60s Inspired Hairstyles That Prove the Best Hair Decade Wasn’t Even Close

I need to get something off my chest. The 1960s were the greatest hair decade in human history and I will defend this opinion with my dying breath. Every other decade is out here borrowing from the 60s and pretending they came up with it. The volume? The 60s. The curtain bangs? The 60s. The effortless cool-girl waves? You guessed it. The 60s.

This was the decade that gave us Brigitte Bardot, Twiggy, Jackie Kennedy, and every single Supremes album cover. Hair was big. Hair was dramatic. Hair was a STATEMENT. And honestly, as a stylist who spends most of her time begging clients to let me add more volume, the 60s feel like my spiritual home.

So whether you’re getting ready for a themed party, a vintage photoshoot, or just a random Wednesday where you want to feel like a goddess, here are 15 60s inspired hairstyles that will have you reaching for the teasing comb immediately. Let’s go.

1. Classic Beehive Updo

The beehive is the Mount Everest of 60s hairstyles. It’s iconic. It’s dramatic. It’s the look that says, “I woke up today and chose VOLUME.” The classic beehive stacks hair high on top of the head with a smooth, rounded shape that defies both gravity and common sense. And I love every inch of it.

Here’s the thing people don’t realize about beehives: they’re actually more wearable than they look. You don’t have to go full Amy Winehouse (rest in peace, queen). A modern beehive with a few face-framing tendrils pulled loose feels elevated, not costumey. The secret is in the teasing. Back-comb section by section, smooth the top layer over, and pin it like your life depends on it. Hairspray is not optional here. It’s survival.

2. Voluminous Bouffant Hair

If the beehive is Everest, the bouffant is Kilimanjaro. Still massive. Still impressive. But slightly more approachable. The bouffant lifts the crown section sky-high while the rest of the hair flows down naturally, giving you this incredible combination of drama on top and elegance everywhere else.

I do bouffants for brides, prom queens, and anyone who walks into my salon saying, “I want BIG hair.” The trick is to section off the crown, tease it until your arm hurts, then smooth it over and pin it so the volume holds without looking crunchy. Velvet rollers the night before help a lot too. Do NOT skip the prep if you want this to last.

3. Retro Bouffant with Curls

Take the bouffant from above and add curls cascading down the sides and back? Now we’re talking SERIOUS glamour. This is the hairstyle that Hollywood starlets wore to premieres. It’s the hair you see in old black-and-white photographs that makes you whisper, “They just don’t make them like that anymore.”

I use hot rollers for the curls because they give that smooth, polished finish that a curling iron can’t quite match. The curls should be uniform, bouncy, and completely perfect. This is NOT a messy-wave situation. This is precision curling. Every curl has a job and every curl is going to do its job flawlessly.

4. Sleek Mod Bob

Twiggy. That’s it. That’s the description. The sleek mod bob is the ultimate 60s cool-girl cut. It’s sharp. It’s clean. It’s geometric in a way that feels futuristic even though it’s over sixty years old. A strong chin-length bob with zero layers, perfectly blunt ends, and a side part that means business.

What makes this cut feel 60s instead of just “regular bob” is the styling. You want it SLEEK. Flat iron every section. Use a shine serum. Make it look like glass. The mod bob should reflect light like a mirror. If you can’t see your reflection in your own hair, it’s not sleek enough. I’m only half joking.

5. Soft Textured Ponytail

The 60s ponytail is nothing like the ponytail you throw together for the gym. This is a volumized, teased, slightly dramatic pony that sits high on the head with the crown section lifted and smoothed over for that signature 60s height. Think of it as a ponytail that went to finishing school.

I love wrapping a small section of hair around the elastic to hide it because it instantly makes the whole thing look more polished. Add some soft texture to the tail itself with a large-barrel curling iron and you’ve got a look that works for date night, weddings, or any event where you want to feel like a 60s movie star running through an airport in slow motion.

6. Brigitte Bardot-Inspired Layers

Brigitte Bardot’s hair is genuinely the reason I became a hairstylist. I’m not even being dramatic. That woman’s hair had volume, movement, texture, and this effortless sensuality that nobody has ever quite replicated. Her signature look was long, layered, with tons of body and these perfect curtain-style pieces framing her face.

To get the Bardot effect, you need layers that start around the chin and get progressively longer. Back-comb the crown for volume, use a large-barrel iron for loose waves, and then mess it all up with your fingers. The goal is “I just rolled out of bed in a French villa and somehow look incredible.” Controlled chaos, baby. That’s the Bardot way.

7. Flipped Ends Shoulder Cut

The flipped ends look is SO underrated and I will never stop fighting for its comeback. This is a shoulder-length cut where the ends flip outward instead of curling under, creating this playful, bouncy shape that is pure 60s sunshine. Think Jackie Kennedy on vacation. Think every girl group on The Ed Sullivan Show.

You can get the flip with a round brush and a blow dryer (brush the ends outward as you dry), or use a flat iron and flick outward at the tips. The flip should be consistent all the way around. No random flips. Every end goes OUT. It looks preppy, polished, and ridiculously fun.

8. Vintage Pixie Cut (60s Style)

The 60s pixie was not the soft, romantic pixie we see today. It was bold. It was architectural. It was Twiggy staring directly into a camera with those giant eyelashes and basically daring you to say short hair isn’t feminine. The vintage pixie features short, textured layers on top with closely cropped sides and a strong, defined shape.

If you have the bone structure for it (and honestly, more people do than they think), this cut is absolutely liberating. It takes two minutes to style. It makes your eyes and cheekbones the star of the show. And it requires a level of confidence that, once you have it, changes everything about how you carry yourself.

9. High Volume Crown Waves

This is the look for anyone who wants 60s vibes without a specific “hairstyle.” It’s your natural hair, but BIGGER. The crown is teased and lifted for that gorgeous 60s height, and the lengths are set in soft, voluminous waves that bounce and move with every step.

I do this look constantly for clients who want vintage energy for everyday wear. It’s essentially just good blowout technique with extra emphasis on root volume. Clip the roots up while they cool, back-comb lightly at the crown, and let the waves fall where they fall. It reads retro without looking like a costume. That’s the sweet spot.

10. Curtain Bangs with Soft Layers

Curtain bangs are technically a 60s/70s crossover, but the version we’re talking about here leans firmly into 60s territory. These bangs are slightly shorter, slightly more structured, and paired with soft, blow-dried layers that have that polished, put-together quality the 60s were known for.

The difference between 60s curtain bangs and modern curtain bangs is the finish. Modern ones are messy and undone. 60s ones are SMOOTH. Blow them out with a round brush so they curve perfectly away from your face in two identical arcs. Symmetry matters here. This is not the era of “effortless.” This is the era of “I spent 45 minutes with a round brush and my hair looks phenomenal.”

11. Retro Headband Hairstyle

Sometimes the accessory makes the hairstyle, and in the 60s, the headband was QUEEN. A thick headband pushed back on voluminous, teased hair is instantly, unmistakably 60s. It’s the look you see in every vintage fashion editorial. It’s simple, it’s effective, and it takes a regular hairstyle and turns it into a moment.

My styling tip: tease the crown BEFORE placing the headband. Push the headband back about two inches from your hairline so the front section poofs up slightly over it. That little poof is everything. Without it, you just have a headband. With it, you have a 60s icon moment. Velvet and satin headbands work best for grip and for that luxe vintage feel.

12. Classic Low Bun

The 60s low bun is not the messy low bun you see on Pinterest today. No, no, no. This is a SMOOTH, polished, perfectly rolled bun that sits at the nape of your neck like a little package of elegance. Think Audrey Hepburn at breakfast. Think Grace Kelly at literally anything.

The key to the 60s low bun is the smoothness. Use a fine-tooth comb to slick everything back. Apply a light gel or pomade for hold. Twist the hair into a coil and pin it flat against the nape. Every flyaway gets smoothed down. Every bump gets combed out. This bun is about discipline, and when it’s done right? It’s absolutely devastating.

13. Soft Hippie Waves

The late 60s brought flower power, Woodstock, and the most gorgeous loose waves in hair history. Soft hippie waves are long, flowing, center-parted, and completely free. No teasing. No pins. No structure. Just pure, beautiful, “I might be on my way to a music festival” energy.

This is the 60s look for anyone who doesn’t love fussing with their hair. Air dry with some scrunching. Or braid damp hair overnight and shake it out in the morning. The waves should be imperfect, irregular, and slightly wild. If it looks too polished, you’ve gone too far. This is the anti-bouffant. And it’s just as beautiful in its own way.

14. 60s Inspired Blowout

The 60s blowout is THE blowout. It’s the standard by which all blowouts are measured. Volume at the roots, smooth body through the mid-lengths, and ends that curl gently under in a perfect, bouncy shape. It’s the hair you see on every 60s news anchor, every first lady, every woman who looked like she had her entire life figured out.

Round brush technique is everything here. Use a large barrel brush, start at the roots, lift STRAIGHT UP as you dry to build volume, and then roll the ends under. Section by section. Layer by layer. It takes time. It takes patience. But when you shake it out at the end and see that volume? Worth every single second.

15. Jackie Kennedy-Inspired Bob

We’re closing with American royalty. Jackie Kennedy’s bob is one of the most recognizable hairstyles in history, and for good reason. It’s elegant. It’s timeless. It’s the haircut that says, “I have excellent taste and I know exactly who I am.” A chin-to-shoulder length bob, slightly bouffant at the crown, with the ends curling softly under.

What makes Jackie’s bob special is the volume-to-length ratio. It’s not flat. It’s not limp. It has BODY. Back-comb the crown gently, blow dry with a round brush for that smooth flip under, and finish with a medium-hold hairspray. The result should look effortlessly polished, like you spend your weekends at the Cape and your weeknights at state dinners.

Time to Channel Your Inner 60s Icon

Here’s what I adore about 60s hair: it was unapologetically BIG. It took up space. It demanded attention. In an era where so much about being a woman was about being small and quiet, the hair said absolutely not. The hair said, “Look at me.” And I think we could all use a little more of that energy.

So whether you’re gravitating toward the polished glamour of a bouffant or the free-spirited flow of hippie waves, pick the look that makes you feel powerful. Tease those roots. Flip those ends. Wear the headband. And walk into every room like the cameras are on you.

Because darling, they should be. Your favorite vintage-obsessed stylist 💋