The 1950s was defined by tremendous social and political change, as women challenged nonsensical ideas about their role in society and African-Americans spoke out against inequality. Factor in the introduction of more television sets into households and the widespread of rock 'n roll, and it's no wonder we refer to this decade as the "Booming '50s."
While photos and films portray both the chaos and calm of the '50s, one thing that stands out to us in all the imagery are the perfectly coiffed curls. Call it superficial, but women of this era looked mighty damn fine in spite of all the disarray. Above-the-shoulder curls were popular among Hollywood stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe and Dorothy Dandridge. And housewives sported the polished 'do while working up a sweat in their patterned aprons and fit-and-flare dresses.
We've seen retro-loving celebrities of today such as Dita von Teese and Katy Perry put their own spin on perfectly coiffed curls, but we'd like to take a moment to recognize the original 1950s hair trendsetters.
Elizabeth Taylor, circa 1950
Dorothy Dandridge, circa 1955
Gene Tierney, circa 1950
Marilyn Monroe, circa 1952
Jane Russell, circa 1950
Lena Horne, circa 1955
Sophia Loren, circa 1955
Diana Dors, circa 1955
Jayne Mansfield, circa 1955
More vintage beauty inspiration:
Want more HuffPost Style beauty content? Check us out on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram. (For everything else check out our main HuffPost Style Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram @HuffPostStyle.)
---
Do you have a beauty story idea or tip? Email us at beautytips@huffingtonpost.com. (PR pitches sent to this address will be ignored.)