning glory- just ask all the unfortunate folks that settle for bald spots, hair weaving, toupees or worse- no hair at all. The evolution of hair is the product of decades’ worth of experimentation, with some of the more radical hairstyles singularly changing the history of popular culture. The past five decades have not only supplied startling variations in the way people see themselves in the mirror, but have also provided variety yet to be rivaled, hairstyles on pop culture icons manifesting themselves into cult crazes that return to life even today.

Where the 1950s were characterized by Betty Boop-esque short, sleek hair and pinned back curls best channeled by Marilyn Monroe, the swinging sixties brought with it the bubble or “bouffant”. Backcomb, backcomb and backcomb some more. The bouffant was quick to become a cult craze, because accompanied by the signature black liner; it oozed an unmistakable, unparalleled feline femininity. Sharmila Tagore’s signature “bird nest” in ‘An Evening In Paris’ (1968) and Mumtaz’s and Asha Parekh’s voluminous beehives went on to be emulated with much panache. 

Sharmila Tagore and her 'bird's nest'

Asha Parekh's beehive

 The bigger, the higher, the better. It is undeniable, however that the sexiest style of the time was “The Sadhana Cut”. Actress Sadhana, in a big to camouflage her often criticized broad forehead, began to sport a side swept fringe. Modeled on the lines of Audrey Hepburn’s flip cut in ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ (1961), inevitably within weeks, there was not an Indian woman worth her salt who hadn’t already rushed to the salon in a bid to get her very own fringe. And of course, the accompanying curls were all the rage. Big deep ones, small high ones and even split curls.

      

Sadhana

Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's

Gamine supermodel Twiggy had a profound influence on short hairstyles. Named the “face of 1966”, Twiggy sported an ultra-short hairdo that gave stimulus to a whole new chapter of androgynous hair styling.

Twiggy

Dev Anand’s signature puff, an adaptation of dashing Gregory Peck’s even more dashing hairdo was seen in films ranging from Hum Dono (1961) to Guide (1965), inspiring the men, for a change, to try something new. 

Gregory Peck

Dev Anand

The 70’s fashion statement was much like the time itself- casual, relaxed and chic. Woodstock setting much of the tone, hair was largely defined by the hippie movements and by stars like Bob Marley. 

Bob Marley

Long straight hair, parted in the middle, was a unisex norm. With the landmark retro look that shocked Indian movie audiences out of a trend stupor in ‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna’ (1971), Zeenat Aman became Bollywood’s new inspiration.

Zeenie Baby

Charlie’s Angel actress Farrah Fawcett’s contribution to the world of hair is unforgettable- famous feathered hair becoming a labour of love in the quest for style.

Farrah rocking the Farrah. 

Hair became a medium for the youth to express their anger and disillusionment during the political unrest, student activism and protests in the wake of anti-Vietnam war sentiment in the mid 1970s. Asymmetrical spikes, adult-disapproved Mohawks, vast ranges of dyed colors and total head shaving became synonymous with the voice of rebellion. 

(photo)

 Best described as the period of excesses, the eighties were the decade of bangs, bleaches, highlights and, brace yourself- poodle perms. Hairspray became the new order of the day if you wanted to look anywhere even close to Madonna, Cher and the characters of TV show “Dynasty”.

Madonna

The 90s, or the age of the boy band, were no better for men. It appeared that numerous male teen idols were significantly more dependent on ‘gel’ (eek) than actual talent to keep them in the limelight. If there’s one hair styling revival that should be formally, internationally banned, it’s the ‘boy-band-gel-teased-fringe’, no doubts there. It was eventually ‘The Rachel’ sported by Jennifer Aniston in popular sitcom ‘Friends’ that brought back the 90s from the edge of hair styling doom.

Admit it. You know the lyrics to ALL their songs. 

Jennifer Aniston- The 'Rachel'

Five decades of hair have brought with them five decades of hits and misses, and dos and don’ts. For those who don’t believe that hair has a role in shaping culture and society, the hair-evolution of English band ‘The Beatles’ is proof. Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr invented and reinvented their look with the times, and were emulated by the masses every single such instance, without fail. Proliferation and change in hairstyles continues even today, because hair is so much more powerful than a physical adornment- it can be styled to be a reflection of the times, an expression of your preferences, the voice of your personality or even the voice of change.  

Ringo: Why'd I have to get stuck with the stupid haircut?