Women's hairstyles have changed dramatically over the past century. Charting the progression from styles dictated by fashion and tradition towards more unique and individualised looks, this book explores how the history of women's hair in the west corresponds with their liberation over the course of the 1900s. Up until the '40s, the figure of the hairdresser reigned supreme; they were the undisputed authority on style. They created new hairstyles that the divas of Hollywood were to make successful on the silver screen, which paved the way for greater experimentation in the future. New feminine figures came from diverse worlds: art, goth and punk subcultures, and the street. Their daring cuts defined style after style. Josephine Baker and the world of jazz contrasted with Annemarie Schwarzenbach of the bohemian Weimar years. Her signature androgynous style can be compared to the Petite tete of Dior's New Look, while in America the beehive of rock n' roll fame played on through the Jacqueline Kennedy label. At last, in the '80s, individual women crossed the threshold of the salons and became the sole leading players there. Refined illustrations, era-specific photographs, and contemporary images tell the story of the hairstyles and fashion trends that flourished between 1940 and 1980, as well as those in vogue today. The volume closes with a section dedicated to the most famous hairstylists and salons de coiffeur, past and present.