The 1960s witnessed an extraordinary array of styles. From Jackie Kennedy’s exquisite pillbox hats to hippies’ beehive hairdos and even Jackie O.’s revolutionary hairdos – this decade was defined by rebellion against convention and was marked by innovation. One trend that continues is shoulder-length hair. It is simple for older women to style, complementing any facial structure.
Messy Voluminous Lob
A classic shoulder-grazing bob with long layers is always chic, yet a messy lob can also look stylish when it comes to adding variety and change. This fun and casual style creates an easygoing vibe and works exceptionally well on darker hair colors.
To re-create Clarke’s look, apply a volumizing mousse before blow-drying your strands. Add texture with IGK’s Beach Club Volume Texture Spray ($32) for fullness and an effortlessly stylish style.
One way to enhance the versatility of your lob is with a deep side part. This style can accentuate cheekbones, chin, and collarbone features. For something more refined, try adding balayage highlights before styling with By Gina’s loose-hold Clutch Hairspray ($17), which adds sophistication without taking away from the natural features of your face.
Pushback Hairstyle
The 1960s was an era of change as social taboos were broken, and women adopted shorter hairstyles with greater versatility. Women experimented with beehives that teased hair to sky-high heights to give an unmistakably doll-like appearance and flip that featured smooth straight sides with curled tips that folded into an ear-level bob.
Lesley Lawson, more widely known by her stage name Twiggy, popularized a boyish pixie cut featuring long side bangs and a sleek, brushed-back style in 1960. A slicked-back pompadour style also emerged during this period – featuring fuller volume than an average pixie and often styled backward with hair gel for easy grooming. A mod bowl cut, made famous by The Beatles, is another short hairstyle that offers balance and sophistication; dark-haired women looking gray may opt for a rounded bob with dimension highlights for optimal styling regardless of skin tone or length.
Natural Flow
The Natural Flow style allows your hair’s natural texture to speak for itself. Perfect for curly locks, this 60s style shoulder-length haircut shows off curls’ natural beauty without needing additional styling. Furthermore, this look can give the impression of more volume if your tresses have naturally thinned out over time.
The 60s saw the birth of more feminine and sensual styles for women’s hairstyles, evident through women’s beehive to hipster looks. Women embraced femininity and sexuality by sporting larger, voluminous hairdos that showcased this period’s sexuality; bouffants became trendy as an attempt at embodying it with its round puffiness on top (known as beehive). A long geometrical haircut with side-swept bangs became another fashionable look seen often in actresses such as Brigitte Bardot and Raquel Welch.
Sleek and Straight
Over 60 women tend to opt for shoulder-length hair because it’s easier to manage. This shorter style gives mature women an elegant appearance without the added bulk of longer locks. If opting for this look, consider adding layers for volume and movement.
In the 1960s, women enjoyed teasing their hair to new heights with bouffant and flip styles like Jackie O’s short flipped bob, one of the most iconic looks from that decade and still inspiring women today.
Long hippie bangs were also a trendy look during this era, pairing well with center-parted straight styles like those seen on Gigi Hadid when she walked the Fendi FW22 runway with her thick dark straight locks and long hippie bangs.
For a sleeker version of this style, apply a dime-sized amount of hair gel before brushing them backward into an updo. Finish off with Dove Style Care Extra Hold Hairspray for lasting hold.
