Chicago in the 1930s was a city of gangsters and timeless classic style, which still has fans all over the world today. The biggest admirers of the culture and fashion of that time often hold stylized parties or events. Movies, such as The Great Gatsby, add even more love to that culture, showcasing the ability to entertain, love, captivate the gaze and feel in general. Therefore, the classic “Chicago” style is still relevant in any part of the planet. More at chicagoka.
Lifestyle in Chicago
Of course, when we think of 1920s-1930s Chicago, we associate it with crime, gangsters, mafia and entire families engaged in illegal businesses, staging bloody showdowns on the city streets to defend their turf. Despite the fact that these clans conducted their dirty affairs under the guise of more legitimate businesses, they were always ready to lend a helping hand to their family members and close friends in difficult situations. We know most of these stories from movies, but they are so vividly and high-quality filmed that it’s worth re-watching them several times. Although Chicago is primarily associated with rugged men in beautiful shirts and hats who disregard the law, Chicago beauties completely steal the show with their refinement and impeccable style.
The image of women in Chicago
First and foremost, a woman’s dress speaks about her. The “Chicago” style is no exception. Beautiful dresses with a lowered waistline, which sits at the level of jeans’ waistband. Such dresses were sewn from expensive, comfortable-to-wear natural fabrics. Tailors ordered silk, velvet, chiffon and even satin. The length of the dress varied. It could be knee-length or even to the bone. When choosing a dress, it was essential to consider the event you planned to attend. The best depiction of the “Chicago” style was achieved by the famous director Rob Marshall in his eponymous movie. By the way, this film received an Oscar for costumes.
Special charm was added to dresses with fringes, beads and sequins sewn almost all over the dress. Of course, a deep neckline and an open back did not leave any man indifferent in Chicago. Also, thin straps that emphasized the shoulders can be considered as quite seductive parts of the dress. To achieve the effect of luxury, women often attended parties in fur capes and coats. Incredible richness of the image was achieved primarily through the sewn stones, which sparkled so brightly that the sun paled in comparison.
Accessories were no less important, and women completed their look with them. Small hats, long gloves up to the elbow, wide ribbons with feathers and expensive stones and even feather boas were part of the famous style.
In those times, it was considered good taste if the handbag, shoes and gloves were of the same color. Sometimes precious stones and jewelry were replaced with costume jewelry, but only if all the accessories matched the entire ensemble.
The makeup and hairstyle played no less important role in the complete look of a Chicago beauty.
Gangster’s girlfriend hairstyle
The “Chicago” look is considered complete only if all the important elements are taken into account. Therefore, the hairstyle is one of the crucial elements. Moreover, hairstyles of that time have their unique features.
First of all, fashionistas considered hair color. There were no half-tones, only the most saturated black, bright red and almost snow-white. Moreover, the length of the hair had to be maximum to the shoulders, long hair was considered unstylish and inappropriate for this style.
A straight part was a total tastelessness, but it was allowed to make a side part. However, the most recognizable hairstyles were curls and waves. Besides, regardless of the length of the hair, the hairstyle should not hide the neck and chin of the girl. Also, the use of bright feathers, flowers and so on was highly appreciated in hairstyles.
For a Chicago hairstyle from the 1930s, hair length should be taken into account, so the most appropriate options are bob or pageboy haircuts.
Main hairstyling techniques
Of course, for girls with naturally curly hair, creating a “Chicago” hairstyle is not difficult at all. It is enough to just wash your hair and apply a fixing gel. To complete the look, just add a hairpin or a hat with a veil. However, for girls with straight hair, creating a hairstyle of a true gangster’s companion will be much more difficult. It will take some time with a curling iron or rollers to create something similar. Although the principle of styling is similar. It is important to thoroughly wash your hair, apply foam over the entire length of your hair and make curls, fixing them with hairspray.
It is important to note that although the “Chicago” style suggests short hair, it is not necessary to cut it to create a hairstyle. It is enough to make curls, beautifully style the front strands and the hair at the back can be carefully pulledinto a bun and decorated with feathers or a ribbon.
In addition to the standard hairstyle, there are also voluminous curls. Such hairstyles were created by girls who tried to attract attention to themselves or find an influential admirer. To create such a hairstyle, you will need to spend more time, but if you do everything correctly, the look will be spectacular and bright.
To create a voluminous hairstyle, you should slightly dry damp hair with a towel and make a side part. On both sides, twist the hair into thin strands with rollers, but there is one important detail, the top hair should not be twisted. When the hair is completely dry, carefully remove the rollers without damaging the integrity of the curls. Then you need to comb the uncurled hair and the tuft, if there is one. Each curl should be fixed with hairspray. After that, fix the hairstyle with a headband with stones.
It is difficult to imagine how women in the 1930s began to prepare without having curling irons or firm setting hairspray at hand. But if you look at old photos, you can see that women looked impeccable.
These two methods are more modern, but there is an authentic way that women in 1930s Chicago used. For this hairstyle, you don’t need rollers or a curling iron. That’s why this method was called the “cold wave”. For this hairstyle, you need a firm setting gel. After washing your hair, you need to towel dry it and apply the gel all over your hair. The number of waves depends on the length of your hair and personal preferences. To create the waves, you need a comb and clips. The waves can be not only straight but also diagonal. This hairstyle was quite complex to execute, but women who made this hairstyle, especially on light hair, looked stunning, like stars on the red carpet. They received admiration from men and envy from women and were always noticeable.
Of course, the whole image was important, which was complemented by bright accessories and expressive makeup.
It is worth noting that the “Chicago” style was not created by famous designers, but by ordinary Americans. At the end of the 1920s and early 1930s, prohibition was introduced, the period is also known as the Great Depression. Therefore, illegal bars and pubs began to open actively. Gangsters often rested in such places. They had not only influence but also money, which allowed them to have an excellent appearance and order expensive suits from tailors. At this time, people tried to create a certain illusion of a wealthy and happy life. This is how the “Chicago” style began its existence.