A Look Back at the 1970’s Women Hairstyles

Aside from influencing women hairstyles, the 1970’s was famous for many reasons. It marked the decline and end of the Hippie Culture in America. It was the time of the Vietnam War, and the emergence of the Green Revolution. In Asia, it signified the death of China’s Mao Zedong, and the opening of Chinese markets to the world.

In other words, the seventies was a time of many changes, which included not only world culture and politics, but women and women’s fashion as well. This decade marks the emergence of punk music and the culture that came with it, inevitably influencing the hairstyles of women.

The Shag Hairstyle and Bob Hairstyle: A Radical Change

Short and spiky are two words that aptly describe the hairstyle of women during this period. Adorning one’s hair with stripes and zigzags of various colors like green and pink was also a huge trend. This is a huge leap from the traditional and boring long and straight hairdos that were the norm before that decade.

Two specific hairstyles that made it big In the 70s are the shag and the bob. The shag is basically a short and layered hair style that accentuates the shape of one’s head. It makes the wearer younger looking as well.

Famous celebrities that favor this hairstyle at present include Meg Ryan, Jessica Biel, and Jennifer Aniston. Back then, Jane Fonda used to sport this hairdo.

The bob is a short and single layered hairstyle that is very flexible. Look into any fashion website featuring this hairstyle and you can view the numerous ways in which you can style your bob. Similar to the shag, the bob is designed to make the wearer feel younger and more confident.

Famous celebrities who sport this hairstyle include Madonna, Rihanna, Katie Holmes, and Paris Hilton. Uma Thurman wore this hairstyle in the Quentin Tarantino classic, Pulp Fiction.

With so much history and publicity behind it, it is no wonder that 1970’s women hairstyles, specifically the shag hairstyle and bob hairstyle, continue to be popular with women of all ages, even today.

One film that epitomizes the seventies is Grease the movie starring John Travolta and Olivie Newton John. It is based from a musical of the same title. Have you seen Olivia Newton John’s hairstyle here? It is a medium-length seventies hairstyle with tight curls in front and wavy curls at the back.

Although the story of Grease the movie is set in the 50’s, Olivia Newton John’s hairstyle can still pass up as a seventies hairstyle. The year the movie was released in 1978, hordes of young teenage girls who loved the movie copied Olivia Newton’s hair.

You can also achieve that hairstyle by use curing irons, bobby pin rollers or you can simply buy a wig. Make sure you put on your dancing shoes and floral balloon skirts when you wear Olivia Newton John’s hairstyle for that over-all Grease the movie look!

For those of you who are looking for ideas for a seventies hairstyle, you should watch “Forrest Gump”. Wait for that scene where Forrest (Tom Hanks) reunited with Jenny (Robin Wright Penn) in a big rally in Washington D.C. square.

The scene is an anti-war rally against the Vietnam War. The character of Robin Wright Penn is an activist while Tom Hanks as Forest Gump has just arrived from Vietnam.

Notice Robin Wright Penn’s hairstyle in that scene. She wore her hair long and frizzled with bangs that are drawn a little to the side.

This hippie hairstyle is worn by a lot of women during the seventies who support the flower power spirit of the decade. It gave them the look of free spirited and non-conformist attitude of the seventies.

If you want to go hippie and achieve that seventies hippie culture, check out Robin Wright Penn’s hairstyle in Forrest Gump.