This is me on Friday, hanging out watching TV. I decided to do victory rolls with two magnolia barrettes. I think it came out well. I normally wear one flower but on Friday, one of the rolls refused to behave and it ended up looking wonky so I wore another barrette to conceal it.
In the years I have been doing vintage hair, I find that I often do a better job than any of my stylists. I am not bragging or trying to be rude but it can be hard finding someone who has experience with vintage haircuts and styles.
For example, I went to my beloved stylist, Corry, to have my red color updated and blond highlights re-touched. I didn't need a cut this time since I am currently trying to grow out my hair. However, after getting a fabulous color job today, I asked for my hair to be styled ala Grace Kelly:
After Corry's attempt to curl my hair, I looked in the mirror and saw 70s hair ala Kitty Forman instead of an early 50s style. I laughed it off. Actually, Corry and I both laughed. I was not mad because I understand that most stylists are not trained to do vintage hair. Instead, stylists are taught modern cuts (with the occasional up-do for weddings and proms) and styles because that is what most of their clients want.
I will say this, Corry is extremely talented. His expertise in color, especially fantasy colors like Special Effects, is incredible! Corry is also patient with me. He has taken me to blond with black, hot pink, black, and back to red again. He puts up with my hair moods and I thank him greatly for it. I know I am not the 'typical client' so I am willing to shrug my shoulders and style it myself. Today I ended up fixing my hair by simply putting it up in two victory rolls and then using a lot of hair spray. I had a pile of bobby pins in my bag so all was good with the world.
Since my hair is growing out, I need to wait to do a 'proper' vintage cut. Thanks to Tempermental Broad and her amazing post discussing her gorgeous "Middy Plus" haircut, I found several links showing different versions of vintage haircuts. The next time, if my hair is long enough, I want to do a Middy, which is shorter than the Middy Plus:
Here is a link showing a bunch of different vintage cuts:
http://community.livejournal.com/vintagehair/3645.html
I am going to bring the above diagram to Corry when my hair is long enough and I feel confident he can cut it successfully. I know styling can be hard, especially if one is never done victory rolls or pompadours. I will just style my hair myself or I can show Corry. I think we have even have fun!
So, gals, what is your experience when it comes to your salon and vintage hair?
I sadly trust no one with my hair...As past experiences have always been disasters...So ten years ago I started doing my own hair from the cut to the styles...
ReplyDeleteWow, Gingeyginge! You also cut your hair as well? That is brilliant, but I would be too afraid to cut my own hair! I can style it but cutting is another issue! lol
ReplyDeleteWhen I had fringe ala Bettie Page, I would sometimes try to maintain it on my own but I just mucked it up and my stylist had to fix it! I figure that if I can't even cut in a straight line, there is no way I can cut the whole lot!
I do agree with your sentiment that trusting stylists can be a challenge. I hope that when I bring in the Middy diagram in 6 weeks, my stylist can copy it. I think he will be able since the picture seems easy enough to follow.
my stylist Stefani is wonderful - her expertise is color as well (my hair is special effects devilish and blood red with a dark brown underneath section). I took her in the middy cut images and though i did not want layers, she helped me shaping what started as an ear length bob three years ago into a lovely just past my shoulders proper u-shape with some layering. I do not personally want all the layers of a middy as I don't style my hair every single day, but having a proper u-shape does wonders for a vintage style. it took some experimenting both on her part and mine (we learned razor cut ends on my specific hair are a mess when I use hot rollers or wet sets for example). patience was important (and trust!)
ReplyDeleteI had the best vintage stylist ever who also did my wedding, but she recently moved away so now I have no one. I recently went into a salon that had some vintage looking decorations and asked if any of the stylists had experience with vintage hair cuts and she said "We have the qualifications, yes." Which isn't what I was asking, I wanted to know if they had EXPERIENCE with vintage styles, not that they went to hair school. Sigh...
ReplyDeleteI have never gotten a vintage style at a salon. I'm so picky about my hair that I'd rather just do it myself. I love my new hair cut and my stylist, and even though she's well versed in vintage styles, why pay her to do something I can do myself? Same with color, and also when I had bangs I'd cut them myself as well. I'm all about saving money!! Even if it is just so I can spend it on clothes!
ReplyDeleteShrinky Inky,
ReplyDeleteFrom the look of your picture, your hair looks amazing! I love the Devilish and Blood Red! When I used Special Effects, my stylist would mix Atomic Pink with Devilish! I loved it!
My hair is natural wavy so I think the u-shaped layers of the Middy will help me style my hair better. I roll my hair every night before I go to bed and the current cut I have now is in an awkward between stage. This length also does not hold a curl well. I really have to do a lot to make it look somewhat decent. However, I think my hair will be long enough in 6-8 weeks for the Middy.
Tart Deco,
ReplyDeleteYou make some great points! I agree that qualified does not equal experience.
That is a shame that your stylist moved away. I would die if Corry moved. He knows my hair so well and has been with me for three years. Most of the salons here in the 'burbs of Northern Virginia are not accustomed to vintage anything, let alone hair! I think DC itself may have some experienced stylists but here in the land of J. Crew and Gap, I am lucky to have Corry for sure!
You are right about haircuts being more important than styles, Temperamental Broad. I just wanted to go back to work with my vintage hair and not a modern style paired with my 50s vintage dress and cardigan. Corry has a book on vintage styles but most of his clients do not request them. He is amazing with color and I am sure that if I bring him the Middy diagram, he can do it. Most of the time, I get my color and cut done and then I will go home and do my hair my way.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I need to do right now is to wait for my hair to grow out.
I also agree with trying to save money. I just wish I could cut my own hair! I tried cutting my own bangs between salon visits and let's just say I stopped! Lol! Talk about chop job!
The one thing I prefer to do myself are my bangs. And apparently I'm the only soul on the planet who grasps what I want in color, so that's usually done at home as well. I can easily cut it, and try new stuff a lot since it grows quickly.
ReplyDeleteThe primary reason I hit a salon is for updos. Once, I had a perfect one- shaped to stay close to the back of the head instead of the crown, and carefully pinned down to an inch or two from the nape. It looked spectacular and I haven't seen it since..
I'm with tempermental broad and blackberry- I cut my own bangs, but I'm not sure I'd go the whole cut by myself. Cutting bangs takes patience- I do it when I can set aside the time to keep trimming till its right. Investing in proper precision cutters helped aswell I think. It is hard to find a stylist who can set and style hair- I think I often feel the same about makeup- don't often like what others do if I get my makeup done- prefer my own style I guess.
ReplyDelete