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Category: 1940s

1940s Fashion, 1940s Photo, 1940s History 


Mar
2022

A Vintage Guide to 1940s Hair Accessories

categories: 1940s, Vintage Fashion, Vintage Hairstyles

As the 1940s rolled in, women everywhere began to embrace a new fashion statement – embellishing their hair with beautiful and colorful accessories. From pretty hair flowers to the useful & stylish snood, 1940s hair accessories spiced up women’s hairstyles and brightened up their looks. For those looking to add a retro twist to their style, learning about the various hair accessories of the 40s is a must.

In this article, you will discover the most popular 1940s hair accessories, how women wore them, and how you yourself can incorporate them into your look today (including where to purchase).

Put on your best vintage outfit and join us on a fascinating journey through the history of 1940s hair accessories.

1940s women vintage photo vintage hairstyle

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay, Unique Vintage, RocknRomance Vintage & Collectif are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. 

Note: If an item you click on is no longer available, don’t fret! All the websites featured on my post are updated with new products daily. Do some searching and see what you can find. Happy shopping!

A Vintage Guide to 1940s Hair Accessories

1940s Turban / Draped Turban

1940s womens Turban design from a 1942 1943 Montgomery Ward Vintage Catalog

Hand draped, tucked turban from a 1940s Montgomery Ward Catalog-Personal collection

I cannot tell if our lady in this 1940 photo booth image is wearing a turban with a ruffled top or if it’s just a headband? Whatever it is, both looks are a great way to take curls or even straight hair that is a bit unruely, not washed etc. and give you a super fashionable look. She looks great!

FURTHER READING: Vintage Photo Tuesday: The Photo Booth

1940s vintage image of a woman in a photo booth with a 1940s hair accessory covering her hair (a headband).

Source: Etsy

How a British Woman Dresses in Wartime- Utility Clothing in Britain, 1943 

A model sits on a flight of steps to show off her scarlet wool Utility frock by Dorville at John Lewis and Co. Ltd., with front-gathered skirt and shirt-waist top (cost: 11 coupons and 60/-). She is also wearing a scarlet silk jersey turban and black suede gloves and shoes. Her ensemble is complete with the addition of a black wool Utility topcoat by Harella, costing 18 coupons and 90/9d. This dress is also featured in D 14782 but worn with different accessories to illustrate the versatility of the garment (Source).

1940s Vintage Photo during WW2 of how a woman dresses during wartime. She is in a dress, 1940s turban, jackets, gloves and shoes.

Carmen Miranda helped raise the profile of the draped turban as glamour wear.

1940s photo of carmen miranda in a draped turban 1940s turban

Source: Pinterest

Search terms to use when looking for vintage style hair turbans on websites like ETSY:

  • 1940s Hair Turban
  • 1940s Turban
  • 1940s Draped Turban
  • 1940s Hair Accessories
  • 1940s Turban Pattern (Sewing & knitting patterns)
  • 1940s Hairscarf (to be discussed further down)

Examples of online stores selling this 1940s turban look:

1940s Hair turban / 1940s Vintage Hair Acessories / 1940s Folded Turban / 1940s Fashion
AliceBrownsCupboard on Etsy
1940s Vintage Style Turbans-1940s Women's Hair Accessories.
FeralVintage on Etsy

Maybe you can sew…

Here is an example of a ruffled turban sewing pattern (PDF) like the one our lovely lady is wearing in the first picture. Avail HERE.

1940s sewing pattern for a 1940s turban headband, 1940s Ruffled Turban, 1940s Turban Style

Source: Etsy

Are you a knitter and can’t decide what style of turban suits you best?

This pattern has three of the most popular versions in one pattern PDF.

Contains:
– The Roll Turban
– The Scarf Turban (great for holding in your pin curls)
– The Turban with Crown – a great hat substitute (Avail HERE).

1940s vintage knitting pattern for 1940s ladies turbans in different styles.

Source: Etsy

Fashion Tutorial: How to Tie a Turban & Accessorize! (1942)

Further Reading by Flashback Summer: Who can wear headwraps?

Excerpt: Two things I think we can all agree on to start (or the vast, vast majority of us at the very least can agree on), is that 1.) The question is not whether or not each of us can or cannot wear head wraps, but which head wraps we can rightly wear, and 2.) Religious head wear (such as specifically Muslim or Sikh styles) should only be worn by the people adhering to those religions or ideals.

Now that we’ve got that settled, let’s get into the not-so-clear part of head wrapping: Who can wear which wraps? (READ ARTICLE HERE)

Hair Flowers

I’m obsessed with this hair accessory and I have quite a collection (& still growing) since I started getting into the vintage lifestyle many moons ago. They are truly an easy way to make your hair have that 1940s look. I even dedicated a full post in 2013 to them called, “Hair Flowers-A girls best friend for an easy 1940’s vintage look“.

Please make sure you visit the blog post linked above for images of how to wear hair flowers, vintage photos of people wearing hair flowers and other tips.

In the meantime here are some new imagery and where to purchase hair flowers (updated).

Pretty white hair flower worn in the back of 1940s hairstyle is a great look.

1940s vintage photo of a young woman with a 1940s hairstyle in a 1940s dress with a hair flower in her hair posing in a photobooth

Source: Etsy

I 1000% support matching your hair flowers to your blouse / dress/ swimsuit whatever! What a stunning photo of this woman with a flower on each side of her hair that perfectly matches her blouse.

1940s vintage photo of a woman wearing 2 hair flowers in her hair that match her blouse. She is also wearing a string of pearls. Fantastic 1940s Fashions & 1940s Hairstyle Inspiration.

Source: Etsy

“Lovingly, Gloria”. Well Gloria we are loving your perfect hair flower placement in your photo. Very glamorous.

1940s vintage photo of a pretty woman posing for a photo with hair flowers in her 1940s hairstyle

Source: Etsy

Two bathing beauties on the beach with victory rolls and super hair flower placement.

TWO JAPANESE WOMEN ON THE BEACH – 1949

Search terms to use when looking for vintage style hair flowers on the web (or Etsy)

  • Hair Flowers
  • Hair Flowers Pinup
  • Rockabilly Hair Flower
  • Tiki Hair Flower (if you want to be a bit more tropical)
  • 1940s Hair Flower

Examples of online stores selling 1940s hair flowers clips:

TIP! Are you a bit crafty?

Head to your local craft store and make them yourself. It’s super easy (and this is coming from a person who can’t craft without glueing my fingers together). Here is a helpful tutorial (link HERE).

Here is my crafty version (flowers from Michaels) for a Tiki look.

How to wear a hair flower-make it yourself

Hair Snoods

According to ‘Vintage Dancer‘ Hair Snoods… were a popular hair accessory in the 1940s for both daytime and work. They were a rayon or cotton crocheted net fitted with a headband. A headscarf could also be tied like a snood. The band, which was pinned in place, was worn around the top of the head and all of the hair would be encased in the snood. It was popular in the factories due to the fact that the women had to wear their hair back. This was a great way to do this.

1940s vintage photo of a young woman wearing a snood in her hair.

Source: Good Housekeeping

Here is a photo of Ginger Roger in the 1940s wearing a snood and pants heading off to help the war effort (or at least posing like she was).

Ginger Rogers, 1940s. Long hair in a snood in this 1940s vintage photo during WW2. Ginger is also wearing 1940s pants.

Source: Pinterest

1940 Fashion Frocks sample card showcasing early 1940s women’s fashions including how to wear a snood with your hat.

1940s fashion frocks fashion illustration featuring 1940s dresses and a woman wearing a snood with her hat.

Source: Pinterest

The below cover is from a Montgomery Ward Catalogue 1942 1943 and it’s from my personal collection (click the link or the image to see inside). Great example of how popular snoods were that it made it ONTO the cover.

Montgomery Ward Catalogue 1942 1943 Vintage WW2 Homefront front cover 1940s fashion

Search terms to use when looking for hair snoods on the web (or Etsy):

  • Hair Snood
  • Vintage Hair Snood
  • Hair Snood for Women
  • Hair Snood Pattern
  • 1940s Hair Snood
  • Vintage Snood
  • Vintage Hair net / Vintage 1940s Hair net

Examples of online stores selling 1940s style snoods.

For the Knitters & Crochetiers

The web is once again filled with patterns you can buy and videos you can watch. Here are a couple pattern samples I found on Etsy.

Pattern/instructions to make a 1940s/WW2 Snoods. 1 x knitted snood and 3 x crocheted snoods. The perfect finishing touches to that vintage/WWII style outfit (avail as a PDF HERE).

1940s hair snood crochet knitting pattern vintage hair snood

Source: Etsy

1940s Vintage Snoods Crochet Patterns: Two snood crochet patterns done in easy single crochet and chain stitch, one with beads and one with bows (avail as a PDF HERE).

1940s Vintage Snoods Crochet Pattern for Women

Source: Etsy

How to wear a snood? Many ways! Here a couple of good tutorials that show you how, but feel free to do your own research.

How to Wear and Style a Vintage Snood – Easy Pinup Hair with Miss MonMon (Video Link)

Ribbons

I love ribbons. Why? They are an inexpensive way to get a pretty 1940s look in a very short amount of time. I wear them all the time, in my typical 40s hairstyle I wear on the regular (seen below).

How to wear a bow in your 1940s Hairstyle as seen on the Vintage Inn Blog-Liz

The tip with a ribbon is to wear it anywhere on the head that makes the most sense for your hairstyle. Trust me when I say…”You will know”. Below are some examples of where your ribbon placement could be.

Now I understand this is a junior look in this image but as you can see in my photo above, you can 100% wear it as a 40 something old woman and still look classy. It’s all in the clothes you are pairing with it.

1940s vintage photo booth image of a young woman with a bow in her hair.

Source: Etsy

Candy Apples, Hair Bows and Bumper Bangs. Simple style for anyone to try. 

1940s vintage photo of 3 young Black women in school eating candy apples in 1940s fashions

Looking for 1940s hairstyle inspiration? Vintage sewing patterns are super resources! They were always showing off some of the popular styles of the day. Here is a super example from a sewing pattern for 1940s playsuit and pinafore dress. Look at the two cute ways the fashion illustrations are wearing their hair ribbons? Love it!

Vintage Sewing Pattern 1940s Ladies' Playsuit Blouse, Shorts and Pinafore Dress

Source: Etsy

1940s school photo featuring not one but two ribbons in our cute teenage girls hair.

1940s vintage image of a young woman with ribbons in her hair. Cute 1940s hairstyle

Source: Etsy

Where to buy Ribbons?

Well that one is easy…any craft store, dollar store, Walmart, Micheals etc.

Headscarves & Bandanas

Kerchief style of the head scarf (where it is tied under the chin) was a popular look to keep the elements off your set. Headscarfs were also being warn like snoods where it went under the back of the hair (see second photo). Want a Rosie the Riveter look (like our lady on the right in the first image below)? This was another option.

1940s vintage photo of young young women dressed in 1940s winter coats and 1940s hats and headscarfs in the winter
Idea on how to wear a headscarf in the 1940s

Source: Pinterest

A woman working on a dive bomber in Tennessee, 1943.

1940s Vintage Photo from WW2 of A woman working on a dive bomber in Tennessee, 1943.

This next photo is another great example of how scarfs were worn by women enjoying the winter weather but who also did not want to ruin those curls they spent hours sleeping on.

Pictured… the under chin option and the “Rosie” version.

1940s vintage photo of 3 women in the snow wearing 1940s winter fashions and 1940s hairscarfs

Source: Etsy

One more! LOVE the curls on our pretty young woman posing in a photo booth. This is a clear as day example of how you can make a hairscarf / regular scarf the perfect 1940s hair accessory. Everything works so well together.

1940s vintage photo of a young pretty woman in a photobooth wearing a hairscarf on her 1940s hairstyle

Source: Pinterest

Search terms to use when looking for hairscarves or bandanas on the web (or Etsy):

  • 1940s Hair Scarf / 1940s Hairscarf
  • Vintage Hairscarf
  • Rosie the Riveter Bandana
  • 1940s Headscarf
  • Rockabilly Bandana / Rockabilly Headband
  • Land Girl Headscarf
  • Pinup Hairscarf
  • Nylon Hairscarf / Pinup Nylon Scarf
  • Nylon Scarf
  • Chiffon Scarf / Chiffon Headscarf

Note: For scarves you can use whatever makes you happy. Can be modern or vintage, does not matter.

Examples of online stores selling bandanas and headscarves:

How cute is this crochet Rosie the Riveter bandana by CuffburnCustoms (Canada)? (avail HERE).

Rockabilly bandana rosie the riveter look rockabilly pinup style

Source: Etsy

Sewing…

Once again, if you are handy in the sewing world here is a digital pattern for a collection of 1940s hair accessories (avail HERE).

E-Pattern- 1940s Hat Wardrobe Size 22"- Beret- Turban- Fedora- PDF. 1940 Vintage Sewing Pattern

Source: Etsy

How to wear a 1940s head scarf like Rosie the Riveter?

Take a look at Flashback Summer helpful post “1940s Scarf Tutorial“.

One more! Here is the very first video I ever watched where I learned how to do a simple head scarf look. Trust me, once you see this you will be shocked that you never did this sooner (video link).

Further Reading: Check out this great post written by the Women’s Museum of California – “Why did Rosie wear a bandana?”

1940s hairstyle vintage image featuring Ida Lupino
Use of a hair comb in this 1940s photo featuring Ida Lupino 

Here is a breakdown of other 1940s hair accessories not featured in this post:

  • Women’s Hats
  • Grips / Bobby Pins & Combs / Slides
  • Artificial Braids

For further reading on other vintage hair accessories from this time period (I could not possibly get to them all), make sure you check out the FANTASTIC website “Vintage Hairstyling” and her post entitled “Elegant Vintage Hair Accessories from the 1940s“.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you found this post helpful and inspiring and if you wish to share your looks with me on social media or via email, please do! Here is how you can find ‘The Vintage Inn’ aka Liz:

FURTHER READING:

Liz

PIN THIS so you never forget about it!

A Vintage Guide to 1940s Hair Accessories like the Snood by the Vintage Inn Blog.


Nov
2021

Meet Bill Doggett – The King of 1950s Jazz and R&B Organ

categories: 1940s, 1950's, vintage History

I LOVE receiving emails from my readers (so thank you!), but my absolute favourite is when a family member from a past musican, fashion designer, etc. reaches out wanting to share stories about their loved one.

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to have this happen again when Bill Doggett II sent an email introducing me to his uncle, Bill Doggett. Bill was the pianist and arranger for the 1939-42 Savoy Ballroom Swing Band, The Lucky Millinder Band (one of his many career highlights). He also was considered by many as the King of 1950s Jazz and R&B organ.

Let’s take a high level look at a talented artist who I am excited to have gotten to know more about and now share with all of you!

Bill Dogget. Pianist and Arranger for the Lucky Millinder Orchestra & The King of 1950s Jazz and R&B Organ

William Ballard Doggett was born February 16, 1916, on the north side of Philadelphia. Although he initially dreamed of playing the trumpet, his family was unable to afford lessons. Persuaded by his mother (a church pianist), to try keyboards instead, he quickly mastered the instrument. Hailed as a child prodigy by his 13th birthday, he formed his first band, the Five Majors, at the age of 15 (Source).

The Savoy Ballroom

In 1938, Lucky Millinder was looking for a new band — the way Millinder worked was that he bought out, and took over the leadership, of existing bands, which then became “the Lucky Millinder Orchestra”.

This incarnation of the Lucky Millinder Orchestra, the one that was put together by Doggett before Millinder took the band over (Doggett reputedly traded the entire outfit to Millinder for a soda-NOT sure how true this is), is the one that got a residency at the Savoy after Chick Webb’s band stopped playing there. Doggett stayed on with Millinder as his pianist (pictured below) (Source).

1941 image of the Lucky Millinder Orchestra playing at the famous Savo

1941 image of the Lucky Millinder Orchestra playing at the Savoy Ballroom. Bill Doggett is at the piano.

Source: Billdoggettcentennial.com

As pianist with Lucky Millinder, Bill Doggett has his film premiere in the important 1939 All Black Cast Harlem movie, Paradise in Harlem that showcases the legenday blues singer, Mamie Smith (Source).

“The Lonesome Road”, 1941. Early footage of Sister Rosetta Tharpe when she was band vocalist with Lucky Millinder Orchestra (Video Link).

“Four Or Five Times”, 1941. Sister Rosetta Tharpe with Lucky Millinder Orchestra (Video Link).

Watch for the young Bill Doggett “Piano solo” at 0:33-0:48. PLUS enjoy some lindy hop in this video!

Louis Jordan

In 1947, he replaced “Wild” Bill Davis (top organist at the time) on piano in Louis Jordan’s Tympany Five, at the time the hottest Black band on records.  He appeared on the influential tunes, “Saturday Night Fish Fry” and “Blue Light Boogie.” (Video Link).

Bill’s career really takes off from here!

Ella Fitzgerald-Bill made his debut as an organist during Ella’s June 1951 recording sessions.

After Chick Webb’s death, Bill became Ella’s most important collaborator as her pianist, arranger and music director (1943-44). Then arranger and collaborator on her 1951-52 big hits, Smooth Sailing, Rough Riding and Tea Leaves and her 1962 “Stereo Demonstration Record” Rhythm is My Business.  

Ella Fitzgerald

King Records

Doggett achieved his greatest popularity from 1952 to 1960 when he headed a small band that recorded for King Records. In 1952, on his first King record, he played organ on “Big Dog,” which illustrated the new, swinging, amplified dance music (Video Link).

In 1956-Bill releases his Rhythm and Blues hit “Honky Tonk”

Doggett achieved universal popularity with “Honky Tonk.” The famous instrumental tune was recorded in two parts by King Records, one on each side of a 45-rpm single. It would top the R&B chart and was at #2 on the pop chart. By 1979, it had sold more than 3 million copies (Source).

“Honky Tonk, Parts 1 and 2” came about almost by accident. As Doggett told the story, his biggest hit started out at a dance in Lima, Ohio on a Sunday night. The group were playing their normal set and people were dancing as normal, but then during a brief break a music jam happened. This impromptu, never played before jam would become Honky Tonk and the rest is history (Source).

The hit is considered one of rock’s greatest instrumental tracks (Source).

Check out the song below (Video Link).

FACT: Bill did much to popularize the organ as an instrument for swinging Rhythm & Blues (Source).

1950s R&B Artist Bill Doggett record album

In later years, Doggett was a respected organist who would play hundreds of shows a year, until his death in 1996 aged eighty.

He played “Honky Tonk” at every show, saying “I just wouldn’t be Bill Doggett if I didn’t play ‘Honky Tonk’. That’s what the people pay to hear, so that’s what they get.” (Source).

Last Cool Fact:

The years 1941-1945, Doggett was a Decca Records artist who joined two other iconic artists on the label, The Ink Spots (vocal quartet who became the most popular Black act of the forties) and Ella Fitzgerald (mentioned early).

Several of the famous and well remembered Ink Spots hits were actually arranged and recorded with Bill Doggett, the pianist (Source). (Video Link)

Thanks for stopping by an learning a bit about the wonderful Bill Doggett! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I had putting it together.

ALSO…Special thanks to Bill Doggett’s nephew for reaching out and bringing his uncle to my attention.

For more information please visit (and there is so much more to his story):

Bill Legacy and Jazz Roots

Bill Doggett Organist & Pianist

500 Songs-Bill Doggett (Podcast)-Super podcast episode!

Liz