How to Create a 1960s Bouffant

Vintage hair styling requires several things; patience, nimble fingers and a few select styling products. In my line of work as a freelance vintage hair stylist, make-up artist and owner of Sarah's Doo-Wop Dos, I regularly create many different looks from different eras for my customers, so the tips I'm sharing in this article are thoroughly tried and tested!

From Audrey Hepburn's sleek updo in Breakfast at Tiffany's to Bridgitte Bardot's tousled beehive, this era was all about height and volume! The ladies of the early 60s favoured formal updos and both the bouffant and the beehive required a fair amount of backcombing to achieve.




Step 1
Start by sectioning your hair into 3 parts, running from ear to ear across your head. This should give you a top section (clip this up out of the way for now) a section under this at the top of the head (the middle section) and the rest of your hair (the bottom section). Big rollers were popular in the 60s and used to set the hair (the process of leaving it in rollers to give it shape) to create some extra height and bounce, this can be added in as an extra step for those with very straight hair.



Step 2
Using a rat-tail comb, carefully 'backcomb' the middle section of hair. Backcombing is a technique that involves creating a fluffy mass of hair with lots of volume, perfect for the towering styles so popular in the 60s. To create your backcombed section, take your comb and in small sections run it from the end of the hair to the bottom repeatedly, focusing on creating as much volume as possible at the roots.

Step 3
Once the whole of the section is suitably backcombed, roll it backwards to form a big padded tube/roll along the top of your head. Once you are happy with the placement and height of the section, secure it in place with hair grips.


Step 4
Cover the backcombed tube/roll part of the bouffant with the smooth hair from the front section. This is best done in small sections. Tease each section a little bit with your comb (teasing is like backcombing only lighter and done to create a little texture and makes it easier to place the hair). Pin and secure each bit with hair grips until the whole of the roll underneath is concealed by smooth hair. To create a more Bardot like effect, tease the hair a little more and rather than smoothing it, pin it in a haphazard fashion over the backcombed tube, leaving some strands down framing the face for a more unkempt effect.

Step 5
Finish by taking the rest of your hair (the bottom section) and winding it up into a twist. This is quick to do and will look great. Pin the hair in place with hair grips and spritz with hairspray to hold, and smooth down any fly-aways. Another option is to curl the remaining hair and leave it down. You can even add a 60s accessory like a wide hairband at the front of the bouffant for a extra splash of colour.

And the final look...


Credits
Model: Stephanie Jay
Photography: Jez Brown
Article, hair and make-up: Sarah Dunn of Sarah's Doo-Wop Dos www.doowopdos.co.uk