I finally did it – I got my first middy cut!
I’ve been considering taking the leap and going for a middy for a long time now, but I’d heard so many horror stories about girls bringing diagrams and such to “modern” stylists and still ending up with something awful that I was nervous. I asked for advice from some fabulous Midwestern ladies, and it turns out there’s a fabulous vintage hair salon just a little ways south of me!
The second I walked inside Revolution, I knew I was amongst my people. The walls are covered with pinups, car show posters, and more retro fabulousness. There’s also an adorable waiting area up front that’s full of vintage furniture and MCM charm.
My stylist was Kelly, who is a boss. She was so enthusiastic about my hair that I got even more excited myself! We started off by lightening my hair. After a lot of coloring and wet setting, my hair pretty busted (apparently absorbing those extra chemicals from a setting lotion into your hair can affect it a lot?? I never really thought about it!), so Kelly used a clarifying shampoo and gave me a Malibu treatment to help remove build up from my hair. My hair was so goddamn soft and silky after that treatment, I could barely even feel a comb going through it. It was that smooth. Highly recommend! The purple-fication was next, and once that was set and rinsed, it was the moment of truth: middy time!
Now, if you’re new to the vintage hair scene, you might be saying, “But Penny, what is a middy?” The middy cut is well known in pinup circles as the “perfect” cut for vintage curl sets. It’s a U-shaped cut that’s longest in the back and is made up of very precise layers. It’s not a “wash and wear” cut like most modern cuts are – it’s specifically intended to be set into curls, so the layers are much blunter than in a modern cut and can look shaggy/choppy left unset. Kelly asked me as soon as I came in if I regularly set my hair, and I definitely appreciated that she was looking out for clients who may have heard about the middy cut and not really understood what they might be getting into.
It was actually really interesting to get the cut; because of the precision of it, it was a much different experience than any other haircut I’d gotten before. I ended up going with a variation on the “long middy,” so I lost about an inch and a half of length off the longest section of my hair.
Funnily enough, the baby fine texture of my hair which I’ve often bemoaned is, according to Kelly, the perfect texture for a middy cut! My cut actually ended up looking pretty decent even straight, but Kelly added some gentle wave with a curling iron and was actually sweet enough to put it into victory rolls for me! I definitely did my best to watch closely and hopefully absorb some of her technique.
All told, after about five and a half hours at the studio, I left feeling fabulous and so excited to have taken a new step in my pursuit of vintage styles! The ladies at Revolution Hair Studio were all so lovely – the whole studio was filled with chatting and laughter, and it’s obvious that the stylists there are very talented. I immediately felt at home, and when I get to leave with my hair looking this good, well…suffice to say, I’ve already made my follow up appointment! If you’re looking for vintage hair in the Milwaukee area, I definitely encourage you to check it out.
This is how the style turned out after sleeping on it, with just a little bit of the leftover wave left in it. I’m absolutely O B S E S S E D with the color…it’s so unbelievably rich and beautiful!
I’ll make sure to share my adventures with the middy cut as I start learning how to properly set and style it!
Anyone else taken the middy leap?
The Sconnie Sling 