Gene is Mad for Poodles

Gene Marshall 

While on holiday, Miss M is happy to rescue Madra Lord from dog walking as she adores the precocious poodles Mitzi and Fifi. Gene wears the form-fitting sheath from Madra's "Mad About Mitzi" costume designed by Vince Nowell, circa 1955. Accessories include the corsage from "Love After Hours" and handbag from "Moments to Remember". All from Ashton Drake. White leather gloves are from Integrity. Earrings are from Robert Tonner. Hat is from Sandra Stillwell.

Love at First Sight Gene Marshall

Miss Marshall's hairstyle is updated with poodle bangs courtesy of a "transplant" from a damaged reproduction Barbie doll. OK...this might be my strangest recycling effort yet. But Gene approves of her new coif. The poodle was a popular hairstyle of the 1940's and 50's. The hallmark of this hairstyle was the tightly curled bangs. The remainder of the hair could be styled into an up do or left long with the ends curled (my personal favorite).

Frances Langford, circa 1940's
Courtesy of Butterfly Loves Snapdragons' half poodle hairstyle tutorial

Gene Marshall

On The Set with Madra Lord, 1942

Monolithic Studios' star Miss Madra Lord arrives on the set of her new film smartly dressed in a tweed plastron layered over the black crepe dress from Ashton Drake's "Dark Desire" costume. Plastron, suede color-blocked gauntlet gloves, belt and jewelry are all from The Couture Touch. Cigarette holder from Mystyna. Props are from Ashton Drake.

Miss Lord is coiffed in a wig from the famous Italian wig-maker to the Stars, Ilaria Mazzoni of Time of Doll. This miniature work of art is reminiscent of Ashton Drake's "Stolen Moments" early 1940's hairstyle.

Set in German occupied Paris during WWII, Miss Lord plays a fashion shop owner who becomes involved with spies. But which side is she on? Well, you decide. For this scene she wears a leopard plastron over a classic black dress. Plastron, belt, gloves, and train case are from D.A.E. Originals' "Charmed Traveler" costume set. Dress and earrings are from Ashton Drake. Hat from Integrity. Brooch from The Couture Touch. Miss Lord wears the Havana Nights wigcap from JamieShow. It has been cut and restyled.

"Spotted in Manhattan" Madra Lord is from Mel Odom and JamieShow.

1940's Victory Rolls

Linda Darnell, circa 1940's
Photo courtesy swingfashionista.com

A victory roll was actually the name for a WWII fighter plane maneuver. The women of the 1940's took this term and made it their own. Thus the hairstyle that defined a decade was born. Many Hollywood stars happily embraced this glamorous hairstyle.

Rita Hayworth poses for a circa 1940's jewelry ad
Photo courtesy swingfashionista.com

Ann Sheridan from "Thank Your Lucky Stars" (1943)
Photo courtesy caseykoester.wordpress.com

Hair accessories such as flowers, ribbons, bows, and scarves were the perfect complement to the victory roll. One of my favorite accessory for the victory roll is a snood.  Snoods function similar to a classic hairnet that were used to keep the back hair neat. They were the perfect option for medium to longer-length hair. Snoods could be worn during the day or evening and were available in a variety of materials. Crochet or knitted snoods were the most popular, but they could also be made of the same material as a dress to create a coordinated look.

The classic 1940's crochet snood in a fabulous color.
Photo courtesy delanceydamevintage.files.wordpress.com

On the girl in blue: A sequin snood accented with a
sapphire & moonstone clip.Costumes from Nettie Rosenstein.
Jewels from Tiffany & Company.
Photo by Horst for Vogue Nov 15, 1940.

"Belle of the Ball" Gene Marshall wears a silvery knit evening
snood from The Couture Touch to complement her sensational
brunette victory rolls.

Fabric snood to match a dress or top, circa 1942
Photo courtesy vintagedancer.com

"Parfait" Zita Charles wears her victory curls in an elegant
 evening style. Ransom in Red gown is from Ashton Drake.

Back view of a tightly rolled hairstyle option, circa 1940's
Photo courtesy veiledhaven.com

"Destiny" Gene Marshall in Pinque Passion.
Gloves from Gold Sensation. All from Ashton Drake.

In search of the perfect victory roll? Try curling the hair first. Here's how I created Destiny's victory rolls.

What you will need are some regular size drinking straws, end papers (found in beauty supply stores), straight pins, jewelry pliers, eyedropper or small measuring cup, a small pot of boiling water, a small bowl of cold water and ice, and a doll hairbrush. I use a Mattel's Barbie hairbrush.

Be sure to start with clean and tangle-free hair. I sectioned Destiny's hair from ear to ear and parted slightly off-centered. Each side was rolled using a straw cut to size. Wet the hair with water (or hair gel if desired) and wrap the ends with end papers before rolling. Hold the hair taut as you roll. To hold the roller in place, insert a straight pin through the straw and into the vinyl head with jewelry pliers. Repeat with the other side.

Fill an eyedropper or small measuring cup with the boiling water and carefully pour a little over the rollers avoiding the face and remaining hair. Immediately repeat with the cold water. Blot dry with a paper towel and allow to air dry for at least 24 hours.

When thoroughly dry, remove the pins with the jewelry pliers. Carefully remove the rollers and end papers. I just positioned the curls and secured with a couple of straight pins. That's it. The remaining hair was left long and slightly curled. No cutting or trimming was necessary for Destiny's hair length.

Disclaimer: I am by no means a professional hairstylist. If I can do it, so can you. If possible begin with an Ashton Drake Gene as their hair fiber is much more forgiving. And if you don't like the result, you can always rinse it out and start over. Happy Rolling!

Love 1940's hairstyles and want more? Click HERE to read my popular 2011 post on 1940's Hairstyles: Pompadours, Rolls, & Bangs.

Credits:

"Belle of the Ball" Gene Marshall is from Ashton Drake's 2001 Tulsa Oil Baron's Ball Gene Convention.

"Parfait" Zita Charles is from Integrity's 2010 Stardust Gene Convention.

"Destiny" Gene Marshall is from Ashton Drake.

Do Your Part

The stars of Monolithic Studios are doing their part for the war effort.  Whether it's entertaining the troops or volunteering for Civil Defense, Miss Gene Marshall and Miss Madra Lord do their part in style.

For the Boys.......

Gene Marshall delights the troops in "Pinque Passion", a daring evening gown from Ashton Drake.  A rose hair comb accents the waist.  Accessories include the long, blue gloves from "Gold Sensation", shoes from "Jazz Note", and jewelry from The Couture Touch.

A stunning "Destiny" Gene Marshall from Ashton Drake rolls her hair for Victory for this iconic 1940's hairstyle.

On the Home Front......

Madra Lord makes her rounds as a Civil Defense warden in a smart suit ensemble.  Jacket and Civil Defense armband from "Doing Her Part", skirt from "Daily Threads", blouse from "Hello Hollywood Hello", and fur from PD Root.  The gloves and restyled handbag are from Robert Tonner, shoes from Jennifer Sue.  OOAK hat from The Couture Touch.

1942 Civil Defense poster

Did you know......Gene Marshall was the first Civil Defense warden and posed for their recruitment poster.  Miniature poster from Ashton Drake's "Doing Her Part" suit ensemble.

Miss Lord is a repainted "First Encounter" Madra Lord from Ashton Drake (artist unknown).

Remembering all those who proudly serve our country.  

Happy Memorial Day!

Four Star Hairdo

Monolithic Studio's iconic star Miss Gene Marshall is newly coiffed in a chic and sophisticated wig from the Monique Collection.  The Brittany wig is a short curly style available in several shades.  Miss Marshall chose Dark Brown, and softened and shaped the curls with a Barbie brush.  To complement her new hairstyle, Gene selects the navy satin dress from Madame Alexander's Grand Hotel topped with a luxurious fur cape from Affordable Designs.  OOAK hat and cigarette holder from The Couture Touch.  Jewelry and wig from Facets by Marcia.

Short curly/wavy hairstyles were all the rage in the 1930's.  And there were no shortage (excuse the pun) of Hollywood Stars that embraced the look.

Norma Shearer

Myrna Loy
Photo courtesy spectrumculture.com

Marsha Hunt

During the 1940's short curly hairstyles were in vogue particularly during the war years.  They were simple yet sophisticated and could easily go from wartime work to evening glamour.

Miss Marshall borrows Violet Water's fabulous 1940's style navy and white suit ensemble called "Mood Indigo" from the 2002 Ashton Drake Gene Marshall Collection.  Shoes are from Integrity.

Credits: 

Miss Marshall is "Phoenix" Gene Marshall by JAMIEshow.

Gene's Patio Set is from Ashton Drake.

Christmas with Madra Lord - 1940's

Attending an art auction to benefit the Allied Relief Fund, Madra Lord shows her creative flair by pulling together pieces from the wardrobe department at Monolithic Studios for a relaxed yet elegant ensemble.  Her top is from "A Lady Knows", slacks from "Blonde Lace", hat from "Daily Threads", fur from "C'est Moi", purse from PD Root, shoes from Joe Tai, and gloves from The Couture Touch.  Miss Lord's necklace consists of two pearl necklaces layered together.

Madra Lord, "Flame" from Integrity's Stepping High Collection, re combs her bangs into a sleek rolled style to complement her fabulous new hat.

Madra's inspiration was this 1941 photo from Vogue Studios of a shirred print turban and matching half-moon bag.  Both made of brilliant blue, satin brocade in an antique Oriental pattern.  From the Millinery Shop of Talbert, Madison Ave.

A New Look for Violet

Click photo to enlarge

Heat Wave Violet Waters sizzles in PD Root's OOAK 2-piece suit ensemble, circa 1940's.  Gloves are from Ashton Drake, and the fur drape is borrowed from Integrity's Marceline Gene Marshall.  Violet's hair has been re-styled into a poodle hairdo.  Perhaps she was inspired by Linda Darnell's fabulous 40's style. 

Linda Darnell

1940's Hairstyles: Pompadours, Rolls, and Bangs

Carmen Miranda

What's a woman's most versatile accessory?  Well hair, of course!  Women in the early 1940's certainly mastered the art of keeping their hair in place while still looking their most attractive and glamorous.  My absolute favorites of the 1940's hairstyles are the fabulous variations of pompadours, rolls, and bangs.




Madame Pompadour

1940's pompadour hairstyles can have many variations.  The high rolled top section can be smoothed straight back off the forehead or combed into forward roll bangs.  It can be used in combination with rolls at the nape of the neck or with "Victory" rolls.  Sometimes the hair is left to fall in soft waves in the back.  The true pompadour has a lot of volume which was achieved by back-combing or by utilizing a "rat" to support the hair. During the war years, women used to save the hair that accumulated in their hair brush and then used it to stuff a stocking. This "rat" was then used to roll the hair to achieve the needed volume. Tip: You could actually recreate this method for styling the hair on your own Gene Marshall doll.

I was lucky to find these marvelous hair rollers at a flea market.  The rayon covered flexible wire made it easy to achieve rolls at the nape of the neck.  There were several variations of these rollers available on the market.

These Simply Gene dolls from Ashton Drake's Gene Marshall Collection were perfect for hair play.  I was able to use a vintage Solo hair roller to achieve the roll at the nape of the neck and then just played with the sides and top sections to get this glamorous look.  The gown is borrowed from Black Ice Madra Lord by Ashton Drake.

Here's an early restyled Gene with just the sides and top sections rolled.  The hat is positioned so that the pompadour style is emphasized.  OOAK hat, necklace, and belt are from The Couture Touch.  The blouse and skirt are from Bogue's Vogues for Fashion Boulevard.

I find Integrity's hair fiber to be extremely difficult to handle, but decided to rework the rolls on Ooh La La Gene's updo to give her an earlier 40's look.  I designed the hat just for her hairstyle and to compliment Mark Middendorf's Fond Farewell 1940's era suit ensemble.

Carmen Miranda shows off her 40's style in this fabulous ensemble.  I love how the veiling accents her asymmetrical rolled bangs.

A last look at this popular 1940's hairstyle.  From the archives:  A platinum Simply Gene from Ashton Drake restyled in true pompadour glory!  Suit from Tonner's Brenda Starr Collection.