The Dorothy Hamill haircut is an iconic hairstyle of the 70s. Apart from winning multiple U.S. Championships, a World Championship, and a gold medal in the 1976 Winter Olympics, this renowned figure skater has given the world some amazing hairstyles.
From the mid-70s to the early 80s, a huge number of women were trying out the Dorothy Hamill haircut. Her appearance and hairstyle were so popular that even a Dorothy Hamill doll was launched back then.
Even today her hairstyles remain fairly popular. You can just go on Instagram and you will find tons of young girls and women who are rocking hairstyles that are inspired by her.
In this article, we’ll discuss in detail her well-known haircut from the 1976 Winter Olympics, and also some of the other exciting hairstyles she has had over the years.
Stick around to learn about some amazing hairstyles, especially if you have short hair.
Table of Contents
- What is the Dorothy Hamill haircut?
- 13 Must Try Dorothy Hamill Haircut Ideas for Women
- Dorothy Hamill Haircut 1976
- The Long Wedge
- Highlighted Mid-Part
- Short Bob Cut
- Angular Mushroom Cut
- Curtained Bangs
- Short Semi Mid-Part
- Thin Fringe Wedge
- Mid-Length Side Swept Hair
- The Bixie Cut
- The Semi Bowl Cut
- Center Parted Short Hair
- The Lob Haircut
- Final Words
What is the Dorothy Hamill haircut?
Technically any haircut Dorothy Hamill has ever had will be considered a Dorothy Hamill haircut. However, when people think about Dorothy Hamill, they probably imagine her with the Wedge haircut.
She is given the credit for providing the wedge cut with mainstream popularity. In fact, apart from the bob cut and the pixie cut, the wedge haircut is probably the most popular style for short hair.
The wedge haircut is a style where your hair will be short and won’t go beyond your nape. Your hair will have more volume at the back, specifically the crown area. There is usually a curve at the back as well to make your hair look even more voluminous.
The sides can be shortened or given a bit of flight so that your ears are at least slightly visible. There are no steadfast rules about styling the front hair.
The most common ways of styling are going for a mid-parted style, side swept bangs, or curtained bangs. You can try something different if you wish.
Dorothy Hamill has tried out a couple of variants of the wedge haircut. Apart from this, she has adopted some other amazing styles throughout her long illustrious career.
But, she has never gone for long hair. All of her hairstyles have been short or medium length. We’ll discuss some of them in the next section.
13 Must Try Dorothy Hamill Haircut Ideas for Women
Dorthy Hamill has had quite a few fascinating hairstyles. We have gone through each of them and now we offer you the top 13 styles. Read through the list to find out which one you fancy the most.
Dorothy Hamill Haircut 1976
Let’s begin with the most widely recognized Dorothy Hamill haircut. She started her journey with the wedge haircut in the 1976 Winter Olympics. It was famous hairstylist Yusuke Suga who gave her this haircut just before the tournament.
To get this style, your hair should be till your nape at the back. Your front hair will come down to your forehead and will be parted straight in the middle. Then, you have to brush your hair in a way so that the front hair on each side of the partition goes over your ears and goes to the back.
Hair from both sides will kind of meet at the back. So, if you consider the Dorothy Hamill haircut back view, it will look sort of like a V shape.
The Long Wedge
This is the longest hairstyle that you’ll find on our list. Those women who are not comfortable with really short hair and who prefer to have a bit of length can go for this Dorothy Hamill haircut.
To describe it in a sentence, it’s a longer variant of the wedge haircut. Your front hair will still have that partition, your hair on the sides will have a slight flight, and your ears will be visible.
The basic difference is that you will have more length and volume at the back. Your hair at the back can go to your shoulders for this style. But, the Dorothy Hamill haircut back view will be almost the same.
Highlighted Mid-Part
This hairstyle is unlike any other Dorothy Hamill haircut. She always tends to incorporate bangs or a fringe with her hairstyles. But, this is the only style where she has neither.
She just creates a middle partition that goes from the front to the top area. She then sweeps the hair towards the opposite sides of the partition and goes for a slick look. The hair on the sides and the back are fairly short.
She also highlights her hair for this style. That gives her hair more texture and character. When you are choosing a color, make sure that it creates a cool contrast with your natural hair color.
Short Bob Cut
In the later periods of her life, Dorothy Hamill tried out a few types of bob cuts. We’ll now particularly talk about the short bob cut.
In a usual bob cut, your hair goes down at least to your chin. However, in this variant, your hair will be much shorter. Your hair on the sides won’t go beyond your ears and the hair at the back will be around your nape.
For the front hair, Dorothy Hamill has gone for a semi side swept style. It’s a much cuter and more adorable version of the bob cut. If that’s the vibe you want, then do give this style a try.
Angular Mushroom Cut
The mushroom haircut is a style that has been around for a long time. Dorothy Hamill brings her own twist to this well-known haircut.
Her hair is not cut in a straight line like the usual mushroom cut. She tries a more angular cut. In this version, your front hair will be cut straightly, but the hair on the sides will drop down and cover your ears.
The hair at the back will again be cut straightly. However, it won’t be at the same level as the front hair. It will be a bit below that. These little tweaks make it a fresh and more contemporary hairstyle even today.
Curtained Bangs
Now, it is time for another classic Dorothy Hamill haircut. She has adopted this style many times and she always looks absolutely lovely with this style.
Dorothy Hamill usually goes for a shorter version of the curtain bangs. For this style, your front hair needs to fall down to your eyebrows, but shouldn’t go beyond that. Then, you have to split your front hair and create a curtained look.
For her hair on the sides and the back, she just kept everything similar to the wedge haircut. It’s a timeless haircut that can help you in framing your face.
Short Semi Mid-Part
This is the hairstyle that Dorothy Hamill had before she introduced to the world what we call the Dorothy Hamill Haircut 1976. It was a really charming hairstyle and she could have won everyone over with this style as well if she continued carrying it.
We’re calling it the semi mid-part style because the partition will be slightly off-center in this style. It means that the partition will be slightly closer to one of the sides.
She also gave her hair on the sides a bit of flight. It just shows that she was already moving towards her most popular hairstyle, the wedge haircut.
Thin Fringe Wedge
Speaking of the wedge haircut, let’s take a look at another variant of this style. This time, you will need a short fringe at the front.
The fringe will stay above your eyebrows. It will be a thin fringe where you will only have a couple of strands of hair. As for partitions, there are two options.
You can choose to have no partition if you want and brush all your hair towards the front. You can also create a middle partition. But, the partition won’t go all the way through and only to the upper-top area.
Mid-Length Side Swept Hair
This one is a longer Dorothy Hamill haircut. You need to have mid-length hair to attain this style. In this style, your hair at the back can be shoulder-length.
The hair on the sides will also be long enough to cover your ears. All you need to do then is to create a side partition.
Next, you have to make your hair fall down on your forehead and sweep your hair towards one side of your face. It’s a style that is easy to create, but can give you a really attractive look.
The Bixie Cut
The word “bixie” is a combination of the words “bob” and “pixie”. As you might have already guessed, the bixie cut is a fusion between the bob cut and the pixie cut.
Like the pixie cut, you will have a short fringe that will stay above your eyebrows. The hair at the back will be shortened like a pixie cut as well.
The hair on the sides will be a bit longer and layered like a bob cut. Like a bob cut, your ears will be covered with hair. You will be taking the best of both styles to create something fresh and unique.
The Semi Bowl Cut
This style is a blast from the past. Dorothy Hamill had this hairstyle when she was really young. It’s an adorable hairstyle, especially for young women.
It’s basically a bowl cut with a tiny tweak. Your hair will be slightly parted at the front. Your front hair will come down to your eyebrows and the hair right above the nose will be slightly split.
The hair on the sides and the back will be cut in a straight line. But, the hair at the back will be a bit longer than the front hair.
Center Parted Short Hair
This is the hairstyle where Dorothy Hamill fully committed to a middle partition. That is the defining aspect of this style.
This middle partition will start at the front and will go through the top area. You need to make sure that you have an equal volume of hair on both sides of the partition. This symmetry is important.
Your hair will be long enough to cover your ears, but won’t go beyond your nape. Also, your hair does not necessarily have to frame your face like a curtained style.
The Lob Haircut
The word “lob” is short for “long bob”. The style is precisely what it sounds like. It’s a longer variant of the bob cut.
Your hair can go beyond your chin and be close to your shoulder in this style. The hair on the sides will be longer than usual and also layered.
You will also need a bit of flight for the sides, which is a signature style of Dorothy Hamill. You have to make your earlobes visible. For the front, you can choose a thin fringe or a mid-part style.
Final Words
You might be considering shortening your hair or you already have short hair and you are looking for a cool style. Whatever might be the case, you won’t find better inspiration than Dorothy Hamill.
She has had some short hairstyles that have been universally beloved. It means you don’t have to worry about whether a style will work or not.
You can choose any style from our list without any hesitation. If you prefer to have a bit longer hair, we have provided you with some suggestions for that as well.
Even though the styles on our list look really simple, some of them will need skill and delicacy. So, it would be better if you don’t attempt them yourself and visit a professional.
Just remember to carry a picture of the style you want and also properly communicate with your stylist, so that there is no confusion. So, when are you making an appointment for your Dorothy Hamill inspired haircut?
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