Oh, Bee-Hive!

Monday, July 27, 2009


I've been seeing this product on TV for a while and it looks too good not to mention. It's called a bumpit and it basically gives you an easy retro beehive. Just insert it under your hair, at the top of your head and voila - instant Bridgette Bardot look. Imagine - no more torturing your hair with backcombing and tons of hairspray, or sleeping with your head wrapped in tissue paper, as wearers of the original 60s beehive were often instructed to do. I must admit, being a fine-haired gal myself, this would be fun to try, especially if you're throwing or attending a "Hairspray" inspired party. For $20 you get a couple of large ones and a couple of mini ones. Order online here. This also seems like an appropriate time to pay a little tribute to the beehive...

The Ronettes


Nancy Sinatra


Dusty Springfield


Wilma Fintstone


The beehive, or B-52 as it's also referred to (because it looked like the nose of a B-52 bomber) was invented in the late 50s by a hairstylist named Margaret Vinci Heldt. She was tasked with the challenge of coming up with a new hairstyle for a magazine shoot. Despite the work and maintenance required (not to mention layers of lacquered hairspray) the fad took off in the 60s, and was sported by famous ladies of the time including Audrey Hepburn (in "Breakfast at Tiffany's") Dusty Springfield, the Ronettes, and Nancy Sinatra. And today, the beehive has become the trademark of singer Amy Winehouse.

And here's someone who I think had the most serious beehive of all - Mary Weiss of the Shangri Las, singing (or actually, lip synching) to "Leader of the Pack" on the Steve Allen Show. Robert Goulet steals the spotlight with some comic relief:

3 comments:

  1. My hair is thick so it's hard to find anything to make it stay put, gotta love the Beehive though.

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  2. i love beehives. when i still had hair i used to play around with it but i never got it to look good enough so i never wore it out of the house. when my hair gets long enough i cant wait to do that along with victory rolls. love victory rolls.

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  3. I'd forgotten how handsome Robert Goulet was!

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