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Mostly women

Styles mostly worn by women. 64 hairstyles on EveryHairstyle so far.

Many hairstyles have been worn mostly by women, often because of rules and customs about how long women's hair should be, how it should be dressed and when it should be covered. Long hair was expected of women in most cultures for most of history, so women's styles include the great updos, braids and set styles, while short cuts for women, such as the bob, became a statement of independence.

Long hair and its dressing

Long plaits, chignons, buns and updos have been women's styles in Europe, Asia and Africa for centuries. Elaborate styles, such as the Manchu liangbatou, the European pouf and the Japanese nihongami, showed status and needed servants or professional hairdressers. Married women in many cultures put their hair up or covered it, so a woman's hairstyle could show whether she was married, as with the Korean chignon fixed with a binyeo.

The short cut

In the 1910s and 1920s young women in Europe and North America cut their hair into bobs and Eton crops, to the alarm of many older people, and short hair became a sign of the modern woman. The pixie of the 1950s and 1960s and Sassoon's geometric bobs continued the change. Many women's styles have since spread to men, and the line between women's and men's hair has blurred.

Famous mostly women hairstyles

Further reading

🇬🇧 United KingdomSnood A net or cloth bag that holds hair at the back of the head.Wrapped · Any hair · 1590 🇰🇷 South KoreaBinyeo A traditional Korean hairpin used to secure chignons and signal social status.Adorned 🇺🇸 United StatesTignon A wrapped cloth headdress worn by Creole women in Louisiana.Wrapped · Any hair · 1786 Shampoo and set 🇬🇧 United KingdomShampoo and set A classic UK styling method using rollers and lotion.Styled · Any hair · 1930 🇮🇳 IndiaPunjabi paranda A multicoloured silk braid extension from Punjab.Adorned · Any hair 🇺🇸 United StatesDurag Close-fitting head cloth for hair protection and style maintenance.Wrapped · Curly hair · 1960 Hwagwan 🇰🇷 South KoreaHwagwan Elaborate Korean ceremonial coronet for womenWrapped · Any hair WorldHijab A head covering worn by Muslim women to signify modesty and faith.Wrapped WorldHeadscarf A triangular or square cloth folded to cover the hair and head while leaving the face visible.Wrapped · Any hair 🇺🇦 UkraineUkrainian wreath Traditional floral headdress for Ukrainian girls and unmarried womenWrapped · Any hair 🇮🇳 India and 3 moreDastar A turban worn by Sikhs to cover uncut hair and signify faith.Wrapped · Any hair · 1699 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreGajra Flower garland worn in the hair or on the wristAdorned · Any hair 🇰🇷 South KoreaDaenggi A traditional Korean ribbon used to tie and decorate braided hair.Adorned 🇰🇷 South KoreaGache A heavy traditional Korean wig worn by high-status women and kisaeng.Wrapped · Any hair · 1788 🇪🇸 Spain and 2 moreMantilla A traditional Spanish lace or silk veil worn over the head and shoulders, often with a comb.Wrapped · 1500 🇷🇴 Romania and 4 moreChristian head covering A cloth veil worn by Christian women for modesty and worship.Wrapped · Any hair 🇮🇳 IndiaGhoonghat A headscarf worn by married women in parts of India to cover the face.Wrapped · Any hair 🇻🇳 VietnamKhăn vấn A traditional Vietnamese head wrap coiled tightly around the hair.Wrapped · Any hair · 1744 🇨🇳 ChinaChinese hairpin Traditional Chinese hair ornaments used to secure buns and signify status.Adorned · Any hair 🇨🇳 China and 1 moreBuyao A Chinese hairpin with dangling ornaments that sway when the wearer moves.Adorned · Any hair 🇰🇷 South KoreaJokduri A traditional Korean silk coronet worn by women for weddings and formal events.Wrapped · Any hair 🇳🇬 Nigeria and 4 moreHead tie A cloth head covering worn across West and Southern Africa for fashion, faith, and tradition.Wrapped 🇺🇸 United States and 3 moreNatural hair movement A social and cultural campaign for wearing textured hair without chemical straightening.Natural · Coily and kinky hair · 1960 🇪🇸 SpainPeineta Large decorative comb worn under a lace veilAdorned · Any hair · 1800 🇸🇩 Sudan and 4 moreDreadlocks A hairstyle of rope-like hair strands formed by matting or twisting.Natural · Coily and kinky hair · 1970 WorldBangs Strands of hair cut to cover the forehead and fall over the eyebrows.Cut · Any hair · 1880 🇬🇷 Greece and 2 morePonytail A practical hairstyle where hair is gathered and secured at the back of the head.Ponytail · Any hair WorldLong hair Head hair grown to a considerable length, often past the shoulders.Styled · Any hair 🇫🇷 France and 1 moreBob cut Short to medium haircut ending at the jaw or shoulders.Cut · Any hair · 1909 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 morePerm A chemical or thermal treatment that sets permanent waves or curls into the hair.Styled · Curly hair · 1872 WorldBun A hairstyle where hair is gathered and coiled into a circular shape on the head.Updo · Any hair WorldChignon A knotted hairstyle worn at the nape or back of the head.Updo · Any hair 🇫🇷 France and 2 morePompadour High-volume hair swept up and back from the forehead.Updo · Any hair · 1950 WorldBraid Interlaced strands of hair used for style and social signalling.Braid · Any hair 🇷🇸 Serbia and 4 moreBuzz cut A very short, uniform haircut made with clippers.Cut · Any hair · 1890 🇺🇸 United States and 3 moreCornrows Tight three-strand braids woven close to the scalp in straight or curved lines.Braid · Coily and kinky hair · 1902 🇵🇱 Poland and 1 morePolish plait A matted hair formation viewed as both a medical condition and a folk amulet in Eastern Europe.Styled · Coily and kinky hair · 1600 WorldPixie cut A short hairstyle with a longer top and very short bangs.Cut · 1953 🇫🇷 France and 1 moreFontange A towering headdress and hairstyle popular in late 17th century Europe.Wrapped · 1690 🇬🇧 United KingdomPageboy Straight hair hanging below the ear with an inward turn.Cut · Straight hair · 1950 🇺🇸 United StatesBeehive A conical updo piled high on the crown.Updo · Any hair · 1960 🇯🇵 JapanHime cut A Japanese style with straight cheek-length sidelocks and long back hair.Cut · Straight hair · 1970 🇯🇵 JapanNihongami Traditional Japanese hairstyles characterized by elaborate updos, side wings, and wax styling.Updo · Straight hair WorldPigtails Two symmetrical ponytails or braids worn on opposite sides of the head.Ponytail · Any hair 🇳🇦 Namibia and 1 moreBox braids Square-parted protective braids with synthetic extensions.Braid · Coily and kinky hair · 1990 🇫🇷 France and 2 morePouf An elaborate 18th-century French hairstyle featuring extreme height and decorative ornaments.Styled · Any hair · 1775 🇬🇧 United KingdomLovelock A single long braid worn over the left shoulder by 17th-century Europeans.Braid · Any hair · 1580 WorldLob A medium-length haircut falling at or just below the shoulders.Cut · Any hair

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The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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