On May 8th, 1945, the streets of Canada erupted in joyous celebration as news spread that the Second World War had ended in Europe. Known as V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day & Liberation of the Netherlands), this historic moment was marked by parades, cheering crowds, and spontaneous gatherings from coast to coast—and around the world. Among the jubilant crowds were women of all ages who had stepped up to support the war effort: working in factories and fields, serving overseas, keeping households running, and so much more.

Through it all, they wore their hair in the iconic styles of the 1940s—whether carefully styled, pinned up, or wrapped in turbans and hair scarves. No matter the look,1940s hairstyles were proudly on display, along with their signature red lips.

On the 80th anniversary of V-E Day, today’s post is going to be an overview of vintage photos showcasing WW2 era hairstyles.

Further Reading – Part 1: 1940s Real Life Women’s Hairstyles & Canada Celebrates V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day) May 8th, 1945: The Vintage Photos

Photo: Celebrating VE Day on Bay Street in Toronto vintage photo of 4 women

Further Reading: World War 2 Women’s Contributions & Home Front Posts (I have done A LOT of posts over the years on these topics)

Real-Life Women’s Hairstyles from the WWII Era

Women on the Home Front Hairstyles

During World War II, women who worked in factories, fields, and other essential roles also developed a distinctive look for their hair. Pictured here is Veronica Foster, known as Canada’s ‘Rosie the Riveter,’ demonstrating how to tie a hair scarf (or kerchief)—a practical accessory used to protect hair from hazards while she worked at her place of employment, the Bren Gun Factory (in Toronto).

Read here story here: The Canadian “Rosie the Riveter”-Veronica Foster

Veronica Foster the Bren Gun Girl blog post by www.vintageinn.ca how to tie a head scarf for war work vintage photo

The ‘Miss War Worker 1942 Contest’ was held in Toronto, Canada. As you can see, two of the women are sporting ‘bangs’—styled curls or pinned hair—adding a fashionable touch to their turbans and hair scarves. The woman on the right appears to be fully covered for her specific job requirements. On the left is a representative from GECO (General Engineering Company of Canada), which was based in Scarborough, Ontario. You can learn more about these incredible women—and the men who worked alongside them—at the link below.

Further Reading: The Bomb Girls Of Scarborough, Ontario Canada-As Seen Thru Vintage Photographs from the 1940s

1940s vintage photo of Miss War Worker 1942 Contest in Canada (Toronto, Canada).

Hardworking “Farmerettes” wearing hair scarfs (kerchiefs) to protect their hair from their work on Ontario Canada farms (well most of it).

Further Reading: Canada’s WW2 Home Front History – The Farmerettes

1940s vintage photo of 1940s women with head scarfs on working on a farm in Ontario Canada for the WW2 war effort. They were called Farmerettes

One more “Rosie the Riveter” hairstyle look, as seen on Miss Ethel Mildred Lee. She is a 23-year-old girl born in this country of Chinese parents, is shown at her job as an electrician-helper at the Los Angeles yards of the California Shipbuilding Corporation, where she has worked for almost two years. Photo- January 20, 1944.

Further Reading: Vintage Photos of Women of WW2: How Women Joined the War Effort

1940s vintage photo of a Chinese American woman working in a factory during WW2. She is dressed in jeans, plaid shirt and her hair is pulled back in a hair scarf.

Hair Snoods… were a hair accessory in the 1940s for both daytime and work. It was popular in the factories due to the fact that the women had to wear their hair back. This was a great way to do this.

Further Reading: A Vintage Guide to 1940s Hair Accessories

1940s vintage photo of a woman wearing a hair snood-1940s vintage hairstyle inspiration.

Not all wartime work on the home front was labor-based—there were also morale-boosting roles, like those in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, the original “League of Their Own.”

This 1940s photo booth snapshot captures a woman in a baseball uniform, her lips painted red and her hair perfectly curled and set beneath her cap. I can’t say for sure if she played in the league, but she certainly looks the part!

I actually tried to copy this look 2 years ago for a Toronto Blues Jay’s game I attended (see my image after the vintage one).

Further Reading: Lets Play Ball! The All-American Girls’ Professional Baseball League

1940s vintage photo of a 1940s woman baseball player (league of their own) wearing red lipstick, a baseball cap and a 1940s hairstyle as she poses for a photo booth photo.

1940s hairstyle inspiration-A League of their own hairstyle. 1940s women's hairstyle as seen on Liz from the Vintage Inn Blog.

Another morale-boosting activity was entertaining the troops—just like these young women did in 1941 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, as part of the Marcus Dance Show. This image is a wonderful showcase of classic 1940s hairstyles in action.

This specific traveling show, brought ‘the world’s foremost exposition of female loveliness’ to town, to relieve the tedium and horror that was otherwise known as war.

Further Reading: The Halifax, Nova Scotia Women Volunteers of WW2

Marcus Dance Show 1941 Vintage showgirls halifax Canada. 1940s vintage image. — Source: Halifax Archives

Victory Rolls:

The History: There are others in my community who have written excellent in depth blog posts on this topic, so I encourage you after your done with my post to dig deeper into the history of this WW2 hairstyle by visiting their posts that I have linked below.

Vintage Hairstyling.com: Victory Bobs and V Modes… WWII Hairstyles named for morale & History of the Victory Roll

The Queen of Victory Rolls aka Betty Grable. Yooza they are beautiful!

1940s vintage photo of Betty Grable movie start and 1940s Pinup. She is wearing 1940s victory rolls in her hair. Fantastic 1940s vintage hairstyle inspiration.

A woman wearing Victory Rolls (I believe she is) for a photo booth shot featuring a backdrop of WW2 warplanes in the sky.

Fun history note for the Victory Roll (associated with this image): One theory associates victory rolls with the aviation aerobatic maneuver of planes that would spin horizontally as a sign of victory or celebration, as the style was supposed to resemble the movements of the aircraft (source).

1940s vintage photo ww2 era photo of a woman with victory rolls posing in a photo booth with war plans in the background

Source: Etsy-JakeRoebucks

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Victory Rolls on the beach! Fantastic photo of these beautiful Japanese young women smiling on the beach in their swimsuits and victory roll hairstyles (complete with hair flowers).

Further Reading: 1940s Real Life Women’s Hairstyles

1940s vintage photo of two young Japanese women on the beach in their 1940s swimsuits. They are wearing Victory Rolls for their 1940s hairstyle with hair flowers.

Source: Chuckman’s Photos

Here is one more photo of me (the Vintage Inn) in Victory Rolls, hair snood and hair flower for the May 8th, 2025 Toronto VE Day ceremony I recently attended.

1940s vintage hairstyle-Victory Rolls and a hair flower and snood as seen on Liz from the Vintage Blog.

Hairstyles for Service Hats

1940s vintage photo of Canadian Women in their Air Force uniforms. Their hair is up and off the neck with curls, rolls (the lady in the middle) or a chignon (a bun at the back of the hair). Not the only style, but what we are seeing in this photo.

Further Reading: WW2 Air Force Uniforms for Canadian Women”-Guest Blog Post

1940s vintage photo of Canadian Women in the Military-Canadian Air Force during WW2 in their uniforms.

Three women in their Canadian Army Corps uniforms pose together with a man on a horse. As you can sort of see their hair is rolled back in a Gibson Roll.

1940s vintage photo of 2 Black Women in the Canadian Army Corps during WW2 posing with another woman in the same uniform and a horse.

No hat on Ernestine Holloway who is sporting a sailor dress but her outstanding rolled hairstyle would allow for a cap to be placed neatly. This 1941 photo is from Tennie Harris.

1940s vintage photo of a young Black woman in a sailor dress and a 1940s hairstyle (rolled hairstyle) in 1941.

Source: Pinterest

Even with combat hats on, one’s hair was always done in some nice way, even if that way was just for practical reasons (like our rolled hairstyle aka the Gibson roll on the woman on the right).

Nursing sisters of No.10 Canadian General Hospital, Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps, having a cup of tea upon arriving at Arromanches, France, 23 July 1944 (source).

Further Reading: The Canadian Nursing Sisters of WW2

1940s vintage photo: Nursing sisters of No.10 Canadian General Hospital, Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps, having a cup of tea upon arriving at Arromanches, France, 23 July 1944

One of my favorite resources for photos is vintage yearbooks. If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know I’ve done several posts on this very topic. When it comes to vintage hairstyles, these yearbooks are an absolute gold mine! Honestly, I could devote my entire blog to exploring every single page and still have enough content to last a century—but for today, I’m showing just a few from 1939-1945 (restraint is tough around here, HA!).

1939 Appalachian State University-“The Rhododendron” yearbook featuring Junior university students and their 1930s hairstyles (men and women).

1930s vintage yearbook-1939 Appalachian State University-"The Rhododendron" yearbook featuring Junior university students and their 1930s hairstyles (men and women). Fantastic 1939 hairstyles.

Source: DigitalNC

The Ayantee yearbook from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, featuring the Senior class of 1939.

1930s vintage yearbook photo from 1939 of Black College students wearing late 1930s hairstyles.

Source: DigitalNC

Anther yearbook from Appalachian State University-“The Rhododendron” 1940 Seniors (the right). On the left we have the class of 1940 from “The Eagle” yearbook at North Carolina Central University.

1940s vintage yearbook photos of Black College students in 1940 from
North Carolina Central University.

1940 Vintage Yearbook photos of Senior Women College students from Appalachian State University featuring early 1940s vintage hairstyles.

Source: DigitalNC

Note: 1941-1943. This section will be completed when I stop having back end issues with WordPress. Sorry readers!

1944 “White Heather” yearbook from Flora Macdonald College, Red Springs North Carolina.

1940s Women's hairstyles as seen in a 1944 college yearbook. Flora Macdonald College, Red Springs North Carolina

1940s Women's hairstyles as seen in a 1944 college yearbook. Lots of 1940s curls to be inspired by and even a victory roll hairstyle.

Source: DigitalNC

1944 “The Bear” yearbook Seniors from Shaw University.

Source: DigitalNC

The Ram yearbook from historically Black College, Winston-Salem State University featuring the Senior class of 1945. I am in love with the necklaces in the photos.

The Ram yearbook from historically Black College, Winston-Salem State University featuring the Senior class of 1944. Fantastic 1940s Black hairstyles on our women

Source: DigitalNC

1945 ‘Sights and Insights’ yearbook from Salem College, NC. I love the hair frizz on our lady on the bottom right. Women in the 1940s were just like us, struggling with their hair to be perfect (she looks wonderful still).

1940s vintage yearbook photos of college senior women in 1945. They sporting 1940s hairstyles and 1940s fashions.

Source: DigitalNC

I hope you enjoyed this brief overview of WWII-era hairstyles! This post was designed to highlight some of the popular styles seen during the war years. While it’s not an exhaustive list, I think it offers a great snapshot of the era. I’d love to hear your thoughts—feel free to share your favorite looks in the comments below!

Thanks for dropping by!

Liz

During the First and Second World Wars, Canadian families—like those in many other countries—were encouraged to grow and preserve their own fruits and vegetables. This helped reduce demand on the domestic food supply while ensuring more provisions were available for troops and allies overseas.

Victory gardens, largely an urban phenomenon, played a crucial role in both the symbolic and practical mobilization of civilians on Canada’s home front.

In today’s post, we’ll take a visual and textual journey through this remarkable wartime initiative.

Enjoy!

1940s vintage poster for a Canadian Victory Garden during WW2. Do your part at home! Illustration features vegetables looking like soldiers.

Source: The Canadian Encyclopedia

On a personal level, this year I have decided on my balcony that I will try to grow my own Victory Garden. Prices are going up and every little bit helps. It’s time to do my part!

1940s vintage advertisement for a Canadian Victory Garden featuring an illustration of 1940s woman holding vegetables.

Source: CBC.ca

History Of Victory Gardens In Canada

“War gardening,” as it was more commonly known, was widely promoted throughout the First World War by both the Canadian government and the media as a patriotic form of wholesome leisure. Indeed, the basic idea behind victory and First World War-era war gardening was much the same: the more produce that could be grown by Canadians in their front yards, vacant lots and former flower gardens, the more food, soldiers and munitions that could be shipped to Canada’s allies overseas. This was because not only did victory gardening help to meet existing export commitments, but it also freed railcars and transport trucks to move other strategic goods instead of food. That victory garden produce was also part of a healthy diet according to the newly created Canada’s Official Food Rules (1942) — the precursor to Canada’s Food Guide — was simply an added bonus (Source).

Source: Canada.ca – History of Canada’s Food Guide

However, at the start of the war, the Canadian government actually discouraged the practice. Amateur gardeners would put a strain on the country’s seed supply, and could potentially waste crop through inexperience (Source).

One 1942 pamphlet produced by the Department went so far as to actively discourage unskilled “city-folk” from planting food gardens because “they would create the demand for equipment such as garden tools, fertilizers and sprays, which are made from materials needed by Canada’s war industries and because Canada’s vegetable seed supply can best be employed by experienced gardeners with equipment on hand.” (Source)

Then, in 1943 after protests from avid gardeners erupted, and the seed supply stabilized, the government started supporting victory gardens. Everyone, young and old, was encouraged to help grow more food to relieve strain on food supplies going overseas, and the transport systems needed to move it. Toronto mayor Frederick Conboy started growing a crop of tomatoes on his front lawn (Source).

1940s vintage poster for growing your own food at home for the home front effort during WW2

Source: Canadian War Museum

Larger organizations like Ontario Hydro-Electric Club contributed to the cause by providing extra land, seeds and lessons on growing and preserving food (Source).

About the below 1943 pamphlet:

This 32 page booklet contains information for club members on how to grow their own vegetables and herbs, blank pages to document how much they grew, and instructions on how to preserve their harvest. Ontario Hydro was a large corporation with many employees and this publication was part of their work to support the war effort (Source).

To read excerpts from the booklet please click the link HERE.

1943 Toronto ‘Ontario Hydro-Electric Club’ Victory Garden Publication-Canadian WW2 Homefront effort.

Source: City Farmer News

Victory Gardens were INDEED for “City-Folk”. Why? Because the goal was to increase the acreage of land devoted to food production, the ideal victory garden was one that transformed urban land into agricultural space (Source).

1940s vintage poster / vintage advertisement from the Federal Department of Pensions and National Health in 1942 discussing food production and how the average Canadian can help the war effort.

1942 advertisement. Source: Canadian War Museum

Mental & Physical Benefits To Gardening:

Victory gardens could bring families and communities closer together through shared work. Gardening promoted self reliance and patriotism, allowing people to contribute to an important wartime effort. It was also a pleasant distraction from the war as a form of self expression. The government and local organizations took this last moral booster even further by holding yearly victory garden contests.

The government stressed the physical health benefits of a victory garden. At the time, army applicant rejections were at an all time high due to malnutrition (Source).

At its 1944 peak, it was estimated that upwards of 209,200 victory gardens were in operation nationwide producing a total of 57,000 tonnes of vegetables (Source).

1940s vintage poster for a Victory Garden during WW2-Do you part for the Home Front Effort.

Source: Wikipedia

The Perry Sisters, employed at the Dominion Arsenals Ltd. plant, armed with rake, watering can and pitchfork, help look after the vegetable garden where they are working.

Further Reading: Vintage Photos of Canadian Women on the Home Front during WWII

1940s Vintage Photo: The Perry Sisters, employed at the Dominion Arsenals Ltd. plant, armed with rake, watering can and pitchfork, help look after the vegetable garden where they are working.

Source: Collections Canada

A.J. Denne tends his v-shaped vegetable plot in Toronto on June 5th, 1943 (Toronto Archives photo).

“The most important new gardeners, however — and the ones who dominated wartime imagery of victory gardening — were men,” writes Ian Mosby (author of Food Will Win the War). Victory gardening was “promoted as a new kind of respectable (and decidedly middle-class) masculine domesticity.” (Source)

Source: The Canadian Encyclopedia

Victory Gardens in Montreal. Two children tend to vegetables in the Montreal Botanical Garden in 1943.

Source: The Canadian Encyclopedia

1940s vintage photo of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company employees tending to tomatoes in a Victory Garden (via Canadian War Museum).

Further Reading: Vintage Photos Of People Tending To Their Gardens 1930s-1960s

Symbolism Of The Gardens & The Final Result

Though originally intended as a means of increasing production during wartime, victory gardens proved more important as a symbolic, patriotic activity rather than a productive one. “From a morale standpoint,” writes Ian Mosby (author of Food Will Win the War), “victory gardens linked a wholesome and familiar form of domestic labour to the larger war effort in a way that involved the entire family and that was highly visible to friends and neighbours.” (Source)

Source: modernfarmer.com

One More Important Farming Historical Note:

Now while urban populations were making gardens in their backyards, young women from all over Canada were heading to the farmlands in Southern Ontario and becoming ‘Farmerettes’.

Read all about these incredible women here: Canada’s WW2 Home Front History – The Farmerettes

1940s vintage photo of the Farmerettes-Young Women in Ontario Canada who worked on farms during WW2 to help the home front effort. Canadian Stamp.

How To Grow Your Own Victory Garden?

I’m not a professional gardener—just a plant lover doing my best to keep them alive and enjoy the beauty (and occasional homegrown food) they provide for my husband and me. Here are some expert tips on starting your own Victory Garden. Happy planting!

1940s vintage photo of a young woman in shorts and a white blouse with a hat working in her vegetable garden aka Victory Garden.

Thank you for dropping by and reading a bit about Canada’s gardening wartime effort. I have always loved the history of the Victory Garden and I’m excited to have finally been able to share it all here with you.

Please share any thoughts you have on this topic in the comments section below. I love hearing from my readers!

Note: Thank you to ‘The Canadian Encyclopedia‘ & ‘Heritage Toronto‘ for the fantastic historical info that was in this post.

Further Reading: World War 2 Women’s Contributions & Home Front Posts

Thanks for dropping by!

Liz

Tag: ww2