There is something wonderfully optimistic about an old hairstyling book.
Open one from the 1940s or 1950s and there will usually be a perfectly coiffed woman gazing back at you, apparently convinced that you too can achieve immaculate waves before breakfast.
Sometimes you can.
Sometimes you end up looking like you have slept in a hedge.
Both are part of the experience.
Vintage hairstyling books are still genuinely useful if you love historical hair, whether you want to recreate a proper period set or simply borrow a few techniques for a more modern look. The trick is knowing which advice to follow faithfully, which bits to adapt, and which should probably remain firmly in the past.
Why old hairstyling books are so useful
When we look at photographs of women from the 1940s, 1950s or 1960s, it is easy to focus on the finished hairstyle.
The secret is usually underneath.
Many vintage styles began with a carefully planned set. Hair was divided into sections, wound into pin curls or rollers, allowed to dry completely and then brushed into shape.
That setting pattern mattered enormously.
Change the direction of a curl and you can change the entire finished hairstyle.
This is why original hairstyling manuals can be so helpful. Rather than simply showing you a glamorous photograph and leaving you to work out what happened, many include diagrams showing exactly how the hair was arranged beforehand.
And suddenly those mysterious waves start making rather more sense.
Start with the setting pattern
If you are new to vintage hair, this is the bit I would concentrate on first.
Before worrying about the perfect brush out, look at the diagram.
You will usually see arrows showing which way each curl should sit. Some curls may be wound clockwise, others anticlockwise. Sections around the front of the face might be directed forwards or backwards depending on the finished style.
It can look ridiculously complicated at first.
It isn’t.
Well, not quite.
Try following one section at a time rather than attempting to understand the entire diagram in one go.
Look for:
- The direction each curl is wound
- Where the hair is parted
- The size of each section
- Whether curls sit flat against the head or stand upright
- Which areas are intended to create volume
- How the front section or fringe is shaped
Once you start recognising these patterns, vintage hairstyles become much easier to decode.
You don’t have to use exactly the same tools
This is where I happily cheat.
Original instructions might suggest pin curls secured with clips, traditional rollers, hair nets or techniques that were perfectly ordinary at the time but feel slightly laborious when you are trying to get ready for work on a Tuesday morning.
You can often recreate the same basic idea with modern tools.
Foam rollers are brilliant for overnight sets. Magnetic rollers can give a smooth result. Modern sectioning clips are far easier to work with than wrestling with a collection of ancient metal grips.
The important part is usually the shape and direction of the set rather than whether every single tool is historically accurate.
Unless historical accuracy is the whole point, of course. In that case, go forth and pin curl.
Vintage hair usually starts wetter than you think
A traditional set often relied on damp hair drying into its new shape.
This is why simply wrapping dry hair around rollers for twenty minutes rarely produces the same result.
You don't necessarily need soaking wet hair, though. Particularly if yours takes approximately three working days to dry.
Slightly damp hair, combined with a setting product appropriate for your hair type, is often far more practical.
And the most important rule?
Let it dry completely.
Taking rollers out too soon is one of the fastest routes to disappointment. The curls may look magnificent for about seven minutes before slowly surrendering to gravity.
Ask me how I know.
The brush out is where the magic happens
Freshly removed rollers are rarely the finished hairstyle.
This can be mildly alarming the first time you attempt a vintage set because you may remove your rollers and discover something resembling a very enthusiastic poodle.
Don't panic.
Vintage curls were often brushed together until individual ringlets became soft waves and sculpted shapes.
Start gently.
Brush through the curls, following the natural direction of the set. As you continue brushing, the hair should begin to settle into larger waves.
Your hands are useful here too. Cup the hair underneath, encourage the wave into place and gently shape the ends.
Sometimes it takes a surprising amount of brushing before everything suddenly falls into place.
That moment is enormously satisfying.
Use the pictures as clues
One of my favourite things about vintage beauty books is studying the photographs and illustrations around the instructions.
Look beyond the hairstyle itself.
Where is the volume?
Does the hair sit close to the head at the sides?
Are the ends turned underneath or flicked outwards?
Does the style expose the ears?
Where does the wave begin around the face?
Those little details tell you a lot about how the hairstyle was constructed.
They can also help if your hair length is slightly different from the model shown.
You don't necessarily need to recreate every curl exactly. Understanding the overall silhouette can be enough.
Adapt vintage hairstyles to your own hair
This, I think, is important.
Hair in vintage illustrations has a suspicious habit of behaving perfectly.
Real hair does not.
Your texture, density, length and haircut will all affect the result.
Fine hair may need smaller sections or extra setting product to hold its shape. Very thick hair may need longer drying time. Naturally wavy hair can sometimes take to a wet set beautifully, while very straight hair might require a little more persuasion.
And modern layered hair will behave differently from the blunt or carefully shaped cuts used for many historical styles.
Use the instructions as a starting point rather than a personal challenge issued by a woman in a 1953 beauty manual.
You can borrow just one element
You don't have to recreate an entire 1950s hairstyle every time you open a vintage beauty book.
Sometimes the best inspiration is a single detail.
You might borrow:
- A soft front wave
- Curled under ends
- A rolled fringe
- Extra crown volume
- A deep side parting
- A neat pageboy shape
- A cluster of curls around the temple
- A scarf tied around a simple set
Mixing one vintage element with a modern haircut can look gorgeous and feels much easier for everyday wear.
A little nod to the past rather than full historical reconstruction.
What about vintage hair products?
Old beauty books occasionally recommend products or homemade preparations that I would absolutely not suggest blindly recreating.
Cosmetics and hair products have changed enormously, and some historical formulations or ingredients are unsuitable by modern standards.
So when an old manual refers to setting lotion, hair lacquer or another styling preparation, I tend to focus on what the product was supposed to do.
Then I use a modern equivalent.
A contemporary setting lotion, mousse, lightweight gel or hairspray can usually achieve the practical result without requiring you to recreate something from an eighty year old recipe.
Vintage technique, modern bathroom cabinet.
Much easier.
Practise when you aren't going anywhere
Possibly my most useful tip.
Do not make your first attempt at an elaborate vintage set twenty minutes before an event.
Vintage hairstyling gets much easier with practice because you gradually learn how your own hair responds.
Try a set on a quiet evening.
Take photographs of your curl pattern before removing it. Make a note of what worked. Change one thing next time.
After a few attempts, you start building your own little library of reliable settings.
And that is when it becomes fun.
A vintage hairstyling book is a starting point
The lovely thing about original beauty manuals is that they teach you how hairstyles were actually constructed.
You begin to understand why a curl sits where it does, why certain haircuts work beautifully with sets and how women achieved those polished shapes long before heated styling tools became an everyday part of our bathrooms.
You don't have to follow every instruction religiously.
Experiment. Adapt things. Make the style suit you.
Because a seventy year old hairstyle can still look absolutely glorious in 2026.
Particularly with considerably better hairspray.
Fancy trying one yourself?
I have vintage hairstyling resources tucked away in Ms Delightful’s Treasure Chest, including original hairstyle inspiration and step by step instructions you can experiment with at home.
Have a rummage, choose a style and see what happens.
Perfect curls not guaranteed.
A mildly entertaining evening in front of the mirror? Much more likely.
Stay delightful, darling. x