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17 groovy hairstyles from 1960s Teen magazine covers
It was the era of beehives, mop-tops, bobs, Twiggy cuts and pageboys. Few decades had better hair style than the Sixties.
Few decades had better hair style than the Sixties. Plus, the cuts were fun to say. It was the era of beehives, mop-tops, bobs and pageboys. The feathered hair and perms of the 1980s have not aged well, yet heads of the Beatles, Supremes, Dusty, Twiggy and Goldie continue to look great on the runways and streets.
No publication better captured the quickly shifting trends in 1960s hair than Teen. The magazine ran from 1954 and 2009, but something about the Sixties output makes us feel extra nostalgic. Let's dig through the stacks and look at some of the most memorable covers from the decade.
1. July 1964
Donna Loren was a teen herself when she posed for this pointed shot. A spokesperson for Dr. Pepper, the singing actress appeared on Shindig! and popped up once on Batman. Months after this cover, the Hollywood Makeup Artists and Hair Stylists Guild named Loren one of its Deb Stars.
2. March 1969
Perhaps this is where Vicki Lawrence got her Mama's Family look? In defense of this prematurely coifed model, the cover lines do promise a "Giant guide to hair color problems."
3. June 1961
Tuesday Weld was a true style icon of the era. It's no wonder she was one of Dobie Gillis' many loves. She made an impression on the next generation, as well, popping up on album covers in the 1990s.
4. March 1966
That is quite an outfit, ready for Kirk's dreams or a Batman villain's lair. The cover teases "Hang Ten Hair" for the surf craze, though it's hard to image wearing this pageboy-beehive hybrid (Page-hive? Bee-boy?) in the ocean.
5. December 1964
Colleen Corby was the teen model of the 1960s. The brunette with the swooping locks appeared on a stunning 15 covers of Seventeen magazine in the decade — five times in 1964. This was the final look of that dominant year. We'd love to read that Beatles feature, too.
6. August 1966
Okay, so it's more of a hat-style than hairstyle. The funky, futuristic hat looks like one of the wilder uniforms of Braniff Airlines. This issue also offers alluring pieces like "Judo and the Single Girl" and "I Was a Teenage Go-Go Dancer." As music junkies, we are fascinated by the "8 super groups" that include some legends (The Byrds), some biggies of the era (Beau Brummels) and some deep obscurities (The Leaves).
7. May 1964
Ah, yes, so this is when Beatlemania hit. Mop-tops were for boys and girls.
8. December 1967
Tying your hair with candy could only work in the winter. Good luck getting melted sugar out of your ends when that melts in the summer. If there was any doubt of how high-stakes hair was at the time, read "How to Cut Your Hair And Not Cry!"
9. December 1966
This cotton candy colored braid could have come right off the head of Katy Perry. As far as "Erotic Rock: What Does It Say?"… Did they really need to spell it out?
10. July 1965
Again we see the unmistakable bell curve of Colleen Corby's doo. Credit to Teen for featuring flowers in her hair a good two years before Scott McKenzie's hit "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)."
11. August 1965
You guessed it, Corby again. Alas, Barbara Parkins, the "Peyton Place Bad Girl," did not make the cover. I always heard how my grandmother would not allow my mother to watch that show. Perhaps she was too risqué for Teen.
12. April 1960
We would be remiss to not include Annette Funicello. Anyone remember what Dipwiches, Cocoa Mud and Cloud 9 Pie were? We don't know, but we want it.
13. April 1964
One more Annette for good measure. Before Beatlemania truly took over, well before hippies, girl groups were fashion templates. Who wouldn't want to look like the Shangri-Las? Even the wholesome Lennon Sisters (that's Janet on the left) were fashion plates.
14. April 1965
Bangs and swim caps. What else do you need?
15. October 1962
Boys made the cover too, especially dreamboats like Paul Petersen, better known as Jeff Stone on The Donna Reed Show. The actor (delightfully labeled a "swingin' egg-head") is pictured here with model DeDe Lind, who would gain more fame from her Playboy spreads years later. We also dig the description of Route 66's George Maharis: "Rugged but gentle."
16. November 1959
Yes, we're cheating, it's from 1959, but it's a mere two months before the Sixties. Besides, we love that glasses and braces were no hindrance to making the cover of a mag. Roberta Shore starred in dozens of TV shows and movies, from Disney flicks to Wagon Train.
17. October 1968
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap? On the cover of a teenage magazine? Huh. It was a different time.
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23 Comments
Any Boomer criticizing some, well, "interesting" hairstyles of today should be sent this article.
Some of the '60s styles were better than others, though (especially if such styles didn't get overdone, like Donna Loren's style in #1, or like the huge bouffants seen in 1960s high school yearbooks). Moderation in 1960s hairstyling always works best.
Those are definitely some groovy haircuts!
Most boys in my youth sported a Baldy Sour. Alternately called the Hitler Youth Corp.
Soon, the '60s arrived...
Soon, the '60s arrived...
It's very obvious that the model in #2 was wearing a wig.
I was a teen when those 'zines came out.
Can't believe how silly those years were!
Can't believe how silly those years were!
The guy in #7 looks kind of creepy. 😒
Scratch "kind of".
I stand corrected. 😉
This would have been a good article for " What (is,are) the model(s) in this cover photo saying?" LOL
If I was his barber I'd be freaking out.
Thanks MeTV Staff writers for taking my suggestion. You, of course, turned into a much better story than I would've. So much appreciated.
When watching TV I pay a lot of attention to how hair is styled for the actors. For one thing, these intricate hairdos have to appear the same from scene to scene. They seem to use a lot of hair pieces for the women, usually to add height and curves. In the Sixties, they had partial hair pieces called "Falls" that added length as a single piece. I've read that Joan Collins just opted for wigs most of time, as it was much easier on her own hair. But if you watch an understated 30 minute drama like Adam 12 and similar, stylists were also experts at making everyday people look, well,... everyday! June Clever went from shoulder length hair tied up in a French Twist, to an easy care flip in later years. I've read where she was inspired by Jackie Kennedy's styling, including hairdo!
When watching TV I pay a lot of attention to how hair is styled for the actors. For one thing, these intricate hairdos have to appear the same from scene to scene. They seem to use a lot of hair pieces for the women, usually to add height and curves. In the Sixties, they had partial hair pieces called "Falls" that added length as a single piece. I've read that Joan Collins just opted for wigs most of time, as it was much easier on her own hair. But if you watch an understated 30 minute drama like Adam 12 and similar, stylists were also experts at making everyday people look, well,... everyday! June Clever went from shoulder length hair tied up in a French Twist, to an easy care flip in later years. I've read where she was inspired by Jackie Kennedy's styling, including hairdo!
Some of those models look too old to be teens.
#1: The hairdo(and makeup) of drag queens everywhere.
Ha ha. It does sort of have that "look."
The hairdo reminded me of Marlo Thomas in "That Girl".
Only Marlo's was on the longer side, though still flip-alicious.
To paraphrase the great Bob Dylan, I have grown my hair so long and strange, I look like a walking mountain range. It rolls and flows down my shoulders, all silver and gorgeous. I look fantastic! Blessed are the Peaceniks. Down with Vladimir Putin.
Young women *seemed* to be prettier in the 1950s and early 1960s... but for all of the lovely, young ladies shown in this article, my top votes go to Tuesday Weld and Annette Funicello... and even if I'd been a teen boy back then, I would have had the same chances with them as millions of other young lads had...*none* to *less than zero!* Now that I'm a "geezer", I *still* look at women... but just can't remember *why*...
Donna loren was in the. Beach Party movies.
This is a limited assortment. Even in the Beach Party movies, some of the women had long hair. And if you wanted to be a "girl" folk singer, long hair was a necessity, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Buffy Saint-Marie.
The token men don't count. Beatles haircuts was long only relative to how things had been, and the first photo the gu y's hair isn't as long as the Beatles. But there was still resistance, so it was mostly musicians and other artists who had long hair, and communards. See "Monterey Pop", longer hair then the fifties, but not particularly long. Two years later at Woodstock somewhat longer was more common, but again, the musicians had the longest hair, and e en that wasn't common.
This is a limited assortment. Even in the Beach Party movies, some of the women had long hair. And if you wanted to be a "girl" folk singer, long hair was a necessity, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Buffy Saint-Marie.
The token men don't count. Beatles haircuts was long only relative to how things had been, and the first photo the gu y's hair isn't as long as the Beatles. But there was still resistance, so it was mostly musicians and other artists who had long hair, and communards. See "Monterey Pop", longer hair then the fifties, but not particularly long. Two years later at Woodstock somewhat longer was more common, but again, the musicians had the longest hair, and e en that wasn't common.
Groovy.
Those covers are GREAT!
Particularly #10, versions of which were worn by Marlo Thomas and Mary Tyler Moore.