A decade of changes.
L - R, top to bottom
If in The '50s, hair was properly structured to signal postwar prosperity and scientific progress, in The '60s, hair was done the same, but to new heights.
L - R, top to bottom
Considering the zeitgeist of the decade happens to be The Space Race, and much of science fiction is fixated on that, for hair, the sky is literally the limit, so much so that even the extreme hairstyles of 20 years later look quaint in comparison. There's even a quote that originated from The Deep South, that says "The higher the hair, the closer to God," that fully embraces this trope.
While there is no definitive hairstyle during the decade, as hairstyles rapidly changed throughout the whole decade, the constant staples include "getting high" and "letting loose". Hairstyles of the early parts of the decade had carryovers from the previous decade, with added height and volume, and a more streamlined look; the middle of the decade had Mod-influenced coifs with carefully-trimmed bangs, with some styles opting for geometric trims; and the end of the decade let all hairstyles loose for both sexes, with men sporting facial hair, and African-Americans started to sport their natural hair in reaction against previous hairdressing methods.
Note: Kindly provide examples of works after the 1960s, or period pieces and sci-fi settings made in the 1960s and beyond that have this type of hair. Instances of "[1960s work set in the 1960s] has 60s hair", except for very special cases, would state the obvious.
See also '50s Hair, '70s Hair, '80s Hair, and '90s Hair.
Popular hairstyles:
Women
- Bouffants
- A variant is the bubble cut popularized by Barbie
- The beehive
- The flipped hairstyle popularized by Jackie Kennedy
- The Bubble flip, a cross of a bouffant and a flip
- The layered and curly artichoke
- Geometric bobs (popularized by Vidal Sassoon)
- Bombshell hair
- Curly hair extensions late in the decade
Men
- Sideparts
- Pompadours (popularized by Elvis Presley)
- Bowl cuts
- Moptops (popularized by The Beatles and scooter riding Mods)
- The unkempt variant (popularized by The Rolling Stones and The Who)
- Facial hair at the later part of the decade
- Sideburns
Accessories
- Headbands
Unisex
- Loose, Messy Hair in the later part of the decade.
- Afros for African-Americans.
'50s carryover
- Pompadours, now larger and with sideburns.
- Thick eyebrows, now filled in and angular.
Examples in media:
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Comic Books
- Ant-Man: Janet Van Dyne aka The Wasp's pointy bubble flip
that's she managed to hang onto for decades throughout the earlier Avengers comics. The only modern changes Jan has ever gotten is to either have slighter longer hair or Boyish Short Hair (she looks good with both). Strangely Nadia Pym is given a very similar hairdo◊ despite not being related to Janet at all* .
- Batman: During this era Barbara Gordon wore her hair in a beehive updo in her civilian life as a librarian.
- Fantastic Four: In the early comics Sue had some glaring bouffant hair that was mercifully changed into the longer look she's better known for. Though this do for Sue has reppeared◊ in later comics.
- Josie and the Pussycats: The early years had Josie start out with a tall bouffant with a little flip and a bow in the middle (later becoming less bouffant and more pageboy as the years went by), Melody with Jean Shrimpton-esque bouffant and flip, Alexandra with her hair up in an updo with a scarf and later long hair, Valerie with an afro, Alexander started with a sidepart and soon grew his hair out from a Beatle cut, and Alan gets a very grown out sidepart.
- The Incredible Hulk: Rick Jones in his early appearances had a pompadour and Betty Ross has a flipped style◊ which was reminiscent of Jacqueline Kennedy along with the rest of her outfit.
- Sabrina the Teenage Witch: In her debut, Sabrina wore a bouffant with short bangs topped with a headband.
- Spider-Man: Betty Brant similar to Janet has a pointy ended bubble flip that hasn't changed◊ for nigh on 60 years now. There's also Gwen Stacy's fipped hair◊ likely inspired by Brigitte Bardot◊ (along with the black hairband) though it later became more straight like MJ's hair. The most noticeable male example would be Doctor Octopus and his Beatlemania bowl cut that he's kept ever since.
- The Mighty Thor: Thor in his early days was known for his long hippie locks that In-Universe some flower children complimented him on◊, he's had his hair greatly shortened since then (excluding the brief period in the 90s where he got full on Barbarian Long Hair). Lady Sif had some bombshell hair◊ back then too.
- X-Men: Jean early on had a flipped-end style◊ while the boys Scott, Hank, Bobby and Warren had sidepartings.
Comic Strips
- Many female characters in The Far Side feature beehive hairdos, usually paired with cat eye glasses. In the world of the strip, these are a universal signifier for mother figures and frumpy housewives, and are found on women of all species.
Films — Live-Action
- The 1962 film The Counterfeit Traitor, a loosely based tale of an American-born Swedish spy Eric Erickson, has much of the cast sporting early 1960s hair instead of the period accurate World War II era dos. An example is Marianne, played by Lilli Palmer, who sports a bouffant◊ in the film compared to the actress in the 1940s◊.
- Post-makeover Eliza, from the 1964 film adaptation of My Fair Lady, has her sporting a 1960s take◊ on late Edwardian coiffures, especially at the Embassy Ball.
- The 1965 film adaptation of The Sound of Music has Maria donning a bowl cut, which would be considered out of place in late 1930s Austria.
- Psych-Out prominently features a hippie commune, with many male characters having long, flowing hair or big white-guy afros, and one character having massive sideburns.
Literature
- As things like pop culture are slow to changes in rural Oklahoma in 1965, The Outsiders still has that late 50s and early 60s carryover of greaser hair, but with a bit of a touch of Messy Hair.
Live Action TV
- An interesting case is the Second Doctor from Doctor Who, who, despite saying that was against his taste when he was the First Doctor, wears a moptop (with touches of bowl cut) anyway, just like The Beatles.
- Mad Men (set during 1960-1970) has a host of varieties of hairstyles from the period: Joan's Beehive Hairdo which later had relaxed into a curly artichoke, Peggy's flip hairdos a la Jackie Kennedy, Betty Draper gets bouffant hairdos similar to Ladybird Johnson and Pat Nixon, Sally Draper's hair clips and headbands, Megan's flip and long bombshell hair, most of the older men continued with their '50s Hair looks, young men like Ken (who had a sidepart) and Harry let their sideburns grow or used the new "Dry Look", Pete Campbell gets a receding hairline where his gelled sidepart used to be. Season 4 Newcomer Stan Rizzo goes from a Jock-like sidepart to growing his hair (and beard) out.
- Star Trek: The Original Series:
- Yeoman Rand has a Beehive Hairdo and Uhura has a pixie cut before sporting a bouffant in the later seasons.
- The character of Pavel Chekov was introduced in season 2 in response to the popularity of The Monkees, and his actor Walter Koenig wore a moptop wig.
Music
- Founded in 1976, The B-52s took their name from the beehive style hairdos worn by the group's female singers.
- Taking The Beatles as direct inspiration for their music, The '90s Brit Pop band Oasis wore (and some members still wear) moptop haircuts like the Fab Four.
Visual Novels
- Melody and Sophia faithfully replicate these hairstyles in Melody when they go to a music-themed party dressed as hippies.
Web Original
- The In-Universe television show, Welcome Home (Clown Illustrations), was created in the late 60’s, which is reflected in the character designs. Most prominently with the Wally Darling, who sports a massive pompadour that ends in a swirl, and Julie Joyful, her’s is usually styled in a bouffant with a prominent “bump” in the back.
Western Animation
- The Flintstones mostly had '50s Hair with Fred, Wilma, and Barney. But Betty sticks out with her hairdo that was clearly inspired by Jackie Kennedy.
- Scooby-Doo has the gang still donning '60s hairstyles for half a century, with Daphne wearing Jean Shrimpton-esque locks, Velma with a bowl bob, Fred with a prim moptop, and Shaggy with... well... shaggy hair and a stubble.
Real Life
- Japanese Delinquents use frondous pompadours and sideburns as part of their haircuts, being later known as Delinquent Hair. This fad continues until today and had been inspiration for fictional delinquents (and wannabes) in Japanese Media.
- Former Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos is (in)famously ubiquitous with her signature beehive hairdo.
