Victory Rolls... Vintage Hair Tutorial Part 4

Now onto my favorite vintage hairstyle, and one that I am known for... The victory roll. In the late 1940's woman all over the U.S were wearing these intricate and polished rolls. The term Victory Roll was actually used during WWII for a fighter plane maneuver, but woman quickly adopted the term to describe the popular hair style.
This style requires dry hair. It will also be much easier to achieve this style if your hair is rolled or curled with the curling iron first to create body and ply-ability. Now I will warn you that it will take some practice to get a good victory roll, and even more practice to achieve more than one victory roll that match in size. Don't become discouraged, you will get it. There are two ways to do a victory roll. I will start with the easier of the two....
Using a tool is the easiest way to insure a nice tight and even roll. The best thing to use is this Curl Easy Pro Brush by Newave which comes in three sizes and is available at Sally's beauty supply stores for around $6. If using this tool or something similar you will need to decide where you want your roll or rolls. In the 40's woman usually wore one roll to the side with her hair down, or two rolls one on each side of pompadour bangs, or a part down the middle of the head with an even roll on each side with an updo.
Decide where you want the roll and gather that section of hair extending it straight up from your head. The more hair you gather the bigger the roll. Using your styling tool wrap gathered hair around the brush and roll down ward towards your head keeping hair pulled taunt. Once you have rolled the whole section of hair around the brush, and the brush is touching the top of your head, carefully pull out the brush keeping a hold of the roll with your other hand. Using bobby pins pin the front of the roll and the back of the roll to the top of your head and spray with hair spray.
Now if you are brave, or into more traditional techniques(like myself), you will create a roll by hand. Again decide where you want the roll. Grab the section of hair in the size you desire and extend straight up from the head. See picture below...
Using your index finger and thumb start to roll a giant curl downward towards the top of the head, this will require handing the roll off between both hands....
Once you reach the top of the head, pin in the front and back of the roll with bobby pins....
Spray with hairspray!
Pictured above two victory rolls one on each size of Pompadour bangs in an updo....

Above the gorgeous Rita Hayworth with a side rolled victory roll with waved hair...
and the always beautiful Dita Von Teese with Victory rolls sitting on each side of Pompadour bangs with waved hair.


Pictures 3 - 7 courtesy of the bobby pin blog