With the beauty instructions below coming directly from that decade, you can find out how to get the vintage beehive hairstyle that creates the illusion of tall elegance.
The beehive: A high-piled, elegant hairstyle (from 1960)
From The Billings Gazette (Billings, Montana) January 13, 1960
The bouffant coiffure has had its day. The new hairstyle will be one of smooth elegance for winter and spring.
Starting with the Christmas festivities, the winter season lends itself, far more than any other time of year, to formal, dress-up occasions. And what’s needed to set off evening clothes is a smooth, high-piled coiffure.
Antoine, dean of hairdressers, who is in this country from Paris, has designed a new hairdo that creates the illusion of tall elegance. He calls it the beehive.
And it is coiffed high and wrapped into exquisitely composed, polished and lustrous patterns.
See the beehive hairstyle how-to below!
A permanent wave is key for a successful beehive hairstyle
To achieve this new tall elegance, the actual manipulation of the coiffure goes on below the surface. Sufficient underpinning must be arranged to give the hair support for its rising line.
The basic ingredient for the success of this hairdo is a permanent wave. It should not be a curly one, but a wave that is soft and merely gives the hair bulk.
This new coiffure can be designed into an almost conical point, or the crown may be more leveled and rounded. The ears are exposed. But, if you look better with your ears covered, this, too, can be done without losing any of the beauty of the hairstyle. And almost always, the nape of the neck is bared.
The beehive hairdo is becoming to almost every woman. The degree of severity depends upon the regularities of the features And this new coiffure can be highly dramatic when the hair is tinted in either vertical or horizontal bands, contrasting the rest of the head.
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For evening, Antoine suggests that his regal headdress be embellished with a beautiful ornament. He believes that nothing makes a woman feel as superbly elegant as the added adornment of a sparkling jewel in the coiffure.
So, join the parade of regal elegance and forget your casual, bouffant hairstyle. What could be more appropriate for the festive winter season than this sleek new coiffure?
Beehive hairstyle tips
As the bouffant hairdo goes out, it’s succeeded by the hairstyle with height. Whether wrapped smoothly or curled, the new look in hairdos is tall.
Shown here are some examples by Antoine of Paris. His beehive silhouette rises high (left) and is puffed out at the back of the head. The hair shows soft waves rather than obvious curls. Very sophisticated is this version (center) in which the hair is wrapped into smooth, polished bands next to the face and combined high at the back.
Modification of the high hairdo (right) is this pretty version for shorter hair. Hair is curled high at the back and combed into a half-bang at front. Basis for all of these new hairstyles is a permanent [perm], which supplies the necessary fullness.
How to do a 60s beehive hairstyle
The dramatic cone-shaped hairdo known as the “beehive” is one you’ll be wearing and seeing this spring. For gala occasions, have it done by a hairdresser. And with a little practice, you can manage it yourself the balance of the week.
By Alicia Hart – Shamokin News-Dispatch (Pennsylvania) March 16, 1960
If you haven’t been following the latest beauty and fashion news, a beehive to you is just something you’d prefer not to run into accidentally. But if you have, you know it’s the newest rage in hairdos.
Although the dramatic, dome-shaped beehive hairdos are rather difficult to manage, they are not impossible to create at home, according to Eddie Senz, the well-known New York hairstylist. He believes that for special occasions, however, the beehive should be created by a professional.
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The beehive hairdo, step-by-step
Anyone with at least 12 inches of hair and a little patience can arrange her own beehive by following these step-by-step instructions offered by the hair stylist:
Use five or six medium-sized rollers for the front and start above the left eye. Turn the hair to the right and end these curls at the right ear.
Set three forward pin curls close to the hairline on the left side, and directly behind these, set one medium-sized roller, placed vertically, with the hair curled toward the face. l
For the crown and top, use four jumbo rollers and turn the hair toward the face. Then set the remainder of the hair on medium-sized rollers and turn the rollers diagonally toward the left.
To comb out your beehive, first brush your hair vigorously, using a few drops of a light lubricant to make it manageable and add highlights.
Above: Priscilla Presley, The Ronettes & Audrey Hepburn with beehive hairstyles
Section off the front and sides of the hair and pin them to keep them out of your way.
When you come to the back, leave about one and one-half inches of hair free, then brush up the rest to form a “miniature mushroom cloud.” Roll this hair forward loosely to form a large knot, tucking the ends under and pinning them.
Now brush the remaining back hair to the right and secure it, a little off-center, leaving the ends free. Fold the ends to cover the bobby pins and secure them. Comb the left side back off the face and pin ends. Comb right side back and pin it.
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Brush the front hair to the left, dipping it slightly to form, the bang and blend ends smoothly into hair and pin them. With a tail comb or large hairpin, coax the knot higher and gently spread the hair to cover any lines of demarcation left from sectioning off front and sides.
Remember, before you decide to try it that a young, smooth face looks best under the beehive hairstyle. It is severe enough to age the more angular face, and there’s no point in wearing something that’s new if it doesn’t make you look your best.
How to make a 60s beehive hairstyle: Step 1
This girl starts (left) with medium and jumbo-sized rollers which will give the hair just the right amount of body and curl.
How to make a ’60s beehive hairstyle: Step 2
She brushes out her hair vigorously, using a few drops of light lubricant to add highlights and make the hair easier to manage.
How to make a ’60s beehive hairstyle: Step 3
Here is the finished hairdo in one of the many versions of the beehive. It can be done with a center part or no part. A light touch of hairspray will help hold the finished hairdo in place.
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