In case you haven't been paying attention, retro hair is e-v-e-r-y-where right now, from Amy Winehouse's gravity-defying beehive to the prim updos of "Mad Men"'s secretary pool.

So, in an act of total selflessness, I bravely ventured to Manhattan's Pimps & Pinups salon (get 20 percent off if you mention this post, btw), where they specialize in vintage hairstyles. One word: LOVE. Read on for how to do this at home, or just bask in my transformation.



Through the magic of technology, getting the coifs of yesteryear is no longer an afternoon-eating undertaking, but you should still expect to lose about an hour in the process.

Here's what you'll need:

Lightweight volume and texturizing gel (we used Kevin Murphy Anti Gravity, $17)
Heat-protecting spray
Wide-toothed comb
Clips to hold hair in sections
A curling iron
Rollers and fasteners
Blow dryer
Teasing comb
A flexible hairspray that doesn't dry too hard
A million or so bobby pins

1. Start with clean, bone-dry hair. (You might want to wash first with a clarifying shampoo to get rid of built-up product gunk, but make sure your hair is completely dry before you start styling.) Plug in the curling iron (or hot rollers, if that's what you're using). Work in the texturizing gel and then spritz all over with the heat-protecting spray.

2. With a comb, part your hair in a slightly diagonal line from front to back, starting from where it parts naturally. On each side of the part, divide the hair down the middle so you have two sections, then divide each section horizontally so you have four. Clip, clip, clip. Reach behind you and repeat with the hair in back. You'll have 12 sections total.

3. Unclip one section in the front. Brush it out, then run the hot curling iron from the base to the middle of the section. Curl it under back toward your head, then wrap the rest of the strands around the barrel. Don't twist the hair. Hold it level; you want the hair flat in the curl. Heat the hair to the point where it's too hot to touch (but before you smell it burning), then release the iron. Immediately re-roll the curl into a roller and secure. If you're using hot rollers, you can skip the curling iron and go straight to rolling. Repeat this for all the sections.

4. For long-lasting curls, the trick is to heat the hair all the way up, then cool it all the way down. Don't undo the rollers too soon! Wait at least 10 minutes after you're all rolled up. Grab your blow dryer. Switch it on and use the back -- where the vent is -- to literally suck the heat out of your curls. (But make sure the netting is fine enough that your hair won't end up shredded in the fan.)

5. Undo the rollers, starting in the back. Use the wide-tooth comb to brush the curls into glamorous Old Hollywood-style S waves. Spray all over with hairspray. At this point you can take the style in a number of directions. You could tuck your back curls into a sassy hairnet, throw on a feather headband (total shout-out to Pimps & Pinups stylist Michelle, who makes her own feather headpieces and veils by hand, like this one) or just stop here for sexy Veronica Lake hair.


INSIDER TIP: If you want your curls to last overnight, grab an old-school scrunchie and pile them in a loose ponytail on the top of your head. In the morning, just brush 'em out and go.

6. For my boogie-woogie barrel curls shown above, take the front section of the hair -- where you put that first roller -- and wrap it around your index and middle finger (my stylist called this her "gun") in a loose curl. Hold the curl to the hairline and stick and secure one bobby pin through the loop, then another below for support. Spray with hairspray. Grab the side section of your hair and tease down into the roots until you have a good soft cushion. Take your "gun" and wrap the section in a tight vertical manicotti kind of shape. Pin, pin, pin. (Don't worry if it looks kind of puffy and Bram Stoker's Dracula-ish or there are frizzy fly-aways, you'll fix those in a sec.) Repeat the manicotti curl on the other side of your head. Pin some more.

7. To finish, spray a generous amount of hairspray on the palm of one hand. Rub it between both hands and lightly smooth down any errant frizzies. If any areas look matted or tangly, use a small brush like a toothbrush or eyebrow brush to lightly calm them down. Apply red lipstick and black eyeliner. Knock 'em dead.

Tasty Deal!
Pimps & Pinups will take 20% off all services at its NYC location when you mention this post.