This past weekend I had the absolute pleasure of visiting the vintage hair styling salon Atomic 1940s in La Habra, California run but the award winning hair, Yanet! Bri of Zombiekutzz asked me to be a hair model for a class at the salon and I was so excited as I’ve seen Yanet’s work on social media before. The salon is a cozy studio that feels like a vintage time capsule filled with true vintage hair tools and burlesque posters that adorn the pink and teal walls. She is known for her vintage hair styling reminiscent of classic 40’s hairdo like classic waves, the pageboy and victory rolls. These looks are also associated with the Mexican-American Pachuca style and subculture that emerged during that time.
I was in the chair for about 3 hours and in that time I got to hear Yanet speak so passionately about her business and what it is like being a Latina business owner. She had been working in Vegas salons for years and just recently opened Atomic 1940s in the past year. It is now a staple in the area for vintage enthusiasts to get styled for Rockabilly events, photoshoots, weddings, or just for a fun look.
I’ve noticed in the past that vintage style has some overlap with kawaii style, and those two categories is where I draw a lot of inspiration for my own personal style. The voluminous teased hair that is apart of vintage looks reminds me a lot of the big associated with the Gyaru hair styles. After a deep dive I found both use a ton of teasing to achieve the look, specifically Hime Gyaru hair styles, which did start out inspired by western hairdos.
It’s so cool to see big hair like this rise up and down in popularity across different times and also different styles and subcultures. I have yet to try out Gyaru hair myself as it’s always been super intimidating but I really do think getting the basic techniques of vintage styling (curling and teasing) can translate to lots of different kawaii styles as well. I’m definitely going to look into kawaii bows and accessories to add next time I get my hair done so if you have any favorites brands leave them in the comments below!
Honestly, getting your hair done in a new style you’ve never tried before is a magical experience and really gets you feeling like a whole new person when you walk out of the salon. I highly suggest checking out Atomic 1940s and booking Yanet to try out a vintage look. I love how cyclical style can be and how a specific times or subcultures beauty trends can inspire another and then be reimagined on top of that. That really encapsulates the ethos of Kawaii y Latina and how the mix of different cultures can create something new. It was a nice surprise finding and exploring a connection like this in the world of beauty and hairstyling. ☆*:.｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆
