Style Hair 50 Years of Southern Church Hair By Valerie Fraser Luesse Valerie Fraser Luesse Valerie Fraser Luesse has been affiliated with Southern Living and its parent company since 1988. She has written some 30 Southern Journal essays for the magazine and extensively covered the unique cultural pockets of the South, including Acadian Louisiana, the Mississippi Delta, South Florida, and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. She released her fourth Southern novel with Revell in 2021. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on May 16, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Getty/New York Post Archives There's Southern hair and then there's Southern church hair—the special 'do worn to Sunday services, WMU meetings, and bridal teas. It is painstakingly curled (or straightened), styled to the nth degree, and generously shellacked with hairspray. (Surely, after all these years, we needn't specify Aqua Net?) Some of us went through a troubling "natural" phase in the '70s, but we're all better now. Take a look at these retro hairstyles, and let us know if we need to bring any of them back. 01 of 13 1960s Flip Hair Getty/Lambert At the beginning of the 1960s, our former 50s 'do got slightly jacked up and flipped. The flip required applying the right set of rollers long before heading to church or taking your highschool yearbook photo. 02 of 13 Sticking with Traditional Getty/Afro Newspaper/Gado Even so, we leaned toward the traditional—nothing too outlandish. Still, we brought out the rollers and hairspray when planning to dress in our Sunday best. 03 of 13 The Bouffant Getty/New York Post Archives But then along came the bouffant...This throwback to European aristocracy was popularized in the 1950s and '60s and required a set of rollers, backcombing, teasing, and a healthy dose of lacquer hairspray. Featuring (left to right): Bess Meyerson, Miss America Of 1945, Debra Dane Barnes Miss America 1968, Marie Beale Fletcher Miss America 1962, all in New York for a Luncheon at club 21. 04 of 13 The Supremes Getty/CA/Staff And our church hair just got bigger and bigger. (Trivia question: Which one of the Supremes was born in Mississippi? Mary Wilson, in center of photo. You're welcome.) 05 of 13 Phyllis George Getty/Pictorial Parade By the '70s, the bouffant had given way to more natural styles and straightening hair with an iron. But even so, the South's MANY Miss Americas, like Phyllis George, still had sense enough to keep a teasing comb handy, especially on Sunday. 06 of 13 Marsha Brady Getty/ABC Photo Archives Turn away! Don't look! That straight, "busted down the middle" hair of Marsha's drove Southern Mamas crazy in the '70s, when Sissy wouldn't put so much as a bow in her straight hair! (Reese Witherspoon has since helped Mama make her peace with stylishly sleek Sunday tresses.) 07 of 13 Morgan Fairchild Getty/Ron Galella Fortunately for Mama, Southern girls rediscovered curls in the mid-70s, bringing well-coiffed waves back to the sanctuary once again. Longer hair was set in rollers or permed to achieve soft curls below the crown. 08 of 13 Feathered Hair Getty/Lambert/Contributor Eventually, y'all, we did this. Feathered hair for the Easter service is one vintage hairstyle that needs to stay in the time capsule. Ditto the prairie dress. 09 of 13 Golden Girls Getty/NBC/Contributor Clearly, these 80s ladies know how to handle a can of Aqua Net. And we respect that. They're always welcome in our fellowship hall. 10 of 13 Priscilla Presley Getty/Harry Langdon Here's a variation on poufy 80s church hair—soft, big curls—with a bow-neck blouse to set it off. We're not surprised her gleaming hair graced shampoo ads. 11 of 13 Reba McEntire Getty/George Rose Reba, honey, with hair like that, you could've sung with any gospel quartet in the 90s. In this era, we teased and feathered our bangs into glorious heights. 12 of 13 Miss America from the 90s Getty/Ron Galella This beauty could be a Southern preacher's wife from the 90s. She's actually a Miss America from that era, but we couldn't envision a better example of church hair if we tried. Note the gentle lift around the face, the shiny curls that look soft to the touch but could withstand gale-force winds. We salute you, Miss America. And since your name is Tara Dawn, we'd like to make you an honorary citizen of Mississippi. Or Texas. 13 of 13 Queen Esther Marrow Getty/Frank Hoensch Here we are in the late 2000s—when a powerful message still calls for hair that delivers. Thank you, Queen Esther Marrow, for showing us how it's done. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit