A History of Eyebrow Trends in Film, 1920s-1950s
If eyes are the window to the soul, eyebrows are the frame. The eyebrow, while a form of expression for the face, is also a sign of its time. Whether thin and long, arched and natural, or thick and bold, the most famous eyebrows in film were a statement of their era. Here we’ll focus on eyebrow trends from the 1920s through the 1950s.
The Roaring ’20s were a time of liquor, dancing, jazz, mass consumerism, and the newly liberated woman. With the end of WWI and white women’s right to vote, the 1920s empowered women to express themselves in a new way, including through beauty. As cinema became a form of widespread entertainment, the movie star became the muse for all things beauty, including eyebrows. The eyebrow was severely plucked or shaved and penciled into thin, straight, extended lines. With most films of the 1920s still silent, actresses created this overtly dramatic brow to help further express their emotions to audiences.
Popular eyebrows include Anna May Wong, Josephine Baker, and Clara Bow. Anna May Wong’s eyebrows were particularly exaggerated to enhance her exotic otherness at the time.
With the stock market crash of 1929, the Roaring ’20s came to an end. With the Great Depression dominating the 1930s, it feels counterintuitive to claim this as a glamorous era, but that is the case in film. The brow of the 1930s is similar to that of the 1920s. It is still thin, but rather than straight, the ideal look was a high, exaggerated arch, leaving one to look continually surprised. Eyebrows had extra shine with the assistance of oils and petroleum jelly.
At the forefront of the 1930s eyebrow trends were actresses Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich and Jean Harlow.
With a world at war, rationing, and women working in previously male-operated industries, the 1940’s beauty standards reflected the changing times. Having less time to spend on beauty including, plucking and penciling in eyebrows, women defaulted to a low-maintenance look.
Leaving behind thin, overemphasized brows, the new standard was a medium-to-thick, natural brow, typically with a prominent arch. Despite the easier maintenance, the 1940’s brow combined with a natural face and pop of a cherry-red lip embodies Old Hollywood Glamour.
Leading eyebrows of the period include Lauren Bacall, Lena Horne and Ava Gardner.
With the end of WWII, previous gender norms went back into practice, with women staying at home through the 1950s. Women devoted more time to beauty, creating an ultra-glam and particularly feminine look. To summarize the 1950s eyebrow in one word, it would be bold. The eyebrow was well-defined, strongly arched, and drawn in with pencil.
Eyebrow icons include Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, and Dorothy Dandridge.
Throughout film history, eyebrows have changed and continue to change into various popular shapes and sizes. Eyebrows are not only a defining trait of who you are and how people perceive you, but they are a look into the era which you wish to emulate.