Friday, November 6, 2015

Friday Video: Two-Tone Hairstyles from 1956

Friday, November 6, 2015


Isabella reporting,

While modern actresses and pop-singers are sporting pastel and ombre hair color, this video from British Pathé shows that they're not the first to dye their hair in Easter egg hues. These colorful styles from 1956 are the work of British hairdresser Raymond Bessone (1911-1992), also known as Mr. Teasie-Weasie for his deft work with a comb. The models in their evening gowns turn their heads in stately slow-motion and the orchestral music swells as Mr. Bessone adds his masterful touch to their hair. Clearly this was Serious Fashion.

I don't believe sea-foam green hair ever really caught on in the 1950s. But I was fascinated to see that one model in this clip is also sporting green nail polish - another fashion that's made a fresh appearance in the 21st century. Once again, when it comes to fashion, what's old is new.

Thanks to Kimberly Alexander for suggesting this video.

If you receive this post by email, you may be seeing an empty space or black box where the video should be. Please go here to view the video.

12 comments:

Erik said...

I'm afraid that even after coming to the blog, the video is missing. (Normally, I read via RSS.) And the "please go here" link merely goes to the front page of the blog. Unless this was intentional, you may want to take another look. Cheers!

Sherrie said...

Same experience here!

Isabella Bradford/Susan Holloway Scott said...

So sorry about that! Somewhere in the posting process overnight, Blogger must have eaten the video. Arrgghh! It's working now - hope you enjoy.

Regencyresearcher said...

I remember the hair styles but not the colors. I didn't realize that that mauve and green shades were available then. Proof that just because you were alive at any one period, that doesn't mean you know all about the age.
My granddaughter has dyed her hair all of those colors as well as blue.

Karen said...

The last hair color was one that I had a few years ago. I loved that color red in my hair. I got LOTS of compliments.

Karen Anne said...

Notice the hairspray - glue effect :-) When I had my hair cut back then, the only way I could get them to not use hair spray was to tell them I was allergic to it.

mamafrog said...

When I was a young girl I remember being fascinated by the older ladies in church who would put a rinse on their hair to turn it colors in the late 60's. It was acceptable to color hair of course, my grandmother kept hers a lovely auburn, and she wore a hair net! These were the older ladies who had white hair and wanted to "brighten" the color. I remember pale blue being common, and seeing a very pale lavender and pink. I don;t know if there were any other colors as this was a conservative German Lutheran congregation. (I'm very familiar with many of Garrison Keillor's characters!)

Karen Anne said...

I don't think the blue in elderly women's hair was supposed to be noticeable, although it was. The idea was to counteract the yellowing effect of white and grey hair, like adding blueing to washing.

mamafrog said...

Yeah, and then it seems like it suddenly got datrker and different colored, though not nearly as dark as what you see today! At least amoong certain ladies in our church. It was almost like a competition to see who could get the lightest tint in a color that was supposed to be flattering to their skin. I never really noticed it until there were different colors than just the blue.

Isabella Bradford/Susan Holloway Scott said...

I'd forgotten all about the older ladies who "rinsed" their hair. My grandmother did that, a pale blue that varied quite a bit between trips to the salon. Hers was subdued compared to some of her acquaintances, who went for lavender and pink. The strangest thing, however, were the ladies who had their small white poodles tinted to match their hair - pale pink and blue dogs! This was in San Diego in the late 1960s-70s, and a mighty strange sight it was, too. ;)

Anonymous said...

There was colored nail polish, and pastel tints for the hair in the 1930s as well. I got the impression that it was high-fashion and not particularly widespread.

Dee

Anonymous said...

Oops, meant to say pastel colored nail polish. I remember seeing a color card with mint, pale blue, yellow, pink, etc.

Dee

 
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