1930s Hair and Makeup

With the close of the 1920s came the crash of the stock market (October 1929) and with that came an expedited change in attitude about hair and makeup. Gone were the days of the rebellious flapper, replaced instead by a softer more feminine look. A softer, more feminine style replaced the boyish, flapper look of the twenties. The Great Depression ushered in a philosophy of thrift and admonished the reckless spending associated with the roaring 20s.

Makeup was less severe and hairstyles were too. Soft feminine curls replaced the sharp boyish flapper look. The stress of the depression was often alleviated, if not temporarily, by escape into a dark movie theatre where the glamorous Hollywood movie star worked her magic on defining fashion even further. Just look at the images of Greta Garbo, Myrna Loy, Ginger Rogers and Mae West to get an understanding of what women found fashionable during this era.