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A Day Dedicated to Hairdos

Throughout the years, hairstyles have come and gone – and often been reborn again. On April 30th of each year, every person with a hair on their head is invited to celebrate the uniquely human habit of arranging our fur into aesthetically pleasing styles. Even the follicularly challenged can participate; even being bald is a hairstyle. In this never-ending cycle of coifs, people usually remember the hairstyles that are really unique to the decade and sometimes even have such a strong emotional attachment to the ‘do that they are still sporting it about town today. Others who follow the trends a bit more may have the latest style during the week, but like to change into crazy costume wigs to have fun.
Some of the earliest hairstyles of antiquity include looks from the biblical era. Instead of waiting months for your hair to grow into long, Jesus-like locks, you can simply plop a costume wig atop your head a pair up with a bushy, faux beard. For women, one noted historical hairstyle is the Gibson Girl updo worn in the late 19th century. Here, the hair is pulled up loosely onto the crown of the head into a very poofy chignon which was yet sturdy enough to hold up one of the elaborate, plumed hats of the era – perfect for a womens costume for a historical reenactment.
Flappers from the 1920s were renowned for their short “bob” hairstyles sometimes with wavy pin curls; a fitting complement to a long strand of pearls and fringed dress for dancing the Charleston all night. In the 1950s, stiffly coiffed bouffant hair (the biggest and baddest was the “beehive”) for the ladies and slicked back pompadours for the bad boys were the coolest looks. Also, pigtails and pony tails worked well for the teenagers of a poodle-skirt-and-saddle-shoe ilk.
Near the end of the 60s and early 70s, the conservative flat tops and bouffants were replaced with much more free-spirited hairstyles. Men would now often have long hair or tall afros while women especially favored the a long flat style that was actually sometimes even ironed for straightness – think about how great this would look with you Halloween costume of Cher or Marsha Brady. By the end of the 70s, full and fluffy hair with carefree layers was all the rage thanks to the golden-girl, mega-watt smile look of Farrah Fawcett.
The 1980s was all about extremes from the buttoned-up prep to the look-at-me punk. There may be no hairstyle more memorable or shocking that the Mohawk, a style based on the Native American’s ritual of shaving the head except for a center strip that stood up. Punk rockers in the 80s were all about shock and would even use Elmer’s glue and spray paint to get their hair as spiky and tall and colorful as possible. If you’re going this route with your Halloween costume, it’s much easier to slip on a wig – especially if you want to be welcomed back at work on Monday!
The 1990s reminds us of the “Rachel” hairstyle from the popular “Friends” television show that nearly every woman has worn at some point. Other recent memorable hairstyles include dreadlocks, neon colored hightlights a la teeny-booper pop stars, and shaved heads for men and women alike. Celebrate Hairstyle Appreciation Day by breaking out of your normal mode and slipping into a costume wig for the day!