1940s vintage photo of 3 women with 1940s hairstyles and 1940s fashions sitting on the grass for a photo.

If you’re like me and you like to wear your hair in a vintage hairstyle, looking for inspiration on what exactly you want that look to be can be a bit overwhelming. There are many photos out there and some can seem darn right impossible and very intimidating.

1940s vintage hairstyle photo for women on how to wear your bangs in four different ways.

How to Combat This?

I like to use inspiration of real life women of the specific time period I’m going for. Why? Because they seem more achievable. If Betty with 2 kids, a husband at war and home-front work can throw a victory roll or 2 in her, why can’t Liz who works from home do something similar? ALSO I love when I see frizzy sets, and not perfect hair because once again this is REALITY! A photo of a movie star with loads of help to make her hair look like perfection is well stunning to look at but for most of us, hard to achieve.

Actresses June Havoc and Helen Walker

So for today’s post I want to showcase Real Life Photos of women in the 1940s and how they wore their hair. Maybe this will inspire you to jump into vintage hairstyles or try a new look on your next night out.

Happy browsing and experimenting (P.S. at the end of this post I will share links to great tutorials & blogs posts to help you out)!

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

1940s Real Life Women’s Hairstyles

The Vintage Photos….

Let your beautiful curls go free! Sometimes you don’t need to meld the curls into the most popular style of the time, just letting them roam free is equally as beautiful. -1940s photo.

1940s Vintage Photo of a young woman in a photo booth with curly hair. Vintage Hair Inspiration from the 1940s.

Source: Pinterest

Another outstanding photo of two friends with gorgeous curls posing in a photo booth.

1940s vintage photo of two young women posing together in a photobooth with beautiful 1940s hairstyles, heads full of curls.

Source: Etsy – therescuedphoto

Hair Flowers can give you a 1940s look in an instant. How happy is this young woman, taking a fun photo booth photo? I love it!

1940s photo of a young woman in a photo booth wearing a hair flower. Perfect 1940s vintage hairstyle inspiration.

Source: Etsy

Candy Apples, Hair Bows and Bumper Bangs. Simple style for anyone to try. -1940s photo.

1940s vintage photo of young Black Women college students eating candy apples holding books and showcasing 1940's hairstyles

Source: Daily Mail

Another super hair flower placement idea. Thanks for the lovely look “Miss Fair Oaks”. -1940s photo

1940s photo of a young woman who won a pageant, 1940s vintage hair inspiration

Source: Etsy

1945 Vintage Hairstyles. A hair scarf and a simple pull back of the hair can give you a beautiful authentic 1940s look (another hair flower as well!).

1945 of three young women in 1940s fashions and 1940s hairstyles posing for the camera.

Source: Pinterest

1949 photo: Victory rolls and more hair flowers. Aren’t these ladies adorable?

1940s vintage photo of TWO JAPANESE WOMEN ON THE BEACH in 1949

Source: Chuckman’s Photos

Just adding a lovely small roll or 2 to your hair, creates a 1940s look instantly.

1940s vintage photo of the back of a Black Women's hairstyle in the 1940s. Great 1940s vintage hair inspiration.

Source: Daily Mail

Brush out your curls and add a scarf to your hair and then your done.

Source: Pinterest

Photo Booth Beauty. This 1940s woman’s curl hairstyle is just so dreamy!

Photo Booth Beauty, c1940s Vintage Photo of a young woman with a 1940s hairstyle and red lipstick posing for photo in a photobooth.

Source: Etsy

University of Pittsburgh students 1948. Have curls (or created curls)? Take 2 bobby pins and pin back. Easy (that is my go to style)!

1940s Black Fashion & 1940s hairstyles as seen on these University of Pittsburgh students 1948

Source: GlamourDaze

The girl on the left is how my hair usually looks after I get tired of brushing it out from a set and frankly she looks adorable! So the lesson here is, sometimes just leave it because it works.

1940s women in summer clothes at the lake in 1940s swimsuits and 1940s fashions sporting 1940s hairstyles in this 1940s vintage photo. So fun!

Source: Pinterest

Frizz Frizz Frizz! See everyone it was not always the perfection you see on Instagram and in classic movie star photos, women had frizz and they embraced it. Why? Looking good was mandatory to help with moral but helping the boys overseas was even more of an important cause. So bring on the frizz!

About photo: Women munitions workers of the Dominion Arsenals Ltd. plant dining with friends. 24 Aug. 1942 (Canada in WW2). Next photo is also of friends from the same plant also hanging out.

Women munitions workers of the Dominion Arsenals Ltd. plant dining with friends. 24 Aug. 1942 WW2 Homefront Canada vintage photo. The image also showcases women's 1940s hairstyles.

Source: Collections Canada

1944 Beautiful Black Hairstyle Inspiration from Shaw University in Raleigh North Carolina.

1940s vintage photos from 1944 Black Women Hairstyles from a Shaw University Yearbook featuring vintage Black Hairstyles for Women.

Source: DigitalNC.org

Hair not working out? Add a cute sun hat to it.

Women munitions workers of the Dominion Arsenals Ltd. plant hanging out with friends. 1942 WW2 Homefront Canada vintage photo. Plus 1940s hairstyle inspiration-How to wear a hat with your 1940s hair.

Source: Collections Canada

Of course if we are talking real life photos from the 1940s we cannot forget the look of women working IN the factories.

The 2 photos below are of “Veronica Foster the Bren Gun Girl: Canada’s Original Rosie the Riveter“. She is wearing a kerchief in the first image and demonstrating how to wear it in the second one (the kerchief protects the hair from being caught in machinery).

Veronica Foster the Bren Gun Girl blog post by www.vintageinn.ca vintage photo bomb girl

Veronica Foster the Bren Gun Girl blog post by www.vintageinn.ca how to tie a head scarf for war work vintage photo

One more scarf photo-Vintage Photo of a 1940s Female worker Margot Bourassa shellacks the body of a fuse in the breakdown room of the Cherrier plant of the Defense Industries Limited. 1940s,

Vintage Photo of a 1940s Female worker Margot Bourassa shellacks the body of a fuse in the breakdown room of the Cherrier plant of the Defense Industries Limited. 1940s vintage hairstyle inspiration-how to wear a hair scarf in 1940s style.

Source: Collections Canada

Collection of 1942 vintage women’s hairstyles, I put together for my Pinterest boards (shown below).

1940s vintage hairstyles for women from 1942 vintage yearbook

Need More Help?

Take a look at my ‘Women’s Vintage Hairstyle‘ archive HERE
I did a detailed blog post on “1940s Women’s Hair Accessories” HERE
Vintage Hair Tools: Hairstyle Books 1940s & 1950s -vintage blog post

PLUS…for more ongoing inspiration & help please make sure you follow/check out my Pinterest boards “Vintage Hairstyle Tutorials” and “Vintage Hairstyles 1920s-1960s“

Vintage hairstyle tutorials collection by vintageinn.ca blog on pinterest 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s

Vintage Hairstyles inspiration from the 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s collectio by vintageinn.ca blog

Question time: Do you take inspiration from real life photos from the era you enjoy or do you like to emulate the stars of that time? Share your comments and anything else you wish to discuss in the comments section below.

Liz

PIN THIS

real life hairstyles of women from the 1940s vintage photos collection by www.vintageinn.ca blog

As I entered the world of vintage several years ago, I stumbled upon a vintage beauty in illustrated form, whose style and beauty took my breath away. She was simply stunning and I would yearn for her early days wardrobe (1940s-early 1960s) every time I saw her images. Her name was Katy Keene.

Katy Keene Paper Doll - Vintage Comic Character. — Source: bennypdrinnon

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

“Katy Keene”- America’s Illustrated Queen of Pin-Ups and Fashions

History of Katy Keene

Created by American illustrator Bill Woggon (1911-2003), Katy Keene made her debut in issue no. 5 of Wilbur (Archie Comics) in 1945, appeared in subsequent issues of Wilbur and various anthology comic series in the 1940s including Archie, Jughead, Betty and Veronica andGinger, eventually receiving her own title in 1949 which ran for 12 years. The character also appeared as a paper doll both in the comic book and in a separate publication series.

Wilbur comic book -, Katy Keene made her debut in issue no. 5 of Wilbur (Archie Comics) in 1945, appeared in subsequent issues of Wilbur and various anthology comic series in the 1940s — Source: My comic shop

Her debut cover-1949.

Vintage Comic Book: katy Keene issue 1 1949. Stylish 1940s Fashion Illustrations. — Source: My comic shop

After the early 1960s Katy was not seen again till the 1980s where she was revived, first with the Katy Keene Fan Magazine, which ran 18 issues until 1983 and then with Archie Comics officially reviving the character in that same year. The 90s saw her retire again, only to be reintroduced in 2005 for 10 more stories.

Vintage Comic Book: 1983 Katy Keene comic book featuring 1980s fashions. — 1983 Katy Keene. Source: My comic shop

She is now officially out of print/retired (source). BUT a new TV show, called “Katy Keene” is set to be released soon from the CW. See the trailer below. (January 2023 Update-The Show was sadly cancelled).

Who was Katy?

Katy was a young model/actress/singer who was drawn to reflect the fashionable female image of America’s postwar period: less exotic ‘pin-up’, more girl next door – but with the ambition and drive to make it as a successful career woman.

Supporting Characters:

Katy had a younger redheaded, bespectacled sister named “Sis“.

Katy’s rival in her career and love life is the wealthy and snobby blonde Gloria Grandbilt and her best friend is the superstitious redhead Lucki Lorelei. Both Gloria and Lucki are also successful models, with the level-headed brunette Katy rounding out the trio.

Vintage Comic Book: katy Keene comic book with gloria. Katy's rival in her career and love life is the wealthy and snobby blonde Gloria Grandbilt and her best friend is the superstitious redhead Lucki Lorelei. Both Gloria and Lucki are also successful models, with the level-headed brunette Katy rounding out the trio. — Source: Etsy

Inside of Katy Keene you could also find, Lucky Red Lorelei Paper Doll Fashions!

Lucki Lorelei from Katy Keene paper doll — Source: Pinterest

Her regular boyfriends over the years tended to be muscular boxer K.O. Kelly and his rich blonde rival Randy Van Ronson.

Vintage Comic Book: Katy Keene featuring 1950s fashions on the cover and her "boyfriends".

Fun Fact:

Her comics were interactive in that readers were encouraged to submit original drawings of outfits and accessories for her and her friends to wear, as well as designs for automobiles, homes, interiors, rocket ships, trailers and boats. These designs were used in the comics with credit given to published submissions (source).

Woggon established a loyal fan base, many of whom went on to become established designers in their own right (names include Anna Sui and Betsey Johnson) (source).

Vintage 1950s Comic Book-Katy Keene featuring 1950s fashions / 1950s Pinup fashion illustrations. — Source: Etsy

Now since this is the Vintage Inn and my main focus is Mid-Century lets take a peak at the insanely wonderful fashion of Miss Katy and her friends (some which have already been seen above).

Vintage Comic Book: katy Keene Annual — Source: Comic Vine

1950s Katy Keene Comic Book With Paper Dolls inside. More fantastic fashions on the cover!

1950s Vintage Katy Keene Comic Book With Paper Dolls featuring 1950s fashions on the cover.

Source: Etsy

Glorious 1950s hats!

1950s vintage comic book featuring Katy Keene. The magazine cover has 1950s hats on the cover and 1950s fashions.

Source: Etsy

What wonderful hats! They would be perfect for the Ascot or a Hats and Horseshoe event.

Vintage Comic Book: Katy Keene comic book 1950s — Source: My comic shop

Vintage Comic Book: Katy Keene comic strip with boyfriends — Source: My comic shop

1950s ‘Katy Keene Spectacular’ First Issue. Features Katy paper dolls, pin-ups, stunning 1950s fashions and more!

1950s vintage comic book of Katy Keene featuring paper dolls, pinups and comic strips.

Source: Etsy

Here is a peak inside….THOSE HATS!!! Stunning!

1950s katy keene comic book inside featuring a fashion illustration of 1950s hats and 1950s fashions.

Source: Etsy

Katy Keen # 21-Mar 1955. Love Katy’s tie up top and slim pants. So very Rockabilly like.

1950s vintage comic book-Katy Keene # 21 featuring 1950s Rockabilly / Pinup style fashions on the cover.

Source: Etsy

Here are some of her famous paper dolls.

Vintage Comic Book: Katy Keene Paper Doll — Source: Out of this world blog

Last fact– Did you know that the singer Katy Perry has been documented saying that her look is taken from our very own Katy Keene. Here is some Proof.

katy Keene and Katy Perry — Source: buzzio

Question time: Did you ever read Katy Keene? Do you have a favorite Katy and friends outfit? Do tell!

Would you like to own a Katy Keene Comic Book? I have created a collection on Etsy of vintage ones for sale as of May 25th, 2022 and you can find that HERE.

Now I’m off to figure out how to make her wardrobe mine. Ta Ta for now!

Liz 🙂

Tag: 1940s fashon

How to Combat This?

1940s Real Life Women’s Hairstyles

The Vintage Photos….

Need More Help?

“Katy Keene”- America’s Illustrated Queen of Pin-Ups and Fashions

History of Katy Keene

Here are some of her famous paper dolls.