The Modern Modification Lifestyle: Retro Hair Tutorial

Fun retro looks are a huge part of many modified subcultures, including tattooed pinup, 50s glamour, rockabilly, and pierced punkabilly style sets. There’s a way for anybody to rock a little touch of retro though, even mixing it into their everyday modern look. It’s all about creating a balance between vintage and in-the-now fashion. For hair, this means taking interesting and glamorous pinup-inspired styles and giving them a “right now” overhaul by leaving them softer and slightly disheveled. To get the sweet and carefree retro hairdo shown here, just follow the steps that are diagrammed below.

Step 1: Part your hair at the crown, and brush the front portion forward

Step 2: Start from the part and tease hair in one inch thick sections, moving forward until you’re about half way to the hairline.

Step 3: Gently brush hair back, creating a smooth surface over the volume you’ve just teased in, and secure in a low ponytail.

Step 4: Loosely twist your pony and loop hair into a loose bun, securing ends underneath the elastic.

Step 5: Play with your bun until you’ve got the ends where you want them, allowing a few hairs to slip loose, and then slide your folded scarf or bandana under the bun and knot the ends at the top of your head. Hide the ends of your bandana by tucking them under, or leave them loose for an extra feminine touch.

Folding Your Scarf or Bandana

Take your bandana and fold it in half diagonally, so that it forms the shape of a triangle. Then, starting at the wide edge, fold it over straight across, creating a flap that’s about one to two inches wide. Fold the flap over again and again, until only a small portion of the loose triangular ends is peeking out.

And there you have it. Instant retro vixen!

Style Extra: Get our lovely model Nicole’s awesome moon plugs here. They even glow in the dark!