Dance icon's style revolutionizes hair fashion

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October 25, 2009

By JULIE The Press Republican Sun Oct 25, 2009, 11:26 PM EDT

Dance fever first swept the United States in 1912 when ballroom hoofers Vernon and Irene Castle made their American debut at the Café de Paris in New York City. Irene was the epitome of feminine elegance; thin as a wisp with a cinched waist and long dark hair piled gracefully on her head in Gibson Girl style.

Vernon and Irene quickly danced their way into the hearts of an adoring public. Their images appeared everywhere in magazines, newspapers and books. As their popularity grew, they endorsed a wide range of consumer products from sewing thread to facial cream. Castle House, a prestigious dance studio, opened across from the Ritz Carlton Hotel in NYC, where the couple taught everything from formal waltzing to Latin tangos. They danced across America in a whirlwind demonstration tour, and Irene became THE fashion trendsetter of the day. She liberated the constrictions of style when she shed her corset in favor of loose-fitting dresses. Women everywhere embraced her sense of freedom and expression.

In 1914, Irene fell seriously ill with a bout of appendicitis. During recovery, she found it difficult to deal with her long hair. To make things easier, she cut it into a short bob. It was a drastic departure from what was considered feminine, and the news made headlines across the country. The fad spread like wildfire, and the "Castle Bob" became the new rage.

ENTER HAIR PIECES
The news of Irene's haircut ripped through Leominster, Mass., like a catastrophic shock wave, for the manufacture of fancy ornamental hair combs was the town's major industry. Everyone knew that the women of the nation would soon be following Irene's lead. Panic struck, and overnight, half the comb factories in town shut down. Thousands of people were suddenly out of work — all because of the stylish whims of a much admired celebrity.

It wasn't the end of comb manufacture however. Hairdressers who made a living by styling long hair shunned the fad for fear their occupation would be gone. Likewise, reserved men and proper women considered the Castle Bob a rebellious departure from traditional male and female roles in the home. Some husbands even divorced their wives over the "vampish" cut. Moreover, men did not appreciate their barbershops being invaded by liberated women who were merely exercising their newfound rights.

For those who could not completely cut free from the old-fashioned style, they kept their shorn locks and had them woven into dramatic hair pieces that could be reattached to the head for formal occasions. For this, a slew of hair clips, pins and ornamental combs was a necessity. And as for the modern girl who preferred to keep her stylish short hair looking neat, there was the bobby pin, invented in 1922.