The Flip

The Flip was a bouncy, upturned hairdo that was widely worn by young women throughout the 1960s. Its name derived from a flip, or upturned curl at the ends. Starting out as a modified version of the bouffant, its stiffness relaxed over the decade along with hairstyle trends in general. By the early 1970s it had given way to a longer, looser version.

Television actress Mary Tyler Moore (1936–) wore a short version of the Flip when The Dick Van Dyke Show debuted in 1961. Moore played Laura Petrie, an endearing housewife who was married to a television writer. The show focused on the Petries' home life in suburban New York City, and Moore wore cropped pants known as capris on the show, often with flat shoes. This was a marked change from other television wives, who seemed to go about their day in impractical swishy dresses, high heels, and upswept hair. Moore's comedic talents on the hit show won her two Emmy Awards, and her chin-length Flip hairstyle was widely copied. A version with bangs became especially popular. Requiring just a light setting lotion and curlers, the Flip typified an energetic, no-fuss American style.

In 1966 a new television show debuted with another dark-haired actress whose Flip hairstyle was also emulated: That Girl (1966–71). The sitcom starred Marlo Thomas (1943–) as an aspiring actress and single young woman in New York City. Her stylish designer outfits, including miniskirts, helped make Thomas's perky character a fashion icon. Her Flip hairstyle fell to shoulder-length and beyond, moving with a trend toward longer hair. The looser style reflected a new emphasis on haircutting techniques over elaborate salon styling methods.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Gladfelter, Elizabeth. "Marlo Thomas: Beyond That Flip." WWD (August 7, 1997): S6.

"The Hair That's in Fashion." Vogue (January 1963): 96–97.