During the early 1920′s there began a transition from the long-hair styles of the previous decades to the newer short-hair styles like the bob. The original straight, plain, and relatively simple short bobbed hair styles of the early 1920′s were transformed into much more interesting and feminine bobs (with stylish curls and waves) in the middle to late twenties. Bobbed hairstyles of the late 1920′s endured in popularity through the early 1930′s as well. The beautiful short hairstyles of this trend setting era have enjoyed a revival in modern times as hair stylists look back to this period for inspiration.
Popular hairstyles of the 1920′s included the bob, marcel wave, finger waves and shingling and their many different variations. Hairstyles like the Eton Crop were temporary phenomenons that disappeared as fast as they arrived. Barbers and hairdressers competed with each other to get business from women seeking to shed their long hair and obtain the latest hair fashions.
As early adopters of the new shorter hair styles, 1920′s movie stars and other celebrities played a big part in popularizing the new hair fashions through appearances in movies and stage shows, the new hairstyles they sported being eagerly copied by their adoring fans. Despite the high cost involved initially there was a very high uptake of permanent waving when it became available to women everywhere.
Short hairstyles became increasingly popular as the 1920′s progressed, with long hair giving way to the new hair fashions. Although considered extremely radical in the early 1920′s, bobbed hair quickly became the “must have” hairstyle for young girls and young ladies aged in their twenties, the popularity extending to middle-aged women in their thirties and forties. The original plain bobs eventually gave way to much more attractive shingled bobs or incorporated waves and curls using sophisticated cuts to add style and interest. These later stylish bobs continued to be popular well into the 1930′s defying hairdressing critics who had predicted the bob would be a short-term fad that would only last a year or two at most. As it turned out, the huge popularity of bobbed hairstyles for women became a major revolution in womens hairstyling.