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Mostly women

Styles mostly worn by women. 83 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

Hwagwan 🇰🇷 South KoreaHwagwan Elaborate Korean ceremonial coronet for womenWrapped · Any hair 🇮🇳 India and 3 moreDastar A turban worn by Sikhs to cover uncut hair and signify faith.Wrapped · Any hair · 1699 🇰🇷 South KoreaGache A heavy traditional Korean wig worn by high-status women and kisaeng.Wrapped · Any hair · 1788 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreGajra Flower garland worn in the hair or on the wristAdorned · Any hair 🇮🇳 IndiaGhoonghat A headscarf worn by married women in parts of India to cover the face.Wrapped · Any hair 🇷🇴 Romania and 4 moreChristian head covering A cloth veil worn by Christian women for modesty and worship.Wrapped · Any hair 🇻🇳 VietnamKhăn vấn A traditional Vietnamese head wrap coiled tightly around the hair.Wrapped · Any hair · 1744 🇨🇳 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 🇪🇸 SpainPeineta Large decorative comb worn under a lace veilAdorned · Any hair · 1800 🇺🇸 United StatesTignon A wrapped cloth headdress worn by Creole women in Louisiana.Wrapped · Any hair · 1786 🇮🇳 IndiaPunjabi paranda A multicoloured silk braid extension from Punjab.Adorned · Any hair Shampoo and set 🇬🇧 United KingdomShampoo and set A classic UK styling method using rollers and lotion.Styled · Any hair · 1930 🇬🇧 United KingdomSnood A net or cloth bag that holds hair at the back of the head.Wrapped · Any hair · 1590 WorldHeadscarf A triangular or square cloth folded to cover the hair and head while leaving the face visible.Wrapped · Any hair 🇨🇳 ChinaChinese hairpin Traditional Chinese hair ornaments used to secure buns and signify status.Adorned · Any hair 🇺🇦 UkraineUkrainian wreath Traditional floral headdress for Ukrainian girls and unmarried womenWrapped · Any hair 🇸🇩 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 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 WorldBraid Interlaced strands of hair used for style and social signalling.Braid · Any hair 🇫🇷 France and 2 morePompadour High-volume hair swept up and back from the forehead.Updo · Any hair · 1950 🇷🇸 Serbia and 4 moreBuzz cut A very short, uniform haircut made with clippers.Cut · Any hair · 1890 🇺🇸 United StatesBeehive A conical updo piled high on the crown.Updo · Any hair · 1960 WorldPigtails Two symmetrical ponytails or braids worn on opposite sides of the head.Ponytail · Any hair 🇫🇷 France and 2 morePouf An elaborate 18th-century French hairstyle featuring extreme height and decorative ornaments.Styled · Any hair · 1775 WorldLob A medium-length haircut falling at or just below the shoulders.Cut · Any hair WorldShort hair A general category for haircuts kept above the shoulders or chin.Cut · Any hair · 1920 WorldMarcelling A heat-styled curl technique from the 1870s.Curls · Any hair · 1872 🇬🇧 United KingdomLovelock A single long braid worn over the left shoulder by 17th-century Europeans.Braid · Any hair · 1580 🇫🇷 France and 1 moreBouffant A puffy, rounded hairstyle with height at the crown.Styled · Any hair · 1950 🇫🇷 FranceTitus cut Short layered cut with curls from late 18th-century FranceCut · Curly hair · 1791 Eton crop 🇬🇧 United KingdomEton crop A very short, slicked-down women's cut from the 1920s.Cut · Any hair · 1920 Historical Christian hairstyle WorldHistorical Christian hairstyles A survey of hair practices in Christianity from antiquity to the early modern period.Shaved · Any hair 🇷🇺 RussiaRussian braid A traditional long plait from Russia with historic marital meanings.Braid · Any hair 🇫🇷 France and 1 moreHigh roll A towering 18th-century hairstyle built with frames and pomatum.Styled · Any hair · 1760 🇯🇵 JapanFrench twist An elegant updo where hair is twisted vertically against the head.Updo · Any hair · 1940 🇬🇷 GreeceGreco-Roman hairstyles Hair practices of ancient Greece and Rome, including long locks, short crops, and net head-dresses.Wrapped · Any hair Digital perm 🇯🇵 Japan and 1 moreDigital perm Heat-set waves that look best when dry.Curls · Any hair 🇺🇸 United StatesHalo hairstyle Horizontal bands of light colour wrapping around the head.Styled · Any hair · 2013 Shuku 🇳🇬 NigeriaShuku A Yoruba braided updo where hair is gathered into a hump on top of the head.Braid · Any hair Koroba 🇳🇬 NigeriaKoroba A Yoruba braid styled like an upside-down basketBraid · Any hair 🇬🇧 United KingdomCockernonnie A mid-19th century Scottish updo where hair was gathered into a bun.Updo · Any hair · 1850 EuropeRoman hairstyles Ancient Roman hair fashions reflecting status and identityUpdo · Any hair

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