READING
Ex. Read the text about famous haircuts. Match the headings (A–G) to the paragraphs (1–5). There are two extra headings.
A) A practical haircut
B) Not as modern as you may think
C) Discovered by accident
D) A big change
E) A haircut for everyone
F) Dishonest publicity
G) Difficult to keep in place
Iconic hairstyles
There have been many iconic hairstyles over the years, many of which have immediately been copied by fans all over the world. Here are five of our favourites. 1 ___
In the early 1960s, most boys had haircuts based on Elvis Presley and the actor Tony Curtis. This was short on top and held in place with lots of hair gel. Then, in 1963, The Beatles became famous. They also had Elvis haircuts until they went to Hamburg to play some concerts. There they met a group of German students who combed their hair forward into a fringe just above the eyes. Guitarist George Harrison later joked that he discovered the hairstyle after going swimming, but it was Astrid Kirchherr who showed them the haircut and, within a year, the rock7’n’7roll style was as old-fashioned as a pre-war ‘short back and sides’.
2 ___
Haircuts can also become famous thanks to films. In 1968, young actress Mia Farrow appeared in the Hollywood blockbuster Rosemary’s Baby with a very short haircut known as a ‘pixie cut’. Soon women everywhere were copying it, and some still are today. To publicise the film, photos showing hairstylist Vidal Sassoon cutting Mia’s hair appeared in newspapers and magazines. However, Mia later said that she gave herself the haircut using a pair of nail scissors. The photos of Vidal just show him cutting her already short hair a little bit shorter. However, the photo certainly helped attract audiences to the cinema.
3 ___
Dorothy Hamill was the 1976 Olympic Figure skating champion, but she became famous for something else. Just before leaving for the Olympics, she asked a New York stylist to cut her hair short so she would look good while skating. The great thing about her haircut, which became known as the wedge, was that it allowed the hair to move freely during exercise but, as soon as Dorothy stopped, her hair fell perfectly back in place. The wedge is still popular today as it never seems to look messy.
4 ___
For many people, dreadlocks are associated with reggae music and, especially, the singer Bob Marley whose image is still famous today, over 30 years after his death. However, not many people realise that dreadlocks have been around for many years. There is evidence that they existed in ancient Egypt and India and were seen as a sign of strength. The Romans noted that the Celts ‘wore their hair like snakes’ and paintings found in Crete dated from 36007BC show people with dreadlocks.
5 ___
Jennifer Aniston is a famous actress who became popular when playing the role of Rachel Green in the sit-com Friends. For the part, she had a special haircut, which she now says she hated. It was a natural looking wavy cut which came down to the shoulders. Although the haircut looked natural, it took a lot of effort to keep the hair looking tidy. Jennifer hated it because of the amount of time she had to spend having it restyled during breaks in recording. Due to the programme’s popularity, many women asked for a similar haircut and most hairdressers will still understand exactly what you want if you ask for ‘a Rachel’.
Ex. Read the text about famous haircuts. Match the headings (A–G) to the paragraphs (1–5). There are two extra headings.
A) A practical haircut
B) Not as modern as you may think
C) Discovered by accident
D) A big change
E) A haircut for everyone
F) Dishonest publicity
G) Difficult to keep in place
Iconic hairstyles
There have been many iconic hairstyles over the years, many of which have immediately been copied by fans all over the world. Here are five of our favourites. 1 ___
In the early 1960s, most boys had haircuts based on Elvis Presley and the actor Tony Curtis. This was short on top and held in place with lots of hair gel. Then, in 1963, The Beatles became famous. They also had Elvis haircuts until they went to Hamburg to play some concerts. There they met a group of German students who combed their hair forward into a fringe just above the eyes. Guitarist George Harrison later joked that he discovered the hairstyle after going swimming, but it was Astrid Kirchherr who showed them the haircut and, within a year, the rock7’n’7roll style was as old-fashioned as a pre-war ‘short back and sides’.
2 ___
Haircuts can also become famous thanks to films. In 1968, young actress Mia Farrow appeared in the Hollywood blockbuster Rosemary’s Baby with a very short haircut known as a ‘pixie cut’. Soon women everywhere were copying it, and some still are today. To publicise the film, photos showing hairstylist Vidal Sassoon cutting Mia’s hair appeared in newspapers and magazines. However, Mia later said that she gave herself the haircut using a pair of nail scissors. The photos of Vidal just show him cutting her already short hair a little bit shorter. However, the photo certainly helped attract audiences to the cinema.
3 ___
Dorothy Hamill was the 1976 Olympic Figure skating champion, but she became famous for something else. Just before leaving for the Olympics, she asked a New York stylist to cut her hair short so she would look good while skating. The great thing about her haircut, which became known as the wedge, was that it allowed the hair to move freely during exercise but, as soon as Dorothy stopped, her hair fell perfectly back in place. The wedge is still popular today as it never seems to look messy.
4 ___
For many people, dreadlocks are associated with reggae music and, especially, the singer Bob Marley whose image is still famous today, over 30 years after his death. However, not many people realise that dreadlocks have been around for many years. There is evidence that they existed in ancient Egypt and India and were seen as a sign of strength. The Romans noted that the Celts ‘wore their hair like snakes’ and paintings found in Crete dated from 36007BC show people with dreadlocks.
5 ___
Jennifer Aniston is a famous actress who became popular when playing the role of Rachel Green in the sit-com Friends. For the part, she had a special haircut, which she now says she hated. It was a natural looking wavy cut which came down to the shoulders. Although the haircut looked natural, it took a lot of effort to keep the hair looking tidy. Jennifer hated it because of the amount of time she had to spend having it restyled during breaks in recording. Due to the programme’s popularity, many women asked for a similar haircut and most hairdressers will still understand exactly what you want if you ask for ‘a Rachel’.
B) Not as modern as you may think
F) Dishonest publicity
A) A practical haircut
B) Not as modern as you may think
E) A haircut for everyone