The beehive "originated in the United States in 1958 as one of a variety of elaborately teased and lacquered versions of 'big hair' that developed from earlier pageboy and bouffant styles," according to RetroGalaxy.com. It was considered a poufy alternative to the pageboy, which became popular in the 1920s, and is the more or less logical extreme of a 1950s bouffant hairstyle. According to the site, the style "reached its peak of popularity in the 1960s ... in the United States and other Western countries." The beehive is achieved by teasing hair--that is, backcombing the hair to create volume--then spraying the result, so that it will retain its volume. The teasing and spraying process is repeated with several layers of hair, until all the hair is poufy and grand. When the super-straight center-parted styles became popular in the later 1960s, the beehive receded into kitsch and camp. Most musicals or plays that are based in the late 1950s or early 1960s include at least a few beehived characters. Excellent examples are on view in such films as "Hairspray," "Grease," and such TV shows as the "Patty Duke Show."
The pompadour is a "style of dressing the hair in which the front hair is rolled back and the side hair up to meet it in a roll that is drawn high over the forehead," according to Encyclopedia Britannica. This style was originally popularized by the infamous Madame de Pompadour, one of the most influential mistresses of France's Louis XV. Madame de Pompadour and her contemporaries achieved the look through the use of beeswax. Those looking to create a '50s style can use a waxy styling product to smooth the back of the hair and coax the sides toward the top of the head. This look, sometimes referred to as a "greaser" look, is most appropriate for 1950s-era theatrical productions. It became highly popular when stars such as Elvis Presley and James Dean adopted it for film, stage and TV appearances. Little Richard and other 1950s singers also wore the style.
The bob hairstyle was as revolutionary and controversial during the 1920s as long hair on men was during the 1960s, sparking not only heated debates within families and social groups, but pointed editorials in newspapers. Until that time, in Western society, long hair was considered feminine and alluring. Cutting one's hair short was considered by many to be a threat to the status quo in terms of gender roles. The actress Louise Brooks popularized a version of the bob that barely skimmed the earlobe and included thick, super-straight bangs. Other versions of the bob are bang-free and reach the nape of the neck. The bob is an appropriate hairstyle for an independent, free-spirited female character of the 1920s.