Big hair. I mean, really big hair. When people think about 60s hairstyles for long hair, they usually picture Brigitte Bardot sprawled on a beach in St. Tropez with a mane so voluminous it looks like it has its own zip code. It wasn't just a look; it was a revolution against the stiff, permed-to-death 1950s.
Women wanted to feel free, but they also wanted to look like they’d spent four hours in front of a vanity. It was a weird, beautiful contradiction.
If you're trying to replicate these looks today, you've probably realized that modern "beachy waves" just don't hit the same way. There's a specific architecture to 60s hair. It requires a foundational understanding of backcombing—or "teasing"—that most modern stylists have actually forgotten how to do without creating a massive knot. We’re talking about a decade that moved from the polished "New Look" leftovers to the stringy, middle-parted hippie vibes of Woodstock. It was a wild ride for hair follicles.
The Architecture of the 60s Beehive and Beyond
You can't talk about this era without mentioning Margaret Vinci Heldt. She’s the hairstylist from Chicago who basically invented the Beehive in 1960. She was asked by a magazine to create something that would fit under a fez hat. Think about that for a second. One of the most iconic 60s hairstyles for long hair started because of a hat requirement.
The Beehive isn't just a pile of hair. It’s a structural feat. To get it right, you need day-old hair because freshly washed strands are too slippery. You divide the hair, tease the living daylights out of the crown, and then "smooth over" the top layer to hide the chaos underneath. It’s a literal lie made of hairspray and bobby pins.
Then you have the "Flip." This was the go-to for the girl-next-door types, popularized by Mary Tyler Moore and later, in a much more exaggerated way, by The Supremes. The ends were curled outward using hot rollers or, if you were a teenager in 1964, literally ironing your hair with a clothes iron on an ironing board. Please don’t do that now. We have ceramic tools for a reason.
The Bardot Half-Up Look
This is the one everyone actually wants. It’s the "I just woke up in a French villa" style. It’s messy. It’s sultry. It’s fundamentally built on the "Bouffant" principle.
To pull off the Bardot, you aren't just pulling hair back. You are creating a mountain of volume at the back of the head (the occipital bone area) and letting the rest of the long hair flow down the shoulders. The fringe—or bangs—is crucial here. They need to be "curtain bangs," parted in the middle and slightly long on the sides. It frames the face while the height at the back elongates the neck. Honestly, it’s the most flattering thing a human can do with a comb and some grit.
Why 60s Hairstyles for Long Hair Dominated the Screen
Hollywood and the music industry were the primary drivers of these trends. Jean Shrimpton, often called the world's first supermodel, brought a softer, more natural version of these styles to the mainstream. She moved away from the rock-hard hairsprayed helmets of the early decade toward something that actually moved when she walked.
In the film Barbarella (1968), Jane Fonda’s hair reached peak 60s insanity. It was huge, textured, and looked almost predatory. That was the "Lioness" look. It required a mix of heavy teasing and hairpieces.
Yes, hairpieces.
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Most of the 1960s icons we admire didn't grow all that hair themselves. They used "falls" or "switches." These were hair extensions before the term existed. If you want that authentic 60s hairstyles for long hair look today, you might need to clip in some extra volume. It’s virtually impossible to get that specific silhouette with modern, thin, layered cuts. You need blunt weight at the bottom.
The Shift Toward Sleekness and the Hippie Movement
By 1967, the "Summer of Love" changed everything. The hairspray industry probably took a massive financial hit. Suddenly, the Beehive felt "establishment."
If you were a "Flower Child," you let your long hair grow naturally. The iconic look shifted to a sharp middle part with no volume at the roots. Think Cher or Joni Mitchell. This was the antithesis of the early 60s. It was about being "natural," even if it meant spending an hour making sure your hair was perfectly straight and frizz-free.
They used headbands. Not the plastic ones we use today, but fabric ribbons or braided leather worn across the forehead. It was a symbolic rejection of the "done" look. But even this "undone" look was a deliberate choice. It signaled who you were and what you believed in.
The Mod Influence
London was the center of the universe for a while. Vidal Sassoon was revolutionizing cuts, but while he’s famous for the five-point bob, his influence touched long hair too. The "Mod" look for long hair was geometric. It was often paired with heavy, blunt bangs that touched the eyelashes. It was sharp. It was cool. It was unapologetically urban.
How to Modernize 60s Hairstyles for Long Hair Today
If you walk into a grocery store with a full 1962 Beehive, people might think you’re in a costume. The trick is "deconstructing" the look.
- Focus on the Crown: You don't need to tease your whole head. Just a little lift at the back can give you that 60s vibe without the "Grandma" energy.
- Texture is Everything: The 60s were matte. Modern hair is often too shiny. Use a dry shampoo or a texture spray to get that slightly dusty, lived-in look.
- The Eye Makeup Connection: You can't really do 60s hair without the eyeliner. The hair was designed to balance out heavy lashes and winged liner. If you do the hair without the makeup, it looks unfinished. If you do both, you look like a cinematic masterpiece.
People often get the "Flip" wrong by making it too perfect. In the late 60s, the flip became softer. It wasn't a hard "J" shape at the bottom; it was more of a suggestion of a curve.
The Tools You Actually Need
Forget the 20-piece hot roller set unless you have a lot of time. To get 60s hairstyles for long hair in a modern setting, you need a large-barrel curling iron (at least 1.5 inches).
You also need a boar bristle brush. This is non-negotiable. Plastic brushes don't smooth the hair over the teased sections correctly. They just snag. A boar bristle brush allows you to "groom" the top layer so it looks polished while leaving the volume underneath intact.
And hairspray? You need two kinds. A working spray (flexible) for while you're styling, and a finishing spray (high hold) once you've achieved the desired height. Back in the day, women used Aqua Net, which was basically liquid plastic. We have better options now that won't make your hair snap off.
Common Misconceptions
People think 60s hair was "unhealthy" because of the teasing. While it wasn't great for the cuticle, the lack of daily heat styling (compared to our modern flat-iron addiction) actually saved a lot of hair. Women would "set" their hair once or twice a week and make it last. They slept on silk pillows. They wore scarves. They protected the "set."
Another myth is that you need thick hair. Wrong. The 60s was the golden age of "faking it." If your hair is thin, that’s what the teasing and the "falls" are for. It’s a style built on deception.
Practical Steps for Achieving the Look
If you want to try this tomorrow morning, start with the "Half-Up Bouffant."
- Section off the top third of your hair, from the ears up.
- Clip the front "bang" section away so it stays smooth.
- Take the section at the very top of your head and tease it at the roots. Do three or four "sub-sections" to build a cushion.
- Lightly hairspray that cushion.
- Take the smooth front section you clipped away and lay it over the "cushion."
- Pin it at the back with two bobby pins in an "X" shape.
- Give the ends of your long hair a slight curl with an iron.
This takes about ten minutes and gives you the silhouette without looking like you're heading to a Mad Men themed party.
The 1960s were a decade of massive transition, and the hair reflected that perfectly. We went from the rigid structure of the early years to the total fluidity of the late 60s. Whether you prefer the polished elegance of a Jackie Kennedy-inspired flip or the wild, untamed volume of a late-decade rock muse, these styles remain popular because they prioritize one thing: presence.
Long hair in the 60s wasn't meant to blend in. It was meant to be noticed. It was an accessory, a statement, and a crown all at once. By understanding the balance between structure and movement, you can bring that same energy into your current style.
Avoid over-washing your hair before attempting these styles. Natural oils provide the "grip" necessary for the teasing to hold. Use a tail comb for precise parting and sectioning, and always brush out the teasing gently from the ends upward when you're done for the day to avoid breakage. Layering products—starting with a volumizing mousse on damp hair and ending with a light shine spray—will ensure the look stays relevant rather than dated. Look at photos of Sharon Tate or Françoise Hardy for inspiration on how to keep the look effortless yet intentional.