ABSTRACT
Swinging London, which dominated many facets of popular culture in the 1960s with Beatlemania, miniskirts, bell-bottoms, etc., was the scene of one of the truly revolutionary developments in modern hair styling, the Vidal Sassoon haircut. Sassoon's style caught on with those seeking the aura of the mod set without a great deal of expense or embarrassment. Nevertheless, the cut required perfectly straight hair, flawless bone structure, and firm facial muscles in order to flatter the wearer. Enough women on both sides of the Atlantic liked what they saw to enable Sassoon to open a chain of beauty parlors. In this respect Sassoon was also a visionary. From here, Sassoon found success with his own lines of hair care accessories and beauty products. Despite his humble Cockney beginnings, Sassoon's name has come to embody the sort of mystique attained by only a select handful of figures in the fashion world.
