Farrah Hair

Although I was born in 1962, the decade of disco has always been my favorite. I have many childhood memories of growing up in the 1970s and I enjoy sharing these memories with my children.

~~~~~~~~~~~


Farrah Hair

Have you noticed how certain hairstyles are destined to become classics? As soon as a new doo is created, the style takes on the name of the first person to wear the new hair in public.

With all the recent documentaries and news articles about the declining health of Farrah Fawcett, I thought it was only fair to talk about the most popular hairstyle to come out of the 1970s – Farrah Hair.

Farrah became an overnight sensation in 1976 as one of “Charlie’s Angles.” Farrah Hair became a trademark look, all fluffy with lots of flip and curls. Women all over the country, in all age ranges, flocked to hair salons to get the new Farrah-Do and learn how to style their own hair using hot rollers. Everywhere, women were growing out their hair so they could wear this free-flowing, ultra-feminine style.

Farrah’s feathery hairstyle was the hallmark of the mid to late 1970s, and although I’ve never been one for fashion fads, I, too, had a Farrah-Do. Yes, my shoulder length, dishwater-blond hair was backcombed, the long bangs were teased and a half can of hair spray was used to “lacquer” it into place. I think it was this hairstyle that swore me off hair spray for life, because I haven’t used it for over 20 years.

Farrah hair was not the only famous hairstyle from the 1970s – can we all say Mullet? Yes, that’s right, the unisex hair style cut short in the front and long in the back, parodied in many comedy shows and movies. I’ve heard the Mullet referred to as,

“…business in the front, party in the back.”

Although the Mullet made its debut in the late 1960s, it didn’t really catch on until the late 70s. Several celebrities who sported a Mullet in the 70s were Paul McCartney, Anthony Geary (Luke from General Hospital) and rocker Phil Collins. I am also guilty of having a mullet, but mine was during the early 1980s, so I was already behind the times.

Another hairdo from the 70s was the Shag, a hold-over from the 50s and 60s. Jane Fonda is probably the most famous person to sport a Shag – short, layered hair with more layers at the crown of the head. With a Shag, bangs are optional and can be pushed off the face with the use of styling gel. The hair around the ears is left long and the wearer should be able to tuck the hair behind the ear or pull it back out of the way.

They say everything old is new again, and the same is true with hairstyles. Although hairdos have evolved, you can still see a reinvented Farrah Do and a classic Shag - even a Mullet or two – in many areas of the country. As long as there are talented hairstylists, there will be new dos; I just wonder what trends the 21st century will bring.