It is a complete fallacy that any person looks best in short hair, long hair, or medium-length hair. Any length can be becoming to you. What you must recognize is the limitations of each hair length, what hair styles can be worn with hair of that length, and if you will be happy within the limitations.

Let us suppose you choose shoulder-length hair. You could probably wear it in a pony tail, a pageboy, a chignon, an upsweep, or almost any kind of back-interest hairdo. If these were the things you wanted to do with your hair, then it would be a fine choice of length. But if you wanted the long hair to be worn in a poodle, or to make it appear short and forward in any way, it would obviously be impossible.

In deciding on the hair length you want, you must of course consider its texture and degree of curl. You realize that if in the case cited above the wearer's hair is perfectly straight, she will need a permanent for practically all of the hairdos mentioned, except the pony tail and perhaps the chignon. Therefore if she wanted long hair but did not want to have a permanent, she would have to settle for the pony tail and forego the others.

If you should choose medium-length hair, the way you wear it will be determined by the cut. For in­stance, if you wanted to wear it fluffy about the face, in most cases this would mean the very front ends would have to be cut a good deal shorter than the rest. Don't make the mistake of leaving the front ends and curl­ing them up tightly to make them appear short. This point about cutting would apply to any length regardless of its over-all appearance which might at first glance indicate that "She wears her hair long" or "Her hair is medium-length." There is always a combination of sev­eral lengths. This, incidentally, is the way you achieve naturalness, because such a hairdo can be simply brushed into place, eliminating the need for setting it in pin-curls or fastening it with barrettes or bobby pins.

You may have been going along up to now on the assumption that your physical type or some other fac­tor restricts you to wearing your hair in one length only. A little thought should convince you that there is no such thing as looking best in long hair or short. Just re­member that the proper lines in any hairdo can favor your face and features, regardless of the length of the hair.

To illustrate this point, I have pictured several mod­els and shown each of them in two or more hairdos. This should prove my contention that there need be no restrictions as to hair length or style, no matter what type of face or features you have.

SHORT OR LONG FOR MARY                 
          
The hair may be anything from very short to very long, yet always becoming to the same face

1 This style, for wavy to curly hair, is cut approx­imately two inches in length and waved as shown. The back is set in No. 2 pin-curls.

The same girl can wear her hair much shorter in summertime as the warmth brings out more curl. This hairdo was partly curled through the top in No. 4 curls and the remainder brushed into place.

Mary's first curl on the forehead is a No. 4 curl, the one behind it a No. 2. The rest are likewise No. 2.

JANE WHO HAS THICK, WAVY HAIR: Pictures 4 through 8

4. Jane's hair is parted in the center and the back is set in large No. 1 pin-curls. Draw together when dry with a rubber band near the crown and then comb it into curls.  

5 Jane's first two temple curls are No. 3 curls, the two behind them No. 4. The back is set in No. 2 curls and then either combed into curls or chignon.

6. An asymmetrical frill simply combed into place. Two No. 3 curls were used on each side; the back is cut straight down to the hairline, ending in a slight wave.

The preliminary combing establishes the lines of a hairdo, which should be followed throughout the process of setting. This bang is shorter and more thinned than the one above, so that it hugs the head.

8 The same young lady has her top hair smoothed out, cut exactly the right length, leaving the top layer a bit longer so that the frill turns slightly under. Notice that it is not completely flattened out against the forehead. The rest of the hair is waved as seen.

Ruth's wavy hair, parted in the center, is cut precisely the right length and combed into a straight bang. The sides are left a little longer to comb smoothly back, then curled into No. 2 curls.

10 This is a treatment of wavy hair a little longer than above. Parted on the side, it is cut in a straight bang. The sides are brought back to end in No. 4 curls. The back hair was turned over the hand to form a pageboy. To get the sharp indentations, a row of bobby pins was placed across the back.

Here Ruth's hair was set in No. 3 curls. The first two temple curls on either side of the part were set going forward; the next two were set going back. The hair is cut a little below the hairline and finished off in a wave.

BRENDA
12 Brenda's shoulder-length hair is straight, with a slight bend at the ends. WheVi making a pony tail, be sure it is anchored up near the top of the head, in order to give that graceful sweep. The bang here was combed into its present shape when wet, and the back was curled into six large No. 4 curls. When it was combed out and secured with the rubber band, the tail was combed into a soft straightish hank of hair.

13 Here Brenda wears her bangs even shorter. The sides and back are set in No. 2 curls. When combing, you should comb it back, drawing the curl out to make it fall in a soft wave-and-fluff combination.

14 This shows her with the same bang as above. The back has been left slightly shorter and set in No. 2 pin-curls. The sides are cut shorter and set in No. 4 curls.

APRIL

This is a recommended wave for coarse hair with some wave. Wave it as you see, using pins as indicated along the wave as you proceed. Finish up with No. 2 curls to give the  back fluff.

17 The entire top of April's hair is cut in a two-inch length. No. 1 curls when combed out will pro­vide a combination of fluff and wave. The side pieces are left longer and curled in No. 1 curls. When combed, the hair is drawn smoothly back and then pushed' slightly forward to get the waved effect. The back is curled in No. 2 curls.

19 The first temple curls are No. 3. The second two are No. 2 curls, placed so as to give a minimum of height and a maximum of width. The back, set in No. 1 curls, is held in a circular forma­tion by a series of combs placed in a circle.

20. Large No. 2 curls were used here, with the expecta­tion that they would comb out like No. 4s be­cause of their coarseness.

21. Cut exactly to measure, Ann Lee's hair is shaped close to the head. Hair groom was ap­plied while hair was wet to shape it in this way; it was then simply combed into place as you see it.

PATI 22
This is for wavy to curly hair which adapts itself to straightening as well as curling. The hair is combed exactly as you see it. The first curl on each cheek is a No. 3, the rest No. 2 curls.

Courtesy "McCall's"

In another style for Pati, the top section is cut between one and a half and two inches in length, providing fluff. The rest is slightly longer, which furnishes the wave. The row of bang curls was set in No. 3, the rest of the head in No. 2. When combing out, be sure to comb if completely back; cover the straight sections with the hair that has been, curled, drawing the wave out as you go along, with slight forward pushes.

24.Pati is shown here with her hair curled completely in large No. 2 curls. Notice how the top front hair is drawn up rather high in the setting and then flattened out a bit in the combing. To comb it successfully, first comb it all back, then draw it forward.

ALICE

25. In this coiffure for slightly wavy hair, notice how the first row of curls above the forehead are standing-up No. 1 curls, placed so that the bottom of each curl is just above the hairline. You can visualize how, as it opens up, it will fall into the desired wave. The first two curls above the ear are No. 1, the rest No. 2. When combed out, the curled sections should completely cover the straight ones.

Courtesy "McCallV 26

In this center-part hairdo, the first temple curls are set in No. 3 pin-curls, going forward and forming the wave. The second curls are No. 2, going back. The rest is set in No. 2 curls going forward. Note that curls above ear were pushed slightly back in combing.

Here crown is smoothed, then one No. 3 curl, one and one-half inches long, is placed on the forehead. The first two curls on the face are set in No. 3; the rest No. 2. When combing, the No. 3 curls should be kept close to the head, the No. 2s fluffed away.

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