Hair Content – Styles & Cuts

70’s SHAG HAIRSTYLE

The shag hairstyle was just one of the prominent haircuts worn in the 70’s along with the page boy and of course the infamous mullet. After many years of having the first hand-held blow dryer in the 1920s, women in the 70’s took hairstyles that one step further. It is not known when exactly the first shag hair style was created but some believe it started in the late 60s by the Manhattan Stylist John Sahag, who sadly left us in 2005 at the age of 53. John Sahag was renowned for his dry cut technique which he developed in the late 70’s, cutting hair in unsystematic layers to create volume.

Shag Hairdo

With style comes charisma. Adopting the shag hairdo is a classic tool which some, even celebrities, use to perfect their character and esteem. Changing a coiffure is dramatic, especially when shifting to a hairdo like the shag. Even though the shag has many variations, it screams confidence, happiness and surprisingly due to the shattered look, style and freshness.

70’s Shag Hairstyle

Once the shag hairstyle became a hit in the 70’s, its popularity spiraled. It was different and captivatingly alluring. Women began wearing the shag in a medium cut with a side swept bang, like Jane Fonda’s shag hairdo in Klute.

Colored red, the shag gave women a touch of spice. Perhaps the fiery 70’s attitude followed with Jane Fonda being arrested in Cleveland.

Being a versatile style, others quickly followed. The younger generation youth movement known as hippies embraced this messy style with longer more natural layers of course to distance themselves from the mainstream conformists.

During this fascinating period, the mature generation of women wore the Jane Fonda style shag with low-cut bangs. The younger

women embraced the longer style like Goldie Hawn’s 1972 long shag with bangs framing the face.

Mens Shags

The 70’s shag hairstyle for men meant a lengthy hairdo with more often wavy layers. Rock bands and stars such as Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Bellamy Brothers, Alice Cooper and Bee Gees took on the long choppy style. The hairstyle for men ranged between curly, wavy or straight, some having layers at the ends of the hair whilst others having longer mullet style layers at the top.

Intriguingly, hard rock band members Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss of the 1972 formed band Kiss took the shag hair style to another level. With their smoking guitars, fire breathing, face paint and stage outfits, their volumized curled and wavy black styles completed their comic book style persona.

Other rock grunge bands such as Oasis and the Beatles carried this wonderful hairstyle from the 90s into the new millennium. Although, men these days have adopted and modernized shag hair style.

History of the Shag Hairstyle

The 70’s shag hairstyle then continued into the 80s with Heather Locklear’s wind swept feathered hair in TJ Hooker, the 90’s with Demi Moore’s short shag hair style in Ghost (also Mr Sahag’s brilliant work) and has now increased in popularity. It never really goes away. Its status in the fashion world is ever changing and ever increasing in recognition.

Will the 70’s shag hairstyle ever become history? Not likely! for many years to come – or perhaps forever it would seem. The shag hair style merely changes over time. Today it has been revived from the messy hairdo to a clean crisp cut. This sexy hairstyle is more stylish and versatile than ever with options ranging from choppy golden locks to upbeat and spruced office appropriate shags.