Step into the golden age of cinema, where glamour reigned and every curl had a story. From Rita Hayworth's sizzling waves to Grace Kelly's timeless updos, Old Hollywood hair was more than a trend—it was a statement. Explore the iconic styles that defined an era, and allow each twist, turn, and tease transport you to the silver screen, where beauty never went out of style.
Ready for a little vintage sparkle? Let's take a peek behind the Old Hollywood hairdos that still inspire today, as well as a bit of modern takes on vintage styles.
Anna May Wong's Flapper Cut
Anna May Wong may not be on your radar when it comes to Old Hollywood, but she had as much an impact on the look of the time as anyone else. Considered the first Chinese American film star in Hollywood, as well as the first Chinese American actress to gain international recognition, Wong was one of the first actresses to embrace the flapper look. sleek pin waves are a defining feature of 1930s glamour. The key to the flapper style? Smooth, polished, and short cropped hair.
Josephine Baker's Finger Waves
French-American legend of the Jazz era Josephine Baker is the perfect symbol for the Roaring Twenties with her short, straight, and smoothly cropped hair. This was her signature style, complete with a dainty curl framing her face. Baker used egg whites to get her hair really smooth and stiff, as well as make it shiny. “Her hairstyle had been done like a Greek boy’s,” said Harper’s Bazaar editor Diana Vreeland, “and pressed into her flat black curls were white silk butterflies. She had the chic of Gay Paree.”
Jeanne Crain’s Dreamy Half-up Waves
Jeanne Crain’s romantic half-up waves epitomize old Hollywood elegance. Famous for her flaming red hair and being a socialite, Crain's hair was always immaculate, having dyed her hair from brown to red in the hopes of widening her role offers and boost her career. While that may not have worked out exactly as planned, Crain's wavy hairstyle was always a signature for her on screen. This is the perfect hint of vintage glamour you need for inspiration.
Vivien Leigh’s Sculpted Victory Rolls
Despite their name, victory rolls aren't a breakfast time treat. Gone with the Wind star Vivien Leigh’s sculpted victory rolls are the ultimate in vintage glamour. These perfectly rolled sections of hair create a dramatic and structured look that was perfect for the silver screen. David Nevin famously described Leigh as "the most beautiful woman I ever saw outside an art gallery", so may be this hairstyle can bring you a bit of victory, too.
Lena Horne's Updo
Lena Horne’s classic style exudes sophistication and timeless beauty. This sleek chignon, paired with vintage curls framing the face, is the perfect blend of refinement and glamour, particularly from a woman known for being a jack of all trades. The actress, singer, dancer, and Civil Rights activist always managed to embody a regal elegance with ease. Lena’s updo is a tribute to a Hollywood era that celebrated beauty, grace, and the art of making a statement without saying a word—but not being afraid to be loud, either.
Zendaya's Cool Girl Hair
Zendaya's domination of the red carpets has always been a topic of discussion. Fans love the deep levels of fashion knowledge that come with a Zendaya style, and she's never hesitated to enjoy a look that may be a little more vintage. It's hard not to be completely obsessed with this throwback style bob, complete with curled ends. It feels like it belongs with a pillbox hat and an oversized coat right before you head to meet your friend at Tiffany's for breakfast.
Rihanna's Flippy Bob
Rihanna's retro-inspired flippy bob stole the show at the 2015 Met Gala. Dressed in dandelion yellow and wearing an embellished headband, Rihanna effortlessly blends old-school Hollywood charm with her cool, avant-garde street style. Topped off with the super-straight eyebrow and the daintiest cat eye, two other styles of the vintage era, and she's really perfected this look. This doesn't have to be just for the Met Gala — this is a totally wearable look.
Laura Harrier’s Marilyn Curls
Laura Harrier’s soft, voluminous curls give nothing but classic Marilyn Monroe. Glamourous, but still modern, she invoked the iconic beauty of the 1950s, combining elegance with playful sophistication. The one thing the 1950s and the 2020s have in common is the embracing of the bob hairstyle. And with this gorgeously wearable cut, Harrier's look should be the first one you show your hairstylist, and then maybe photos of Marilyn to follow, just to make sure you got the point across.
Eartha Kitt’s Voluminous Curls
The original Catwoman was known for being a red carpet style star, and for always having gorgeous, voluminous hair. She was not shy about being seen with a silk scarf on her hair to protect her Crown Jewel. Her hair, by all accounts, was as big and boisterous as her personality, and perfectly offset her casual, sleek sense of fashion. Whether with a bouffant or a high ponytail, Kitt knew the key to pulling off any type of style wasn't in how it looked, it was all about confidence.
Billie Holiday’s Gardenia-Adorned Curls
Billie Holiday’s signature gardenia-adorned curls perfectly blend vintage romance and glamour. The choice of hair accessory can elevate a hairdo, and this flower is a perfect example. This hairstyle evokes a sense of jazz-age elegance and vintage charm, making it the perfect choice for those looking to add a bit of Old Hollywood allure to their look. In classic vintage fashion, Holiday's signature style was achieved by accident. After burning her her ear with a hot comb before a performance, Holiday purchased a gardenia to cover the burn, creating a whole generation of asymmetrical hair styling. To this day, fans of Holiday wear gardenias in their hair as a tribute to the late singer.
Scarlett Johansson’s Classic Chignon
Scarlett Johansson’s chignon is a modern-day homage to the iconic style made famous by Princess Grace. This sleek, classic updo features a face-sweeping bang and side-swept curls, creating a refined silhouette. Perfect for formal events or a polished, sophisticated look, Johasson's chignon blends the vintage style of Old Hollywood with a contemporary twist. It’s a hairstyle that’s both timeless and chic, ensuring that you radiate elegance and grace, no matter the occasion.
Lupita N'yongo's Bouffant
Lupita Nyong’o’s vintage-inspired coils offer a chic take on Dorothy Dandridge’s timeless curls. These sculpted, defined curls exude elegance and sophistication, embracing the beauty of natural texture with a nod to Old Hollywood style. Lupita’s bouffant is a perfect fusion of modern and vintage—creating a look that’s both bold and feminine. Ideal for a special occasion or an elegant evening out, this style celebrates the hair's texture while channeling classic starlet glamour.
Jessica Chastain’s Auburn Waves
Jessica Chastain loves the glamour of Old Hollywood when it comes to a red carpet style. Her rich, fiery curls cascade beautifully to one side, à la Rita Hayworth, offering a luxurious look that’s both timeless and bold. These loose, romantic curls frame the face in a delicate and refined way to highlight her radiant beauty while capturing the classic allure of Old Hollywood. It’s a striking, elegant style that suits her perfectly and is a joy to see, time and time again.
Claudette Colbert's Curly Bob
Claudette Colbert’s curly bob feels so ultra modern. This was her trademark style of the time, a short haircut, parted in the middle with fluffy bangs to cover her forehead. She had the same hairstyle for her entire career, and it was conceived by legendary Hollywood hairstylist Sydney Guilaroff, but she later took matters into her own hands. In an interview, she shared about her hair: "I do my own hair now, too. I wash it, bleach it and cut it myself. For years I used to have permanents but now I’ve discovered a natural wave which gives me just enough curl." The reason for her signature bangs, however? She wanted to bring more balance to her famous heart-shaped face.
Keke Palmer’s Met Gala Volume
This style, from Palmer's appearance at the 2023 Met Gala, themed "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty," is all about playful elegance and retro glam. Inspired by 1940s pin-up styles, this look is bold and effortlessly glamorous. The voluminous curls create a show-stopping, high-fashion look that feels both inspired by Karl Lagerfeld and Coco Chanel, in a way. With a mix of vintage charm and modern confidence, Keke’s style proves that you can always make a statement while having fun with your look.
Florence Pugh’s Retro Glam Flip
When Florence Pugh first cut her hair short, angels from Old Hollywood sang. Pugh's style suits style from the Golden Age so well, especially this short flipped cut. It's a perfectly polished style, exuding vintage charm with a contemporary twist, with the face-framing victory curl in the front. It’s a hairstyle that channels Hollywood stars of the past while embracing a fresh, bold attitude, perfect for anyone whose hair may be in that grow-out stage.
Carmen Miranda’s Decorated Curls
Whether it's a banana hat to samba in or or an over-the-top turban, Carmen Miranda's hair, and especially hair accessories, brought a playful yet glamorous touch to any look. Her soft, bouncy curls are styled with vibrant, exotic floral and fruit accessories, making a cheerful and bold statement. Her fruit-covered hats made her famous—famous enough that Saks Fifth Avenue developed a line of turbans and jewelry inspired by Miranda in 1939. Consider her the original banana influencer.
Beyoncé's Pincurled Ponytail
Leave it to Beyoncé to make modern braiding styles perfectly suit an Old Hollywood style. This braided ponytail is topped off with a 1920s-era pin curl and cornrows in a wavy pattern, which feels so perfectly retro-inspired. This was for the premiere of The Lion King and feels like an homage to the Classic Disney era of the early 1930s combined with traditional African braiding hairstyle, done in a very modern way. Applause for the absolute chicness.
Dorothy Dandridge’s Curled Bob
Dorothy Dandridge’s signature curled bob radiates timeless sophistication. Soft, defined curls create a chic and elegant silhouette, making this classic style a perfect blend of vintage glam and modern versatility. There's a reason why this style has been emulated time and time again—the style suited Halle Berry so well, she won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for playing Dandridge. It’s effortless, yet undeniably striking—just like Dandridge herself.
Hedy Lamarr’s Glossy Curls
Hedy Lamarr’s glossy, dark, middle-parted curly hair was her trademark. These voluminous, shiny curls add an air of sophistication and glamour, making them the perfect choice for those who want to turn heads. Hedy’s hairstyle is all about luxury and timeless beauty, but type "hedy lamarr hair tutorial" into YouTube and you'll find many videos showing you that this style may be timeless, but it's not going to be quick, either. But hey, you wouldn't be able to watch those videos without Lamarr, either—she had a hand in inventing WiFi.
Rita Hayworth’s Polished Waves
Rita Hayworth’s polished, auburn waves are the epitome of bold, glamorous beauty and her signature style, but she was a true pioneer when it came to haircare—dyeing her hair from dark brown to auburn was not as commonplace then as it was today. Not only did she undergo a lengthy and painful series of electrolysis treatments to broaden her forehead and change her hairline, she also kept her naturally curly hair set in pin curls to always maintain the polished look.
Kerry Washington’s Romantic Waves
Kerry Washington’s romantic half-up waves are a stunning mix of classic beauty and modern style. This hairstyle captures the essence of vintage glamour. Perfectly pairing a yellow gown with a bold berry lip for an added pop of color, this is a great homage to Old Hollywood. It may be the closest she can get without a time machine, other than her former Scandal co-star and friend, Tony Goldwyn (he's the G in MGM Studios.)
Lupita Tovar’s Vintage Waves
Lupita Tovar’s flapper-style waves are part of her signature style and look, described by a little boy in the film Santa: “Her hair is a color you must know—black! … She has such dark eyes that if you could see them…" Finger waves are a vintage style that are worth the time and effort, and Tovar's are the perfect example of why that style will always be a cultural touchstone. And her legacy lives on: Tovar is the grandmother to About a Boy screenwriters Chris and Paul Weitz.
Susan Hayward’s Cascading Waves
Susan Hayward’s cascading waves are the epitome of dramatic glamour—but they're also a big part of Hollywood's legacy. Hayward, much like many actresses that followed, dyed her hair bright red from a natural dark brown to make her appear more exotic and boost her career. Whether or not that was her choice, well. In a 1964 Lydia Lane interview, Hayward explained: "'What a woman does with her hair should be entirely up to her,' she replied, in a tone which indicated that this was a touchy subject."
But it didn't appear too limiting. When asked if she thought there were any colors to avoid as a redhead: “No, that’s a lot of nonsense. A redhead can wear any color she feels good in. Here, again I think the way you feel about yourself is the best. check on what is right and wrong for you."
Anya Taylor-Joy’s Soft Blonde Curls
Really, is there anyone who embodies Old Hollywood more often in her red carpet looks thanAnya Taylor-Joy? If you put her in a time capsule, she would fit right in in the Golden Age. Whether it's a gentle and soft blonde curl style like the one seen here, or a more dramatic 1920s style body wave, Taylor-Joy always embodies a vintage style. These loose, romantic barely-there curls frame the face in a delicate and refined way, making her gorgeous face the real focus.
Janelle Monáe’s Coifed Pompadour
You can't have a list of Old Hollywood-inspired hairdos and not include Janelle Monáe. Whether it's the signature texture quiff she launched her career with, a more smooth and rockabilly-inspired one, she's always rocking the perfect blend of retro charm and modern flair when it comes to her hair. She's even rocked a 1960s style bouffant. When it comes to Old Hollywood inspiration, Monáe should be on everyone's Pinterest boards, and multiple times, at that.
Ruby Dee’s Crowned Pixie
Ruby Dee’s curly, coily pixie exudes regality and grace. This high-volume, textured style accentuates her doll-like face. Dee was an Oscar-nominated actress, a poet, a pioneer for Civil Rights, and a legend when it came to advancing Black actors in Hollywood. But on top of all of those accomplishments, she had a fantastic perspective on what it meant to be beautiful: "The kind of beauty I want most is the hard-to-get-kind that comes from within— strength, courage, dignity."
Lauren Bacall’s Deep Side Part and Waves
Lauren Bacall’s look transformed a generation. The sharp eyebrows, the signature red lip, and the dirty blonde bob always set in a deep side part and pin curled. She maintained that style her entire life, and it became almost as famous as her relationship with Humphrey Bogart. Pin curls are synonymous with The Golden Age, and once you got your curl routine in place, you never forgot how. And if my hair shaped an entire genre, I would never change it, either.
Marlene Dietrich’s Platinum Finger Waves
Marlene Dietrich’s platinum finger waves pioneered the androgynous look in Old Hollywood. There's a reasonw hy people called her The Last Goddess, with legs insured for $1 million. A woman with an overdramatic face needs hair to accent it, and bright platinum blonde suited the actor's sulty image. When it came to fashion and her look, she was aware of the weight it carried: "I dress for the image. Not for myself, not for the public, not for fashion, not for men. If I dressed for myself I wouldn't bother at all. Clothes bore me. I'd wear jeans. I adore jeans. I get them in a public store—men's, of course; I can't wear women's trousers. But I dress for the profession."
Grace Kelly’s Polished Chignon
Grace Kelly’s hair, whether it was in a chignon or a classic rolled curl, was always a showstopper. Her take on cinematic glamour epitomizes the best of the era, giving off refinement and grace (pun unintended.) There's something so feminine about a tidy, polished bun—honestly, it should be no surprise that Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier and went on to be Princess Grace of Monaco. A perfect chignon is built for a princess tiara, and she defined it.
Ingrid Bergman was a trendsetter when it came to haircuts and their transformative ability in performance. Bergman was cast in For When The Bell Tolls on a screen test where she had long hair and looked glamorous, only for the creative team to cut her hair as soon as the role was cast to secure the studio's approval. But Bergman wasn't complaining, as she would do anything for the role, and saw how its legacy changed the hair care world forever, saying: "It was a wonderful, huge, beautiful role. A short hair became extremely fashionable in America. All the women wanted to have a haircut like my Maria.“
Veronica Lake’s Peek-a-Boo Waves
Other celebrities had iconic hair—but no one's hair made a splash on the scene quite like Veronica Lake. Veronica Lake and her hair were infamous to the point that the United States Government approached her to cut her hair. During the war, women were working in factories where having long hair was difficult and they hoped to improve the workforce by having Lake cut her hair for Life Magazine. She agreed, and many believe that the decision to cut her hair short also lead to the early end of her career—that's how important and popular her long, thick hair was to her fame.
