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Anyone remember ringlets created with rags!

(59 Posts)
Linsco56 Sat 21-May-16 15:34:39

I was blow-drying my hair this morning and what came into my mind was my grandmother sitting me between her knees and wrapping my hair into rags to create ringlets (I had no say in the matter). I went to bed with these rags in my hair and come the morning I had a head full of these hideous ringlets. I think my grandmother had a fascination with Shirley Temple. My mother used to have a fit and wash them out as soon as we returned home...this was 1960 not Victorian times!

Greyduster Sat 21-May-16 15:45:04

My mother used to inflict this on me when I was young, especially if there was a special occasion or a birthday party to go to. How I hated them! The rest of the time I had plaits, but she would never let me have my hair cut short as I wanted. I fancied myself as George in the Famous Five and my mother saw me as a sort of Violet Elizabeth Bott (without the lisp) from Just William!

MiniMouse Sat 21-May-16 15:57:44

They were all the rage in the late Hippie 60s! I had a couple of schoolfriends who did the ragcurling!

Galen Sat 21-May-16 16:08:17

I had them for specials as well, in 1940s

tanith Sat 21-May-16 16:09:43

I have very curly hair and my Mum and Nan would put rags in at every opportunity I didn't mind as it at least my frizzy curls were a little bit tamed for a few days..

Gagagran Sat 21-May-16 16:24:30

I suffered them too - late 1940s early 1950s. The resultant ringlets were gathered into two bunches with ribbons holding them - like two pony tails at the back of the head.
I really hated the rags - they were pulled tight and I had to sleep in them and really made my head hurt!

Linsco56 Sat 21-May-16 16:32:05

Yes Gagagran I remember only too well how uncomfortable they were and my mother didn't make my life any more comfortable when when she put my hair into French braids pulled so tight my eyes were stretched.

Lona Sat 21-May-16 16:37:10

Yep me too! I have very thick hair so my ringlets were big fat sausages! Early 1950s. Plaits for school though.

BBbevan Sat 21-May-16 16:47:50

Yes I do. Never had them myself as I had fine dark ,very straight hair as a child. But my sister had to undergo the torture quite regularly.I suppose my Mum didn't think it worth the time and effort to do my hair. Even tight plaits unraveled for me

Welshwife Sat 21-May-16 17:26:25

Yes - I had ringlets all through the 40s - never actually minded the rags - my mother never did them so tight they hurt me.
When I went to grammar school they were changed to plaits which did keep my hair tidy - I had them cut off when I was 14 and can still remember the awful sound of the scissors as the hairdresser cut through them. My father was furious. Soon after this the fashion for long hair returned and everyone was growing their hair and putting it up in a but or chignon. I would not grow my hair and have never done so since.

chelseababy Sat 21-May-16 17:42:17

Yes rags or pipe cleaners!

aggie Sat 21-May-16 17:49:31

I had extremely straight hair , but with a strange kink in some parts , my hair was plaited damp so it had strange waves when loosened . Then I had a fringe cut and ... ! permed !!!! , the rest was in two plaits , seems I looked like the ovaltine ad child ... sigh . Then she decided I looked like Margaret O'Brien so had to grow out the fringe and wear my plaits scraped back as far as she could scrape them . My younger , prettier sister had dark curly hair and it was lovingly left alone .. grrrrrrrrr . I did have the rag ringlets , but they fell out after 10 minutes smile

numberplease Sat 21-May-16 18:14:26

My mother used to put rags in my hair on a Saturday night, ready for Sunday school in the morning. That was in the late 40s to early 50s, but I did quite like the result, the rest of the time it was in plaits, or flying all over the place!

janeainsworth Sat 21-May-16 18:16:24

There was a girl in my class who had ringlets and I really envied her.
But they were one of the many things my mother considered 'common'.
Eventually my pestering had the desired effect and Mum agreed to put my hair in rags.
But she obviously lacked the necessary manual dexterity and the next day my hair was a mass of bizarre kinks hmmsad

Welshwife Sat 21-May-16 18:23:59

People used to like to put their fingers up my ringlets!!! Most annoying at times. I was a very blonde child and that fact alone some of the other children found fascinating.

Alima Sat 21-May-16 18:50:54

I don't remember having rag ringlets but do remember kiss curls done with a hair grip. Why, I have no idea.

cornergran Sat 21-May-16 19:23:50

Not for me as my hair was too fine, and short. A good friend had her hair in rags regularly, it fascinated me, definitely some rag-envy. grin.

Anniebach Sat 21-May-16 20:03:28

Yes, and if now I think I would telephone childline

fiorentina51 Sat 21-May-16 20:53:30

I longed for ringlets but unfortunately I had thick dead straight hair cut into a bob with a ribbon perched on top. I was never allowed to grow my hair as "I might get nits". ?

As soon as I could, I grew my hair as long as possible and funnily enough at the same time it became more wavy and curly which was a nuisance as by this time it was the 60's and straight hair was the fashion.

By the 80's I was at long last in fashion as my hair was long and a tangled mass of curls that fell into ringlets. Then I had kids and had it cut.......

trisher Sat 21-May-16 21:01:05

I had rags to make ringlets. There's a photo of me sitting on a piano stool in a frilly white dress, with ringlets and two ribbons in my hair. It's dreadful!!!! Ringlets were for weekends, during the week I had 2 long plaits,

etheltbags1 Sat 21-May-16 21:34:10

I had rag ringlets too, I was blonde and had quite long hair, I have a photo of my ringlets (cringe), however the worst thing ever was using rollers as I got older. I just could not sleep in them and as curls were the thing in the 60s and 70s I missed out, I did have a few perms (cringe again), now I find my hair is curling narurally as I get older and I get so frustrated getting out the straighteners.

MargaretX Sat 21-May-16 21:53:44

I remember them very well but I never knew how they were done. My mother never did them and later i had long plaits. I remember sitting at the table with my cornflakes before going to school, and my mother stood behind me plaiting my hair.

Welshwife Sat 21-May-16 22:24:30

I used to have to recite my tables every morning while my mother did my hair! I had by that time eaten my breakfast.

tanith Sat 21-May-16 23:31:50

When the 60's arrived and the straight hair fashion I used to iron my curly hair straight, the number of times I burnt the back of my hand whilst trying to lay my hair on a towel on the ironing board with one hand and iron with the other hand I still have the scars. Its a wonder I didn't frazzle and burn my hair..

Auntieflo Sun 22-May-16 09:49:48

Another ringlet wearer here. I remember Mum putting rags in my hair while I was sat atop the mangle grin. A couple of years later, I had hair that was straight as a yard of pump water, it was blunt cut with a fringe, and I looked like Tiger Lily from one of the comics. Later, in the 60's I had an Afro perm , much to my daughter's disgust when I met her from school. I then kept my hair fairly short, until I had it really short and spiky. Now it is a bit longer and has got a wave in it, and I think I am finally satisfied, at least for now.