Bouffant, pompadour, and pixie undercut defined hairstyles from the 50s. They are elegant, hot, and progressive. What makes them most interesting is how easy they are to achieve and maintain. Short hairstyles were commonplace because you could achieve and carry them easily.
50s Hairstyles
Don’t just dream about that elegance and ease. Steal these 45+ hairstyles from the 50s.
1. Pompadour
Out of all 50s hairstyles, pompadour was the most difficult to achieve and carry. But they looked elegant. Get them by brushing back front hair and teasing them to keep volume. Then, maintain the puff using a thickening mousse. Complete the style by letting your hair down or with an updo.
2. Modern Pompadour
The modern twist to the classic pompadour is easier and more approachable. It needs less teasing than a classic pompadour and you can ditch the sleek and neat layer of hair on top. Instead, a modern pompadour is messy and textured. Complete with a bun.
3. A Faux Bob
50s women created this short bob to look like loose hair. Use a blow dryer with a round brush to create a wavy texture. Take the edges of the back hair and roll and pin them at the back of your head. It will make the tresses look shorter than they are.
4. Bouffant
Bouffant is another difficult yet glamorous style to carry. It starts with hair teasing on top of the head and gets a neat puff with the front hair combed back. Then, you can style your hair to cover your ears or only let the puff dominate the top of your head. Set the style with hair spray.
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5. Soft Bob
This center-parted bob gives a vintage look. Use a blow dryer with a round comb to get a wavy texture. This texture will be face-framing and will add volume to your short tresses while keeping their ends soft.
6. Side Parted Bob
This bob goes well with short and blonde hair. But you can make it work with black or brown hair too. With a side part, curl the ends of the hair and roll them in.
7. Flower Bun
This updo styles hair in a flower at the back of your head. Start by side-parting the tresses keeping most of them on the left side. Then, style them into a bun with a wavy texture. Use a blow dryer to ensure that the right texture is achieved.
8. Double Bun Updo
Get your front hair rolled back like a bun. Complete it by using the rest of your hair to make a bun at the top of the head. Wear it at extravagant events.
9. Wavy Bun
This is another party updo for women of that era that is perfect for both short and long hair. They completed the look by wearing beads on their hair. But before that, they would blow dry hair to get wavy tresses and style them in a soft low bun.
10. Wavy Bob
Embrace and flaunt a messy wavy texture for your retro look. Part your hair from a side and let some locks fall on your face.
Read More: 21 Best And Most Flattering 80s Hairstyles Even You Can Try Right Now
11. Stacked Double Buns
This stacked double bun updo is another example of this sleekness. Make buns with hair donuts and use hair spray to add beauty of neatness. Feel free to complete the look with a flowery ribbon or headband.
12. Bubble Cut
If you don’t want much styling every morning, go with a haircut that comes from the 1950s. And don’t worry; this cut still has plenty of styling options for those days when you want to change your look. Bring versatility to your styles by letting the hair down or holding them in a low bun hairstyle.
13. Faux Fringes
These fringes didn’t need the wearer to cut their front hair. Instead, simply roll that hair and let these rolls take place of fringes. Let the hairdresser complete the style with curly face-framing locks.
14. Cowgirl braids
Are you planning a field trip? Use this hairstyle inspiration from the 50s. Complete these two braids with a cowgirl hat.
15. The Pageboy
Get this retro and classy look on medium wispy bangs. Curl strands to get a wavy texture. Now, roll the ends of your tresses up away from your neck. Set the style with hair spray.
16. Featured Bangs
The cool feature of these bangs is that you don’t need to cut your bangs to get the look. Instead, tease your hair a bit over a rat then roll tightly using hairpins.
Pair these bangs with buns, bouffants, and bobs.
17. Rolled-up Bangs
Add volume and style to your hair without compromising on its length with these bangs. These signature 50s bangs are styled by parting your hair from the side and rolling the front hair towards its roots. These bangs go great with blonde or white hair. Or get them with honey-brown hair to mimic the trending look.
18. Bumper Bangs
Make your preference for a 50s style loud and clear. Or keep these bangs subtle by limiting the thickness of these curtain bangs. Just curl the front hair up and use a headband to keep it bound.
19. Simply Curled
This is the subtlest style from the 50s. Curl your bangs in the subtlest waves on side-parted medium curly hair. Use light teasing to let them stay upright before falling to the side. Give these tresses a light, wave-like texture as they move toward the neck.
20. Wavy Bangs
This look will give two different styles to your bangs in this hairdo. It starts with featured bangs. Then, you give a wavy texture to your face-framing tresses. It will look gorgeous with copper brown and darker shades. But have no qualms about experimenting with hair color for this style.
21. Bangs with Low Ponytail
This ponytail is styled with curls at the middle of the head. Get these inward curls after center-parting your middle hair. Front bangs will be kept short and curled. Give a curly or wavy texture to the cornrow ponytail.
22. Short Curls
Just like many other 50s hairstyles, these curls are sleek and well-kept. It includes a center-parted bob of wavy curls on short hair.
23. Messy Curls
These curls are messy and long and give a lazy style by tying curls in a messy updo that’s a half-up bun. Use a ribbon as a sign to remember the good old days of past generations. And let some locks get out of the ribbon for face framing.
24. Pinned back Loose Curls
Or get your long tresses in wavy curls. The style will look better with red, copper, or blonde shades. Start with parting them in sideways. Pin locks from the shorter side to the middle back of your head.
25. Classic Style with Flower Clip
Or choose to let your hair down at weddings. This style builds on a wavy pattern and uses a flower clip to keep tresses from getting everywhere. When styling, keep in mind that the styles with flower clips were meant to be sleek.
26. Poodle Clip Hairstyle
Mid-head attracted the most attention in prominent 50s styles like poodle haircut clip and pompadour. Unlike the latter, the poodle clip was suitable for gals with short hair. The top center hair had to be longer than the rest and was styled in wavy curls.
27. The Heavy Poodle
One of the variants of the poodle clip hairstyle was also worn with long hair. This look puffed up long hair at mid-head and let other hair flow down. The puffed-up look was emphasized with accessories.
28. Pin-up Curls
This style suits blonde hair. Take the side fringes and roll them to the side. Cover both sides and get the remaining hair to the back of your head neatly. Play with the size of curls on the sides with this hairstyle.
29. Vintage Side-Sweep
This beautiful and classic look suits naturally blonde hair the most. Start it with a side part. Then, use a curling iron to roll your back hair inward. Give an upward curve to your fringes to complete the look.
30. Wavy Curly Updo for Long Hair
Keep this style neat to mimic the vibes of the 50s. Start with your medium-length hair and part it from the center. Curl and pin bangs at the back of your head. Now, curl the rest of the tresses in a wavy texture with more curls appearing on the edges.
31. Rolled and Natural
This hairstyle is one from the vintage collection for a long mane. Start with a side part and roll these bangs up to the side. Curl the edges of flowing tresses. The best color for this style is chocolate brown.
32. Pixie Cut
The pixie cut was no doubt the most progressive and bold hairstyle of its time. It features uneven bangs and densely textured tresses all over the head. Make it more appealing by spiking up the front bang.
33. Subtle, Medium-Long Pixie
Unlike the pixie cut that keeps the bangs and tresses short, this one allows some length. Again, the mid-head hair will be long and you have to keep the side and back hair short. Puff the middle hair and let them back messily.
34. Pixie with Headband
This style combines a plain pixie look with a headband that matches the outfit. This look is casual and frank and is usually worn on outings and sporting activities.
35. Graduated Hair of the 50s
The best hair color to flaunt this hairstyle with is black. Get this look by giving different lengths to your bangs and back hair. Curl or roll the bangs. Also, curl back tresses but only near the edges.
36. 50s Perms
These perms were clustered on the mid-head. Collect medium-long hair at your mid-head and curl it in wavy curls. Use clips or pins to keep them at the center.
37. Pussycat Style
This style features victory rolls on each side of the head. The best hair color to feature this hairstyle is blonde or red. Start by parting the hair from the center on top of the head; then, create victory rolls. The remaining hair will go to the back of your head and will be rolled inward and pinned near the roots for a sleek and voluminous look.
38. Retro Ponytail
This ponytail also uses victory rolls on the front. But it starts with a side part. Keep the rolls in the same direction. The remaining hair will be tied in a low ponytail.
39. Long Hair with Roll-ups
Start with mid-parted victory rolls on the front. Then, complete it with long hair that goes down your shoulders.
40. Victory Rolls with Curls
These victory rolls can be made after side parting or center parting the front hair. Curl the remaining tresses and let them down on your shoulders.
41. Rolled out with a Ponytail
This ponytail starts like a retro ponytail. First, part your top hair from the center or side and get two victory rolls. Then make a low ponytail and roll it.
42. Rolled out with Ribbon
Start with blended hair color. Give a modern twist with an ombre. Or get a balayage. Then, part the hair sideways and roll your top hair leftward. The rest of your hair will go in a bun. Complete the look with a ribbon.
43. 50s Headband
Feel free to replace the ribbon with a headband to complete the rolled-out style with a bun.
44. Victory Rolls with Faux Bangs
Use the modern twist of faux bangs with victory rolls on the side of your head. Or replace faux bangs with featured bangs or bumper bangs.
45. Pin-up Rolls
These rolls are versatile and unique. Flaunt them perfectly with dark brown or black tresses. Start with medium hair and part the front bangs sideways. Roll your bangs inward towards the roots and pin them there like featured bangs. Divide the rest of the hair into two parts and roll them on a rat and pin them on top of the head.
46. Finger Waves
This wavy hairstyle is sleek and glamorous. You can wear it to formal parties that need dressing up. It’s essentially a bun that is completed with finger face-framing bangs.
Take Away
This post discusses 45 different hairstyles you can try today to recreate 50s vibes. These 50s hairstyle updos are versatile, easy to achieve and carry, and glamorous. You can style them with any length of hair or with any color you want.