When you think of the sixties, your brain probably goes straight to those massive, gravity-defying beehives or the sleek, geometric bobs popularized by Mary Quant. But honestly, the real story of the decade lived in the length. Long hair 1960s hairstyles weren't just a single "look." They were a battlefield of cultural identity. In 1960, a woman with hair past her shoulders was seen as traditional, maybe even a bit conservative. By 1969? That same length was a symbol of rebellion, folk-music grit, and the burgeoning "flower power" movement. It changed everything.
People forget how radical length used to be.
Before the British Invasion hit, long hair was mostly about "setting." You didn't just wake up and go. You slept in rollers that felt like tin cans. You spent hours under a hooded dryer. You brushed it out until your arms ached. If you didn't have volume, you didn't have a style. But as the decade progressed, the stiffness melted away. The transition from the structured glamour of Brigitte Bardot to the "ironed" straightness of Peggy Lipton represents one of the most dramatic shifts in fashion history. It was the move from "constructed" to "natural," even if that natural look actually took a lot of work to maintain.
The Bardot Effect and the Rise of the Half-Up Do
If we’re talking about long hair 1960s hairstyles, we have to start with Brigitte Bardot. She was the blueprint. Before her, long hair was often kept neat. Bardot made "bedroom hair" a global phenomenon. It was messy. It was teased. It looked like she’d just climbed out of bed, yet it was undeniably sophisticated.
The core of this look was the "bouffant." Unlike the stiff beehives seen on older women, the Bardot bouffant used height at the crown while letting the rest of the hair flow freely over the shoulders. This was often paired with heavy, "curtain" bangs that hit right at the eyelash line. To get this look today, stylists like Sam McKnight often point to the importance of "backcombing" or "teasing." You take a fine-tooth comb, pull a section of hair straight up, and push the hair down toward the scalp. It creates a cushion of tangled volume that supports the top layer.
It's messy. It's tactile.
Another variation was the high ponytail with a "flip." Think of Ginger from Gilligan's Island or the early days of The Ronettes. The hair was pulled tight at the temples—giving a sort of "instant facelift" effect—and the ends were curled outward using a large-barrel iron or rollers. It felt youthful. It felt energetic. It was the ultimate "youthquake" aesthetic that defined the mid-sixties.
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Why the "Ironed" Look Changed Everything
By 1966 and 1967, the vibe shifted. Hard.
The "Mod" influence started to wane as the Hippie movement took root in San Francisco and London. This is where we see the rise of the dead-straight, center-parted look. Honestly, it's hilarious to think about now, but girls back then actually used real clothes irons to flatten their hair. They’d lay their heads down on an ironing board while a friend carefully pressed the waves out. No heat protectant. No ceramic plates. Just raw heat and a prayer.
This wasn't just about being "lazy" with styling. It was a direct rejection of the artifice of the 1950s. If your mother spent Saturday mornings at the salon getting a permanent wave, you spent Saturday morning making your hair as flat and "honest" as possible. Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell became the icons for this. Their hair was long, dark, and seemingly unstyled.
- Center Parts: These became the universal signifier of the counterculture.
- The No-Bangs Look: While early 60s styles loved a heavy fringe, the late 60s favored hair tucked behind the ears.
- Length as Currency: The longer, the better. Hair reaching the waist was the ultimate goal for the "Earth Mother" aesthetic.
But here’s the thing: it wasn't actually low maintenance. If you had naturally curly or frizzy hair, achieving that "Cher" level of sleekness was a full-time job. It required constant attention. The introduction of the first portable handheld hair dryers in the late 60s helped, but they were weak compared to what we have now. People relied on giant rollers (literally empty frozen juice cans) to stretch the hair out while it dried.
Complexity in the Shadows: The Black Is Beautiful Movement
We can't talk about long hair 1960s hairstyles without acknowledging the massive shift in Black hair culture during this decade. For the first half of the 60s, many Black women followed the "Press and Curl" trend, using heat to straighten hair to mimic European lengths and styles. It was the era of the "flipped out" bob or long, straightened layers.
Then came the late 60s.
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The "Black Is Beautiful" movement, championed by figures like Nina Simone, Angela Davis, and Marsha Hunt, turned the beauty industry on its head. While the Afro is often associated with shorter lengths, many women grew their natural hair into massive, voluminous halos. It was a political statement. It was a reclamation of space. For those who chose to keep their hair straightened, the styles became more experimental, incorporating braids and hairpieces to add length that felt regal rather than just "conformist."
It was a time of immense bravery. Choosing to wear natural hair could, and often did, result in losing jobs or facing intense social backlash. Yet, the length and volume achieved by icons of the era paved the way for every natural hair movement that followed.
Modern Myths: What Hollywood Gets Wrong
If you watch a movie set in the 60s filmed today, the hair usually looks "too good." Modern stylists often use curling irons to create "beach waves."
That didn't exist in 1964.
Waves back then were "setting" waves. They had a specific, rounded shape because they were formed over a cylinder. They didn't have that messy, piecey texture we love now. If you want a truly authentic 1960s long style, you need to avoid the "wand" and go back to rollers or a large round brush.
Also, the shine was different. Today, we use silicone-based serums to get a glass-like finish. In the 60s, it was all about hairspray—specifically Lacquer. It was thick. It was crunchy. It didn't move. Even the "natural" hippie looks often had a bit of grit to them because people weren't washing their hair every single day with sulfate-heavy shampoos.
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Technical Tips for the 1960s Aesthetic
If you're trying to recreate these long hair 1960s hairstyles for a modern context, you have to balance the vintage silhouette with modern hair health. Nobody wants to iron their hair on a board anymore.
- The Crown Work: For any 60s look, the volume starts about two inches back from the hairline. Don't tease the very front; leave a "veil" of smooth hair to comb over your backcombing.
- The "Flip" Technique: Use a 1.5-inch curling iron. Clamp the ends and roll upward toward the chin, rather than downward. Let it cool completely before touching it. This is the secret to the "staying power" of the 1965 look.
- The Center Part: Use a rat-tail comb to get a line that is perfectly straight. If your hair is stubborn, apply a small amount of pomade right at the root to "train" the hair to fall flat.
- Hairspray Choice: Look for a "workable" or "firm" hold spray. Avoid "light" sprays, as they won't hold the weight of long hair in a bouffant.
Cultural Significance of the Length
Why does this matter? Because the 1960s was the last decade where a hairstyle could truly be "dangerous." Long hair on men was a literal cause for arrest in some places, and for women, letting hair hang "wild" was seen as a sign of moral looseness.
When you see a photo of a woman from 1968 with waist-length hair and a headband across her forehead, you aren't just looking at a fashion choice. You're looking at someone who was likely protesting the Vietnam War, listening to The Jimi Hendrix Experience, and questioning the very fabric of the society she was raised in. Hair was the most visible way to say, "I am not like you."
Actionable Steps for Authentic 60s Long Hair
To get the look without the 1960s damage, follow these specific steps:
- Invest in Velcro Rollers: They provide the lift at the root that no curling iron can truly replicate. Use them on damp hair and let them air dry or use a diffuser.
- Master the "Back-Brush": Instead of a fine-tooth comb, use a boar-bristle brush to tease. It’s gentler on the cuticle and creates a softer, more "Bardot" style volume.
- Dry Shampoo is Your Friend: The 60s look relies on "grip." Freshly washed hair is often too slippery. Use dry shampoo at the roots even if your hair is clean to give it the necessary texture.
- Modernize the Finish: Use a shine spray instead of hairspray if you're going for the late-60s "Slick" look. It gives that healthy, Joni Mitchell glow without the stiffness.
The 1960s wasn't a monolith. It was a decade of rapid, sometimes violent, change. Your hair reflected which side of the "generation gap" you stood on. Whether it was the teased-to-the-heavens height of the early years or the pin-straight rebellion of the Woodstock era, long hair was the canvas upon which the decade wrote its history.
To maintain these styles, focus on scalp health. Heavy teasing and constant heat can lead to breakage at the crown. Use a weekly deep-conditioning mask and avoid metal-clip rollers, which can snag long strands. Authentic 1960s style is about confidence and the willingness to take up space—whether that’s through vertical height or sheer, flowing length.