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Tag: 1940s Fashion


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.


Mar
2021

A Vintage Magazine: McCall’s April 1943 Edition

categories: 1940s, Vintage Magazines

I was recently gifted with a large amount of vintage magazines from ‘Better Homes & Gardens’, ‘Chatelaine’, ‘McCall’s’, ‘American Home’ and more. They are all from the 1930s to the 1950s (majority are late 1930s) and at some point they will all be shared on my blog. Yay for you!

For today’s vintage magazine browse, we are going to open up a ‘McCall’s Magazine from April 1943.

McCall's April 1943 Vintage Magazine cover featuring a mother and her daughter in matching 1940s outfits watching the plants grow

Let’s see what what was inside….

Table of contents for the McCalls Vintage Magazine from April 1943

First up, a brief history of McCall’s Magazine:

McCall’s was a monthly American women’s magazine, published by the McCall Corporation, that enjoyed great popularity through much of the 20th century, peaking at a readership of 8.4 million in the early 1960s. It was established as a small-format magazine called The Queen in 1873 (source).

Vintage Magazine Cover for McCalls April 1911 magazine

Your very first vintage ad is from Cannon Towels, featuring a young woman talking about her beauty routine after a war-weary day.

At the botton of the ad, it talks about how their towels are going to the Armed Forces and that it is why you favorite store may not have as wide of a selection. “Naturally, you won’t buy any towels unless it’s absolutely necessary”. OF COURSE!

1940s vintage ad for Cannon Towels in a McCall's Apirl 1943 magazine. Image features a woman washing and helping the war effort.

The Washington Bureau added its own “Guide to Daily Living” article that was meant to help you with any questions you may have about the home front or the war.

For example:

Rags & Nylons (bottom left)

Your rag bag is one of the stockpiles of material for wiping cloths for the machinery of the Army and Navy war industry. So save the rags you don’t need. If there’s no rag dealer in your town, your local salvage committe can tell you when and where to take them. And remember that the last of your silk and nylon stockings are as precious to the war effort as they are to you. When they’re worn out, wash them and turn them in.

McCall's April 1943 Vintage Magazine Wartime edition featuring an insert on news from Washington on how to help during WW2

Easter is upon us and so the magazine is filled with lots of vintage Easter meal ideas, like a “Half a Star Ham for Easter that makes 5 wonderful meals” from Armour and Company.

  • Easter Ham and Hot Stuffed Eggs
  • Sliced Ham and Spring Salad
  • Ham and Sweetbread Pastry Shells
  • Ham Patties
  • Ham Split-Pea Soup (YUM! I love soup!)
1940s Vintage Easter Meal Idea Vintage Ad from Armour and Company from a McCall's Vintage Magazine April 1943.

The first 2 page spread is called ‘It’s An Old American Custom….” and talks about how neighours are solving war problems right in their own backyards. Problems like food rationing, transportation, labor, child care and housing.

1940s vintage article from a McCalls April 1943 magazine. 2 page spread is called 'It's An Old American Custom...." and talks about how neighours are solving war problems right in their own backyards.
1940s vintage article from a McCalls April 1943 magazine. 2 page spread is called 'It's An Old American Custom...." and talks about how neighours are solving war problems right in their own backyards.

The magazine also features several stories about love, heartbreak, romance, struggles and more. This story is called “The Girl Who Wouldn’t Talk” and it’s about a man who strikes up a romance with the office clerk (“The pretty girl with her brillant smile and her silky pale pompadour and her trim dark suit“).

1940s vintage illustration of a young woman in 1940s fashions talking to a man as seen in a story in McCalls Magazine April 1943.

Vintage Advertisement for Woodbury Color Controlled Powder, featuring Lucille Ball who is appearing in ‘Du Barry was a Lady’ on the big screen.

1940s Vintage Advertisement for 'Woodbury Color Controlled Powder' featuring Lucille Ball who is appearing in 'Du Barry was a Lady' on the big screen.

“Which woman’s on her way to being hated?”. An article about the right and wrong ways to help the war effort while at home. AKA don’t be trying to outsmart the food rationing rules…HELEN!

1940s Vintage Article about the right and wrong ways to help the war effort on the homefront.
1940s Vintage Article about the right and wrong ways to help the war effort on the homefront.
1940s Vintage Article about the right and wrong ways to help the war effort on the homefront.

“She’s Engaged! She’s Lovely! She Uses Ponds”. 1943 vintage ad for Ponds cold cream featuring the lovely Martha Montgomery.

Martha is an adorably sweet and popular daughter of Mr. And Mrs. William Robert Montgomery and she is engaged to Lieutenant Herbert Slatery, Jr. The ad goes on to talk about her beauty routine, her ring and her wartime job (taking care of small children).

1940s Vitnage ad for Ponds Cream featuring a pretty 1940s Woman as seen in a McCall's April 1943 Vintage Magazine

Flexi-Menu: “Describes the kind of menus we’ll all have to learn to plan if we want to keep our good health and our even dispositions during these day of shortages and ration stamps.”

Featuring meals like:

  • Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie
  • Versatile Main Dish Loaf
  • Fruit-Crowned Spanish Cream
1943 vintage food menu from McCall's April 1943 magazine

Heinz 57 vintage ad: “Short Cuts to Good Eating to Save time and Money!”

“Added to the wartime woman’s vital task of providing adequate nourishment for her family are her patriotic activities and new factory jobs! These recipes and suggestions are specially designed to save her many precious minutes and pennies”.

1940s vintage ad for Heniz 57 featuring many different recipes and food ideas for the hardworking woman on the homefront.

“Good meals lift the spirits as well as protect health! These attractive and energy-giving dishes, enriched with the 57 varieties, are lifesavers for today’s active homemakers because they cost little in time, money and effort!”

Here are some food ideas from Heinz:

  • Broiled Grapefruit
  • Mayonnaise Egg Sauce for Cooked Green Vegetables
  • Poached Eggs in Cream
  • Bake Lamb Casserole
1940s vintage ad for Heniz 57 featuring many different recipes and food ideas for the hardworking woman on the homefront.

As mentioned before, April is Easter Month and everyone always needs another good Ham recipe for Easter dinner especially if it’s from Swift’s!

Here is your Easter Menu:

  • Shrimp & Cucumber Salad
  • Easter Ham with Fruit Dressing
  • Parsley Potatoes
  • Asparagus
  • Hot Rolls
  • Rhubarb Pie
1940 vintage ad for an Easter Menu from a McCall's April 1943 Vintage Magazine.

A Kitchen and Dining Room remodel when you just don’t have the materials you need…right now (war bonds will help them with future purchases later).

1940s vintage dining room remodel as seen in a vintage McCall's magazine April 1943
1940s vintage Kitchen remodel as seen in a vintage McCall's magazine April 1943

A Party is a State of Mind….Sometimes you’ll have others there. Sometimes it’s just a home affair! But Jell-0 will supply you with all the fun dessert recipes in this vintage ad for whatever party your hosting.

1940s vintage ad for Jello desserts for your next party or for staying home.

McCall’s Style and Beauty section.

1940s fashion as seen in a McCall's 1940s vintage magazine featuring a young woman and soldier together in the photo

“Little Girl on a Big Plane”

You’ll like this girl. She does a man’s work in the ground crew, servicing airplanes, but she hasn’t lost any of her feminine sweetness and charm.

Meet Phyllis Anderson, whose dream was NOT to work in a store selling things. She wanted to do something around planes. She is now working as the ground crew for Northeast Airlines U.S. Army Army Air Transport Command and she LOVES IT!

Ground crew by day, stuffed puppy lover by night.

1943 Spring Dresses are Soft and Feminie this year! Why? “Well since the time of the crusades, whenever there has been a war, there has always been a definite trend toward feminine, ladylike clothes that form a vivid but restful contrast to masculine uniforms and utilitarian work clothes”.

1940s vintage fashion-Women's spring dresses in 1943 are soft and feminine as seen in a McCall's 1943 April Vintage Magazine.

What to wear this Spring? The Printed Dress Comes First” as seen in these pretty 1940s fashion illustrations.

1943 womens fashion-the Printed Dress women's 1940s Fashion Illustration

Plenty of Pleats is all the rage for women’s fashion in 1943! Along with square lines at the shoulders and the use of Shantung a fine fabric seen on the green dress on the right.

1940s Womens Fashion Illustration featuring 1943 fashion-Pleats on women's dresses

This is a Spring Wardrobe. The aqua dress is for those who don’t like to wear the traditional Shirtwaist Dress. The middle dress is a softer version of the suit-dress and the navy on the right has lingerie touches. All so pretty!

1940s Womens Fashion as see in 1943 featuring women's fashion illustration for 3 dresses.

1943 College fashions for the young women with big goals in mind.

1940s Fashion Illustration of young womens college fashions 1943

The Look of Spring. Beautiful 1940s women’s 2 piece suits. The Seersucker Suit, The Semi-Fitted Suit and the Boxy Shortie. Love the Seersucker!

1940s Spring Fashion look-Womens Coats fashion illustration.

The last ad on the back of the magazine is for Ivory soap and features 3 women. The WAAC Officer, the Homemaker and the Hat Designer all who have different skincare needs.

1940s vintage ad on the back of the magazine is for Ivory soap and features 3 women in 1940s fashions

I hope you enjoyed taking a look into my McCall’s 1943 magazine. I especially enjoyed this one because it was a time of war and I find it very interesting to see how the ads and the articles were focused on the real issues of the time.

Stay tuned for many more blog posts like this in the future.

Liz