Woman talking on the phone as her hair sets at beauty salon at Saks Fifth Avenue.
New York, 1962 Photographer: Yale Joel
Saks Fifth Avenue
Male hairdresser working on a woman's hairdo in beauty salon at Saks Fifth Avenue Dept. store.
New York, NY, 1960 Photographer: Alfred Eisenstaedt
A man cold wrapping a woman's hair.
1940 Photographer: David E. Scherman
24 comments:
I've actually had my hair done at Saks! I used to go to Lord & Taylor's, but when they closed their salon, my stylist (whom I shared with Lillian Gish!) moved to Saks.
Too out-of-the-way, so I only went once.
That last lovely looks as though she's seen the face of Princess Luciana--or maybe Mr. Ray!
Sublime!
Good heavens, the bouf that the Male Hairdresser has created. A work of art, sublime in its bouffiness.
My word verification: mencome. Well, yes they do. Thank goodness.
I'm suddenly hungry for coffee, a croissant, and a Lethal Dose of Audrey Hepburn!
My mom and aunt used to bleach each other's hair every saturday--loved watching them squeeze the stinky purple goo out of the plastic ketsup bottles and into each other's roots.
Aunt Dee decide to lighten her brows--when she rinsed all the hair was gone! The folicals and everything damaged beyond hope, she had to pencil her eyebrows for the rest of life...always looked suprised, she did!
I know, the look on her face is one dopamine rush. My goal in life is to make enough from my book to have a standing weekly appointment!
J&P: my friend's mom - a 50s starlet - had her brows shaved and, like Lana Turner, they never grew back. She still pencils them in.
Just HEAVENLY, Donna!! 90 percent of the ladies beauty here lies in the process of becoming "beautiful" to me, at least. I don't know which I'd rather be in the last pic- the client or the hairdresser.
Eve, I'd LOVE hearing about the salon set up there at Saks..could you please send me more details?? It would be wonderful if the major department stores went back to having salons there.
Clean - Sometime last year I saw a Sears that has a salon.
Course I have reservations having my hair done at Sears. I'd be afraid of that Ty person coming around and not being able to see what they've done to me until a bus has been moved.
My mom used to be a professional stylist. So I've never been in a salon like that. Oh I've been to a Fantastic Sam's, but even then my hair was just trimmed, not styled. I'd love to be able to go over to someplace like Nordstrom's and get my hair done in a new way. I've been thinking of getting a 70's style like feathered hair.
I don't remember what the Saks salon was like--I only went there once. But I used to go to the Lord & Taylor salon monthly to have my color done and an occasional cut. It was heaven!
Very posh and elegant in a 1950s way: lots of stylists, so you got personal attention (and coffee and danish); a dressing room to don your (nice cotton) robe (they even had an attendant); current magazines (beauty and decor--no one wants to read the news while having one's hair done!).
I was heartbroken when Lord & Taylor closed its salon about ten years ago. Stopped having my hair colored entirely.
Thank you so much Jami and Eve for the replies. Obviously, the REAL BEAUTY SHOP scenes are few and far between now, but contain extremely high interest levels to me. As I've mentioned to Ms. Lethal, it seems I was born waaay too late.
My most special area in this field relates to shampooing, as I serve in the position of stylist assistant at a Tennessee salon. If you can remember, were the shampooing areas seperated with the "lounge-like" shampoo chairs, or did any of the stations have the bowls right there?? Between shampooing, setting, and perming, I would have put in 20 hour days at such salons!!
Oh, Lord & Taylor had a whole separate room for the shampooing sinks! A big, long room with two rows, not just a little closet area. Then you gathered your towel around you and headed back to the mirrored styling room.
I felt like Kay Francis being primped for her day's work at Warner's!
Clean - I often feel the same way, but usually about music. I love music spanning from big band to disco. I hate rap, heavy metal, country western, etc.
I often say I should've been born long enough ago to have danced to Glenn Miller while he was still alive. (Moot point since I can't dance.)
Since I sing and have been taking vocal lessons for years, I absolutely abhor tone deaf trollups like Miley Cyrus and the rest of her fellow pop-tarts.
Of course, I'd love to go to a good old fashion salon as well. Or a beauty parlor like this one.
Mom tells stories now and again, but mostly about one woman who only had her hair washed at the palor where mom worked. (She was the shampoo girl, her sisters the stylists, at least until mom graduated from beauty school.) That story is very disgusting though. *shudders* Give you nightmares about scalp gunk under the fingernails disgusting....
I'm so glad you're telling Gene your shampoo stories!
Eve, that is such a wonderful description!! I'm sure as you walked into the room wearing one of their gowns, at least 3 or 4 "bowls" were occupied, by some neatly attired ladies. Were the chairs the lounge-type or regular shampoo chairs, and were you shampooed by a tech or your hairdresser? Thank you, Jami for that link which includes yet ANOTHER wise and pinpoint comment from our wonderful blog hostess here.
I don't remember exactly what kind of chairs they were, but we had a Shampoo Lady who did just that (lots of tips: the stylist, the shampoo lady; the cloakroom attendant--who, now that I recall, was cross-eyed!).
I do miss having my Hair Done. I remember my mother's every-Weds. appointment sat Jean Madeline outside Phila.
Eve, you're making me jealous. I SO want to have that experience. Even though mom's a former hairdresser/beautician I can't help but think how fun it would be to have others do my hair and go through all those lovely little rituals. *sighs* The few times I went to even a Fantastic Sam's for a trim mom made me wash my own hair just before going so she "wouldn't have to pay for them to do it."
And now that I'm old enough and have a job of my own to pay for it, I can't find any places like that! Oh there's some big named salon in the mall but they seem to only give those severe, angled cuts that look way too masculine for me. I like old fashion hair dos. The kind you'd find on women like Jean Harlow, Lauren Bacall, Rita Hayworth, Marilyn Monroe, and yes, I even love the feathered do of the late Farrah Fawcett. Because it was full, feminine, and flattering. And not one of them really looked like they came from a cookie cutter hair-wise. Each style complimented their personalities and the shapes of their faces.
Course I need a whole head to toe makeover. Having three older brothers and being fat I haven't really developed a style. Can barely put on foundation, blush, and lipstick - completely incapable of doing eyeshadow and liner - masquera forget it, every single brand makes my eyes tear badly, I'd rather just dye my lashes.
I also have terrible taste in clothes. (All I know is I look damn good in purple.) My dressy stuff I still ask mom to help me pick it out. I dress in the most baggy, shapeless things I can find.
Ah - but to start it off with a new hairstyle done in some sleek department store salon like you describe....
Sorry I rambled there. I just am so jealous of anyone who's had the luck to experience that even just once.
None of you are rambling - in fact, we're all making Gene's day - he is the KING of shampoo! I only wish that I could fly to Nashville for a week to treat myself to "Clean" Gene's custom shampoos! There is nothing like a fab salon visit. I love my hairdresser, but I hate her salon. It's all modern and angular and uncomfortable; when I see old salon photos I only wish I had a standing weekly appointment at Saks!
Jamisings, we have to sic "What Not to Wear" on you! You know you need help, which is 95% of the battle! Most poor bastards are staggering around thinking they look presentable.
Only problem with that, Eve, is I HATE Stacy and Clinton!
If I was going to be made over on TV I'd rather it be by Tim Gunn. But he only does New York women, not Californians like me. (I went to apply and they said "New York residents only.")
Or, if she's still alive, Emily Cho, author of the book Looking Terrific. It was published in the 70s which is why I don't know if she's still alive or not. Tried to google her but couldn't find anything out.
Yes, yes..PLEASE ramble- I do love hearing all about what REAL salons were like, along with seeing those outstanding pictures from our blog Queen.
What was salon where you mom visited like, Eve?? My special memories are cemented around the home shops of my mom and sister's "beutician", where the entire service (except when they went under the dryer) took place at the one station. Watching the lid raised on the shampoo bowl, then the chair turned to be lowered, filled me with such anticipation. Those were my favorite salon set ups!! Crazy, huh???
Jamisings, that would actually make a much better episode:
"Hi, we're Stacy and Clinton, from TLC's WHAT NOT TO WEAR!"
"Omigod, I HATE you guys!"
Gene, Jean Madeline was (and is!) a very elegant little salon on the Main Line: light, airy, a staff of maybe half a dozen on call at a time. I never had my hair done there, but my other went every Weds. for about 40 years--a weekly wash and set, color and cut every couple of months.
I wish I could set up a little separate "salon area" just for these chats.
I think it's time for the earlier proposed "Hair Talk" blog, Donna.
Eve, that salon sounds delightful. If you (and all others) would like, glance at my workplace...imaginedesignteam.com
Unfortunately, it really doesn't have an "old fashioned" feel,(i.e.adjustable shampoo bowls)but the SUPERIOR service more than makes up for that.
Oh, I forgot a VERY important piece of trivia....the salon is next door to the original house PORTER WAGONER lived when he came to Music City!!!!!!!!!!
Eve - So many people have threatened to nominate me for that show I actually have a mental speech for turning them down!
"I will NOT go on your show and here's why -
1: Stacy's a twig and Clinton's a man. Neither of you know what it's like to dress a 240 pound woman. I don't care how much education you have, it doesn't make up for LIFE EXPERIENCE. Until Stacy puts on a couple hundred pounds and Clinton magically develops huge boobs and a vagina I won't go on your show.
2: I saw you let a fat woman buy a sleeveless, large patterned dress that made her look ten pounds heavier and her arms look like they could take out Godzilla.
3: You throw out the clothes of the people you make over. I have t-shirts from musicals I've been IN, concerts I've been to, and Star Trek related ones I can no longer get. I will NOT let you throw them away even if I never wear them.
4: MOST important. I applied for your show repeatedly trying to get my MOM on your show because she doesn't dress as nicely as she did before her back surgery and always seems extremely unhappy whenever she has to dress up because she's limited to flats. You people NEVER CALLED OR E-MAILED ONCE! Because your show refuses to make over a 66 year old physically handicapped woman because you're obviously ageist putzes, I will NOT be on your bigoted show.
So take your $5,000 gift card and stick it where the sun don't shine!"
#4 is true. I've tried repeatedly to get mom onto ANY makeover show because while she still dresses nice, she doesn't dress like she used to and often cries when she has to dress up. She has spinal stenosis and had a cyst inside the spinal cord. She can't walk in heels of any height anymore. I'd do anything to make her happy again and so she wouldn't cry when she dresses up. But the shows won't even consider her cause of her being 66 and handicapped. I guess women with canes aren't hip enough. (Actually a lot of them have age limits too. Just like how I can't go on American Idol because the age limit is 28 and I'm 32. Even though I could sing circles around most of those twits.)
Donna - I think you should set up something just for hair. Maybe if more people saw that people want the salons of yester-year they'd be more inclined to bring them back. Even in these crappy economic times, I'd be willing to shell out my hard earned money for a mini-vacation at a salon and I bet the majority of women out there would agree with me.
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