Tutorial :: Victory Roll (with chopsticks!)

I love when someone looks like they could belong in the 1940s (or any different era for that matter). I also love it when someone takes something classic from another era and changes it a bit to make it modern again. That's what this tutorial is, an ode to 1940s victory rolls. You can use this tutorial to do classic victory rolls and look like a pin-up or to style your hair like I did, which is more like a nod to a 1940s look with just one roll on the side.



Here's what you need:
- a small brush
- a set of chopsticks (I have tons from Chinese takeout)
- bobby pins



1. Part the section you'd like to put up in a roll and brush it so it's smooth and the hairs on the side of your head are going up toward the top of your head.

2. Put your hair in between two chopsticks. Hold the chopsticks whichever way is most comfortable for you so you can have a good grip on your hair. Position the chopsticks wherever you want the roll to be.

3. Slide the chopsticks up to the ends of your hair and begin to wrap your hair around them.

4. Roll the chopsticks down towards the middle of your head. You'll feel your grip get tighter the lower you go until you don't really have to hold your hair in place anymore.

5. Roll and twist the chopsticks until your roll is tightly in the position on your head you want it to be. It's easiest if you started with the chopsticks in the position you wanted your roll to be, as mentioned in step 2.

6. Slide a strong bobby pin in the back of your roll close to your scalp.

7. Slide consecutive bobby pins across the inner part of the roll starting in the back and working your way all the way to the front of your head. Apply the bobby pins like this so they are all hidden. I used about 8 bobby pins all the way across my roll.

8. Your roll should feel really tight and secure. Now you can just slide the chopsticks out and you're done!

photography by alpha smoot

graphics designed by becca clason