Hair Flashes (1955)

The newest trend of glueing colorful hairpieces onto your head to match your dress. You are in the mood to wear something red, you can easily add a red strand of hair to match it.
London.
C/U of a gorgeous woman looking into a mirror and primping her hair. Narrator states: "The days when gentlemen may have preferred either blondes, brunettes or redheads may have gone for ever. For now a new vogue - chameleon streaks - enables a girl to match the colour of her hair to every occasion." The model's black hair has a streak of bright green in the fringe - fabulous! She pulls some great faces whilst looking in the mirror. She decides that she doesn't like the green and pulls it out. L/S of the girl who has a hair stylist standing beside her. They are in a set dressed to look like a bedroom or dressing room with a large dressing table. The model selects another colour. C/U of a set of different coloured hair pieces laid out on a piece of fabric. The hair stylist Bertram Godwin uses a special spirit gum to stick a coloured flash to the forehead of lovely South American actress Alicia Lotti (she really is gorgeous!). She is described in the paperwork as a "starlet from Equador".
Extreme C/U of glue being painted on to the end of a hair piece. C/U of Alicia having the piece stuck on. C/U of the hair being stuck on. Great C/U of Alicia. Another piece is being stuck on. Narrator states that the fashion began by accident when a firm of London wig specialists made white streaks for Gregory Peck in the film "Moby Dick". A girl assistant borrowed one of the of the "flashes" to wear for a dance. It was obviously a great success. Great C/U of Alicia admiring her look in a hand mirror. She smiles.
A fashion model is seen combing her hair at a dressing table - named by the narrator as Anita Collins. She opens a draw to reveal lots of curled pieces of coloured hair laid out inside - fantastic! She selects two red pieces which match her dress. C/Us of Anita painting glue onto the hair and placing them in her hair. Narrator quips: "Anita Collins decides on red to match her dress, but if these elaborate curls come unstuck during the evening her face will match too." Oh, the embarrassment! He adds that if you don't like long hair and you are blonde, you can sell it. Presumably the hair pieces are made from real hair. High angle of Alicia combing the red hair into her own. C/U and M/S of the finished look - fabulous.
Note: this is 1955 glamour at its finest. I want to be Alicia Lotti - or at least have a drawer full of coloured hair like Anita.
Although not named in the commentary, the name of the wig specialist is ""Wig Specialities Ltd." Some paperwork on file including a newspaper article which proclaims "A hairline at three quid a quiff".
The "Chameleon Streaks" cost 35 shillings (or three quid according to the newspaper) which included the spirit gum for sticking!
The British Film Institute have no listing for Alicia Lotti so she presumably wasn't a big star.
FILM ID:27.14
A VIDEO FROM BRITISH PATHÉ. EXPLORE OUR ONLINE CHANNEL, BRITISH PATHÉ TV. IT'S FULL OF GREAT DOCUMENTARIES, FASCINATING INTERVIEWS, AND CLASSIC MOVIES. www.britishpath...
FOR LICENSING ENQUIRIES VISIT www.britishpath...
British Pathé also represents the Reuters historical collection, which includes more than 136,000 items from the news agencies Gaumont Graphic (1910-1932), Empire News Bulletin (1926-1930), British Paramount (1931-1957), and Gaumont British (1934-1959), as well as Visnews content from 1957 to the end of 1984. All footage can be viewed on the British Pathé website. www.britishpat...

[@MegaMarie]

The first color was pretty on her.

[@ridwanamuna2222]

I agree

[@myhonestygetsmeintrouble6015]

So lace hair pieces been around that long? Learn something new everyday.

[@dawnbell9433]

Actually longer

[@sharronbryant8361]

Longer, black people made those and then white people took it and renamed it. “That firm” is lying about where this originated.

[@OnlyGoodMusic_]

If you think that 70 years is a long time, it's because you don't know history.

[@cats.cant.contour8812]

So, coloring hair has been around since the 1950s? This is great.

[@BluesInMySoul]

People have been coring their hair for thousands of years.

[@Bluebelle9289]

It goes back as far as Ancient Rome.

[@l.t.chosen5959]

The first lace front...she is beautiful!!

[@pamelamcclam2915]

Learn something new everyday. Did not know they had this back in the day.

[@deniseking385]

History has always repeated itself there's nothing new under the sun

[@oliviawatchesyou5157]

So pretty!

[@emmelulukn]

00:58 I just realized she is wearing ear cuffs

[@SosaSal_]

Omg I love!!!!

[@Trund27]

Fabulous!!

[@Khloe_dancer_model]

These are so cool!

[@julez6nine]

Just think of all the ladies that said “I want thoooooose!!!”

[@ilovegot7754]

Lol this has come back in trend can't believe it goes way back to the 50

[@kelseywelsey2924]

This is the same generation yelling at us for dying our hair colors

[@TempermentalTart]

90 year olds are yelling at you about hair coloring? 😝😜
I doubt it ...wrong generation.

[@Imxel21]

@@TempermentalTartnot at all

[@Imxel21]

@@TempermentalTartmost old people are miserable

[@Jackson-nr2mw]

wrong generation 😂 Boomers are the Kids of these poeple

[@BlueOrchards]

Stylish!

[@julicorn2289]

i want these so bad but i can't find any these days

[@julicorn2289]

if anyone knows where to find this plz tell

[@Exhaustedhighlighter]

If you haven’t come across where to find them you can definitely make your own, there are plethora videos available on RUclips showing full lace wigs and where to buy them for cheap, even you’re local beauty store. You could just cut a piece and adhere it like they do. I hope this kind of helps.

[@nootnewt9323]

@@julicorn2289 I’m looking but I know there’s a company based out of England that sells these and that dita von teese has purchased from them. I just can’t remember the name of the company

[@stalstonestacy4316]

@@julicorn2289 girl, you can make your own! Any decent beauty supply store carries human hair wefts with lace fronts. They're bleachable and dyeable. One pack would get you every color of the rainbow including a rainbow set

[@julicorn2289]

@@stalstonestacy4316 see the key is deacent beauty supply store. where i live theres either cheep synthetic stuff that is not even heat resistant, and one wig store that may sell human hair or lace wig but its waaay overprized(coz theres only one store) so online shopping it is but i cant find it online (and for reasonable prize, where shipping to polland will not cost more than whats in my shopping cart)

[@_Just_Another_Guy]

I wonder if these accessories make a comeback.
Rollers made a brief comeback a couple years ago.

[@mariasilviatesi]

Amazing

[@andreafry3428]

Nothing is new in fashion !🙂

[@kaylao.3326]

Wow this is so cool

[@da_yanti.f.6363]

I didn't know you can sell hair

[@Putgodfirst722]

🎉🎉

[@reyhanalainsenel3303]

İğrenç

[@apples_and_orchards3205]

Not a fan. Especially hate the unnatural colors but worse now days with whole heads dyed pink or blue etc

[@FAIRYGIRL911]

you are weak and will not survive the winter

[@princesssparkle529]

That was also a thing in the 50s and way way way way before (: