Old Hollywood Hairstyles Perfect For Older Women To Try Today
As your wardrobe and lifestyle evolves with age, it's only natural that your hairstyle does as well. This can manifest in styles that emphasize certain features or cuts that are easy to maintain. Either way, women over 60 don't have to sacrifice glamour and beauty for the sake of propriety. Just as there are vintage hair trends that deserve a comeback, there's a number of hairstyles worn by classic stars that are perfect for older women to try.
The era of Old Hollywood, which roughly ranges from the 1920s to the 1960s, is associated with the old-fashioned glitz of perfect curls, dripping diamonds, and sweeping evening gowns worn with opera gloves. Stars like Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe have come to represent this period of the entertainment industry, wearing Old Hollywood dresses that are still setting trends today.
For women over 60 that are shopping around for a new haircut, there are a few things to consider. Experts recommend selecting cuts with face shape and features in mind, while thinking about a style's maintenance compared to your lifestyle is also essential. Beyond that, it's important to pick a cut that fills you with the confidence of a Hollywood starlet walking the red carpet.
Audrey Hepburn's pixie cut effortlessly translates to modern day
Firstly, Audrey Hepburn's pixie cut is one that's still worth emulating today. The hairstyle is characterized by soft texture and timeless elegance. As worn by the "Breakfast at Tiffany's" star, it typically leaves the nape of the neck and ears exposed, while featuring short bangs and a mild side part. A modernized version of this cut has resurfaced on young stars like Iris Law, with the celeb wearing the Hepburn-approved cut with a sleek appearance.
Judi Dench, a Hollywood icon in her own right, has proved that the hairstyle looks just as stunning on older women. "The Cherry Orchard" star was pictured at the BFI London Film Festival in 2022 with an iteration of the cut that featured additional texture on top, but with the same side-swept fringe. She let her silver-white hair shine alongside the cut, landing among the celebs who've embraced their naturally graying hair.
Experts posit that this pixie can be tailored to individual face shapes and features, but the style definitely suits Hepburn's square jaw and almond-shaped eyes. While the short length of this cut requires minimal styling on a day-to-day basis, older women who opt for this look should keep in mind that it'll take regular salon appointments to maintain the short length.
Grace Kelly's lob exudes a timeless glamour
Grace Kelly is still known for her stylish elegance, a quality that is definitely present in the curly lob she often sported. If you're unfamiliar, a lob is a longer iteration of the well-known bob, typically reaching the shoulders instead of falling around the jawline. The "Rear Window" star often wore her cut with waves close to the crown that cascaded into curls at the ends, with Peter Lamas and Alexandre de Paris being credited as her go-to hairstylists throughout her career.
Supermodel Iman stunned in a version of this Old Hollywood hairstyle when posing at the American Ballet Theatre 2025 Fall Gala. The icon appeared to update the cut with slightly more layering around the face, but maintained the deep side-part and shoulder-skimming curls. While young stars like Zendaya and Kylie Jenner have taken clear inspiration from Kelly's iconic lob, Iman proves that the classic 'do looks just as beautiful on older women.
A blunt, shoulder-length cut serves as a great start to recreating this elegant look. Heated hair rollers are essential in achieving glamour curls, while a paddle brush should be used to get a brushed-out look near the scalp. For more from the Old Hollywood star, check out the old school beauty tips from Grace Kelly that you can still use today.
Louise Brooks was known for a French bob that's been updated
Silent film star Louise Brooks is heavily associated with the sleek French bob that she wore in movies like "Pandora's Box" and "A Girl in Every Port." The cut consisted of razor-sharp edges trimmed to just below her cheekbones and slightly flipped out to points. The 'do was close-cropped in the back, in a style known as a shingle cut, and completed by blunt bangs that fell inches above the eyebrows. While similar iterations of the bob came to define the flapper era of the '20s, a Brooks-inspired cut remains chic and stylish today.
In fact, Maria de Medeiros, the Portuguese actor who's appeared in English language films such as "Pulp Fiction" and "Henry & June," has demonstrated the staying power of the French bob. She was seen rocking the cut in a pale blond color at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, opting for a jaw-skimming length and wispier bangs. While the celeb proves that chicness has no age limit, experts have some additional guidance as to who this cut would best suit.
Celebrity hairstylist Trace Henningsen explained to InStyle that the cut requires little day-to-day maintenance for those with naturally straight hair, going on to speak specifically to face shapes. "Oval face shapes are considered well-balanced, and the French bob generally suits this face shape quite well," he told the outlet. "Another complementary face shape is a heart-shaped face; the cut helps to draw attention away from the forehead, and the added layers or wispy bangs help to create balance."
Bette Davis was one of many stars to wear classic finger waves
Icon Bette Davis is credited with helping popularize the glamorous finger waves back in the 1920s, with the look also being worn by actors such as Billie Dove and Bebe Daniels. Unlike the curling iron-created Marcel waves, this hairstyle uses gel to create an S-shaped pattern that lies close to the scalp. It was thought to soften and feminize the trendy flapper bob, reading as a glitzy throwback when worn today.
Sheryl Lee Ralph looked magnificent when wearing classic finger waves at the 2026 Actor Awards. The "Abbott Elementary" star wore the style with a deep side part, taking inspiration from icon Josephine Baker with a sleek lock of hair curled against her forehead. Though young stars like Zendaya and Cara Delevingne have similarly stunned with the Old Hollywood look, Ralph showcases that glamorous finger waves are a hairstyle older women should try today.
@erinparsonsmakeup Fingerwave Hair Tutorial with @BrentonKaneDiallo 💋💋💋#fingerwaves #hairtutorial #1920s
Experts say that this style is most easily implemented on hair with a fine texture or loose curl pattern, but can be adapted for all sorts of hair types. To recreate at home, use either gel or mousse with a cutting comb to mold hair into the S-shape, pinching locks into the first curve and then using the comb to form the second. Once this process is completed, a blowdryer with a diffuser should be used to set the waves.