Americans had spent most of the 1920s in bliss as the economy was in an upswing, but the stock market crash of October 29, 1929, and the Great Depression placed a dramatic hold on this post-war affluence. It wouldn't be too long before the Jazz Age's glitz started to fade.
So 1930s women's hairstyles were less polished, as compared to the shingle bobs and finger waves of the previous decade. Their crowns remained slick, but the base of the hair was much more voluminous -- an optimal style to wear with smaller hats. Curls were softer, longer and lived-in like "King Kong" damsel in distress Fay Wray.
Big screen films provided moments of escapism, but even Hollywood's hairstylists weren't immune to the hard times. Blonde bombshell Jean Harlow's hairstylist Alfred Pagano resorted to desperate measures and used peroxide, ammonia, Clorox bleach and Lux laundry soap to perfect the actress' platinum 'do.
The 1930s may be marked by turbulent times, but we'll never forget these ten screen sirens who took our breath away with their seemingly glamorous hairstyles.
Jean Harlow
Anita Page
Norma Shearer
Bette Davis
Fay Wray
Marlene Dietrich
Carole Lombard
Barbara Stanwyck
Thelma Todd
Joan Crawford
Would you wear these 1930s hairstyles today?
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