I get asked to help out with hair styles at events a lot. Hair is a tricky one! We are so used to modern styles, products, and the like that when it comes to 1940s hair, it can be a challenge. When I help out a fellow reenactor with hair, one thing that I run into a lot is that they lack a basic hair kit to achieve the proper hair styles. I will not use my own comb or brush on someone else so that means I end up working with really limited tools to create period looks. That can be challenging too. For this post, I am talking about how to put together a basic hair styling kit for events. This kit can be a really helpful for getting the right look and can really help out someone who is trying to help you too.
This basic kit is made up of items you can get at your local store, there is nothing fancy here. These items are also not expensive either. A comb, brush, and bobby pins can achieve a lot of magic but so can wads of false hair and an extra fine hair net. Those last items may be a bit harder to source locally but use the internet, you can find them. Below is a list of the basic hair items that I bring with me to help me get the looks I want or need. When I do hair for others, these are the tools that would really help me, help you:
- Comb
- Brush
- Hair Spray
- Pomade or Hair Wax
- Bobby Pins - If possible, get a variety of sizes. They come in small to extra large
- Small Hair Combs
- False Hair or Hair Rats
- Fine Hair Nets
