Bollywood is one of the most famous film industries in the world and has always inspired many fashion styles. Indian fashion designers take inspiration from Bollywood to create new trends. People who love watching Bollywood movies try and learn a new fashion style every time they find something new. Today, the film industry has evolved a lot and most of the fashion designs are kept mainstream. But back in the retro days, fashion styling and Bollywood hair styles in movies were more dramatic. From costumes to make-up, retro fashion was something completely different. Some old trends are slowly coming back in the fashion industry. Let us look at some of the retro fashion styles used in old Bollywood movies that are still famous today.
Retro Bollywood Hair Styles
1. Sadhana Cut
One woman set a timeless trend among Indian women with her path-breaking hairdo in 1960s Bollywood, when ideas like fashion styling were still not used. Sadhana Shivdasani, a veteran actress, was known simply as Sadhana, and her soft-fringe haircut was called the “Sadhana Cut”. It was due to her that this cut got famous and got a name of its own. She wore this hairstyle for a lot of famous movies like – Waqt, Mera Saya, Ek Musafir.
It was heavily followed by fashion designers in those times. As the saying goes, history repeats itself, so did this hairstyle. It came back with a boom and people started calling it “bangs”. However, some people still call it the “Sadhana cut”. It goes well with short hair but some people can also pull off this fashion style with their long hair.
Image source: The Indian Express
2. Step-cut
Another famous retro one among Bollywood hair styles was the step cut on short hair. This was majorly seen on Madhuri Dixit also known as the Dhak Dhak girl. When Madhuri Dixit was asked to experiment with new hairstyles now and then, she would stick to her classic look, choosing the step cut. Meenakshi Sheshadri, a 90s competitor, dressed in the same fashion style.
Soon after, this cut was also seen on long hair. It gave a completely different look on women with long hair when compared to women with short hair. Thus, giving a new look altogether. Step-cut would appear as a different style when seen on straight hair versus the curly hair. Sometimes the fashion designers of Bollywood would blow dry their step cut hair to give it a more puffy look!
Image source: Pinterest
3. Perm
While it was already famous in the West, it came to Bollywood only in the mid 80s. The curls achieved are more in number and also volume, thanks to the use of narrow curling rods or a specific machine to get the perms. Pooja Bhatt and Raveena Tandon were the first ones to have appeared with this fashion style on the big screens. It was soon followed by various other actresses and the general people too. Retro somehow manages to come back, so did this hairstyle. After Bollywood saw a great obsession over straight hair, a shift to something not so boring was needed. A lot of present famous actresses have been seen wearing this fashion look like Kangana Ranaut in the movie Queen, Anushka Sharma in Sanju, Shilpa Shetty, Esha Gupta, etc.
Image source: Celebsunfolded
4. The Back Combed Bun
Emerging from the 70s, this fashion style started in the Bollywood fashion industry a long time ago. It is the most elegant look on actresses or is at least believed to be so. This fashion style consists of gelled back combed hair with a tight bun at the back. This look helped in enhancing the ear jewellery and the facial expressions. From Reena Roy, Rakhi and Mumtaaz to Kajol, Aishwarya, Kareena and Deepika, this look has always thrived to be the most elegant look on sarees and gowns. It is simple, beautiful, elegant and is loved by many women across India.
5. Bee in your Bonnet (Puffed Hair)
The beehive look that was seen in different parts of the world and was an iconic fashion style of the 1960s. It had a major influence on Bollywood as well. Whether it was Helen and Mumtaz’s gorgeously decorated version of the big hair or Rakhi Gulzar’s gorgeous and elegant version, the beehive never failed to leave an impression on the people. From the 1960s to 2000s, it got a new name and was being called as a puff. Fashion designers could be seen using this style as well. It would be a puff with a sleek low bun, a puff with some side flicks, a puff with a high bun or a puff with open short hair and a coloured hair band. This fashion style gained popularity not just among the actresses but also among the general crowd, especially the college going students from both the eras, old and new.
Image Source: Pinterest
Just like the ones mentioned above, the Bollywood film industry has always been able to create new fashion styles. These hairstyles are old but can still be spotted among women. Fashion designers in Bollywood, actively try to bring back these old fashion styles.
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