Vintage style’s secret weapon… meet the hairnet or snood

Vintage hair nets are vintage style‘s secret weapon. These 1940s snoods work beautifully with ‘sweetheart’ victory rolls and they’re your best friends on a bad hair day, too.

Often crochet-based, vintage hair nets can be colour-matched to look barely-there or diva-bright, whatever your mood. So here’s what you need to know about vintage hair nets… or vintage snoods as they’re also known!

Bad hair day? Vintage hair nets to the rescue…

Honestly, vintage snoods are perfect if:

• You’re leaving the house in a dash and need a quick, easy style-fix
• You like it retro and want a quick alternative to a ponytail
• You want to time wild hair
• You prefer to straighten your hair but you don’t have the time or energy
• You’re feeling a little lazy
• Your hair’s a bit greasy, post-plait or in between washes

@Vintagious hairstyle tutorial: Hair nets with victory curls

Tips and tricks

Fix your vintage-style hair net in place with 3 easy steps:

1. Brush your hair backwards, collect it in a loose bun and tip into into the hair net.
2. Keep some hair free at the front if you want to work it into a victory rolls style.
3. Fix the hair net in place with a few bobby pins at the front – three should do it.

How to make Victory Rolls to match your snood

Separate the front section of your hair into three equal parts, and clip the central part to the top of your head to keep it out of the way. To make the victory rolls on either side, brush your hair and spray some pomade or curl lotion on it if you have some to hand. Roll the hair up towards your head, keeping a finger in the hair-tube to keep the ‘roll’ shape, and pin it to your scalp. Make sure you pin the bottom of the curl, not the top! Do this on both sides and fix the victory rolls in place with a little hairspray, if you have it. Now it’s time to work with the front section you pinned away! Unpin it, brush it and – using a comb – split it into two mini-sections with a diagonal parting. Roll these into your hairline as a series of little barrel curls (also known as elevated pin curls). The video will show you how. You may choose to do anything between two and ten pin curls – it’s all about what suits your face and how much hair you’ve got to tuck away. Once you’ve finished making your victory rolls and pin curls, you can move your vintage-style hair net higher up to meet the curls. Once you’re done, these little pin curls will fill up the space between your victory rolls, giving you a crown of curls to frame your face!

Accessories: As a classic vintage pin up look you can adorn your hair net with huge flowers to add a final flourish. You can place the flowers on either side, or both on one side for an asymmetrical look. Or you can have just one, if you prefer! It doesn’t matter, it’s up to you. Instead of flowers you can try fake birds, vintage brooches and barettes or fake sprays of berries, too.

This style doesn’t have to be perfect, and nor do you!

Vintage hair nets – where to buy?

• Buy online, buy indie. Search for ‘vintage hair nets’ or ‘1940s hair snoods’ on indie stores like Etsy and you’ll find sellers offering both true period vintage and modern retro styles.
• Feeling crafty? Make your own. Search online for original 1940s crochet patterns to create your own snood. There are lots out there.

Main photo:  ArtheliasAttic – This Etsy shop stocks lovely 1940s-style snoods and flower accessories to go with your vintage hair nets

Model: Frankie Louveles

Photography: Autumn Luciano