Layered Hairstyles of the 1960s

The 1960s were a time of great change, from the civil rights movement to the introduction of the Beatles. As women moved towards greater independence, new hairstyles emphasized natural texture and movement and required less effort to create than styles of the 1950s. Gone were the days of sleeping on rollers or creating intricate pin curls by hand. Men's hairstyles also became less conservative, influenced by the Fab 5 and the European mod movement. While blunt cuts like the bob and bowl cut were popular, other hairstyles used extensive layering to enhance hair's movement and natural volume.

The Shag

The shag hairstyle, which gained popularity in the late 1960s, is known for its extensive layering. The typical shag haircut was shorter on top, with bangs and shorter side pieces cut to frame the face. Stylists left hair longer at the bottom of the head, allowing it to fall around the shoulders. Extensive layering throughout the hair created the "shaggy" ends that gave the cut its name.

Carol Brady famously sported this style on "The Brady Bunch" television series. Updated versions of the shag are common today. Men can wear a short shag in which the bottom layer of hair is kept short. Women can wear longer shag styles in which layers are kept much longer, but still cut to frame the face.

The Pixie Cut

The pixie cut gained popularity in the 1960s after supermodel Twiggy and actress Mia Farrow wore it. Stylists cut this style close to the head with very short bangs, creating a tomboy look that reflected the growing women's lib movement. Layers throughout the short cut added subtle volume without the need for curlers or extensive styling.

Pixie cuts make frequent appearances today in magazines and on red carpets, as they put the focus on a woman's facial features and create a blank canvas to show off dramatic eyes or lips.

Short Layered Curls

Longer than the pixie cut, but still kept short to frame the face, the popular short layered curls featured short large curls all around the head. To achieve this look, stylists cut hair into short layers approximately two to three inches long. They then used large rollers to create hair that curved gently away from the face, offering an elegant, breezy stylemore relaxed than the stiffer, smaller curls of the 1950s. Stylists kept hair short and neat at the nape of the neck and often used light bangs to frame the face.