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EveryHairstyle

Mostly women

Styles mostly worn by women. 126 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

Shingle bobThe modern woman's cut of the 1920sBeehiveThe tall updo of the 1960sChignonA classic low knotPixie cutA very short cropVictory rollsVictory rollsWartime set styles of the 1940sFrench twistA vertical rollThe RachelThe layered cut of the 1990sLiangbatouHeaddress of Manchu women

Further reading

KindCutBraidUpdoPonytailLocsNaturalCurlsShavedFringeStyledWrappedAdorned
Hair typeStraight hairWavy hairCurly hairCoily and kinky hairFine hairThick hairAny hair
OrderBest knownA to ZOldest firstNewest firstBy length
Hwagwan 🇰🇷 South KoreaHwagwan Elaborate Korean ceremonial coronet for womenWrapped · Any hair 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreGajra Flower garland worn in the hair or on the wristAdorned · Any hair 🇨🇳 ChinaChinese hairpin Traditional Chinese hair ornaments used to secure buns and signify status.Adorned · Any hair 🇮🇳 IndiaPunjabi paranda A multicoloured silk braid extension from Punjab.Adorned · Any hair 🇰🇷 South KoreaDaenggi A traditional Korean ribbon used to tie and decorate braided hair.Adorned 🇨🇳 China and 1 moreBuyao A Chinese hairpin with dangling ornaments that sway when the wearer moves.Adorned · Any hair 🇰🇷 South KoreaBinyeo A traditional Korean hairpin used to secure chignons and signal social status.Adorned 🇺🇦 UkraineUkrainian wreath Traditional floral headdress for Ukrainian girls and unmarried womenWrapped · Any hair 🇪🇸 SpainPeineta Large decorative comb worn under a lace veilAdorned · Any hair · 1800 🇳🇬 Nigeria and 4 moreFulani braids West African braided style with beads and side strandsBraid · Coily and kinky hair 🇨🇳 ChinaLiangbatou A tall Manchu headdress featuring two side-parted hair sections and elaborate ornamentation.Wrapped 🇺🇸 United States and 3 moreHair extensions Cosmetic additions of human or synthetic hair attached to natural hair for length and volume.Styled · Any hair · 1950 Poola Jada 🇮🇳 IndiaPoola Jada A floral and jewelled adornment for South Indian bridal braids.Adorned · Any hair Ambada 🇮🇳 IndiaAmbada Decorated Maharashtrian bridal hair bunUpdo · Any hair Kerala bridal jasmine plait 🇮🇳 IndiaKerala bridal jasmine plait Long braid wrapped in fresh jasmine garlands for Kerala brides.Braid · Any hair Hopi squash blossom whorls 🇺🇸 United StatesHopi squash blossom whorls Traditional Hopi hairstyle for unmarried maidensStyled · Straight hair Paranda 🇮🇳 IndiaParanda A colourful woven tassel braided into Punjabi hairAdorned · Any hair Goffa 🇲🇱 Mali and 1 moreGoffa Traditional braided style with metal adornments for married women in Mali and Niger.Braid · Any hair

Photo credits on this page

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

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