HAIR FASHIONS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 December 1938, Page 8

HAIR FASHIONS

ORIGIN OF PAGE-BOY 808. If hairdressers have their way the page-boy bob will go out, and, instead women will brush their hair up on top of the head in what Hollywood calls “bubble curls.” All the latest little hats which perch well forward have been designed for this fashion, ana they certainly make the page-boy bob look imbecile. For centuries the page-boy bob was known as the “imbecile clip” because it was the cut given mentally deficient patients in public institutions, but it really originated in Shakespeare’s day when the job of the Lord Chamberlain (who still censors plays) was to keep strolling actors from annoying Royalty and persons of high nobility. If a player disregarded warnings he was laid by the heels and the tops of his ears were clipped off. To cover up his deformity he grew a page boy bob, thus being a mere 300 years .ahead of fashion.

Except with blondes, long hair is.also ceasing to be popular, and that does, not mean only the cutting short, which usually takes place at the beginning of every summer for greater convenience when playing games or bathing.

Those who still wear their tresses long are at a great disadvantage, as only a few hair-dressers, who learned their trade in the old days, know how to deal with them properly. One of these compares the training on long hair with that of cadet on sailing vessesls, who will never, after their ..apprenticeship, have to. navigate anything but steamers. It was a difficult but valuable method of learning technique. He said that an .artistic tradesman preferred a mass of hair, ns it gave him opportunity for creative work. He had more material with which ;to carry out ideas, especially as regards the cutting, on which a successful wave depends.