Current Style Muse: The Women of Maxfield Parrish

Century Poster, 1897

I am visiting the small town where I grew up in Western Massachusetts and today there is a powerful thunderstorm. From my parent's front porch I can see dark, natural silhouettes of tall oak tress, and above the outline of a thickly grown canopy. The scene is backlit by a bright grey sky; misty mountains define the horizon. This almost fantastical woodland scene, mixed with the humidity that only and east coast summer can bring, summons the work of Maxfield Parrish to mind.

Scribner's, 1897

The frizz in my hair makes me long for the moistureless air of the Pacific Northwest, but also reveals new style inspiration. Looking to the women of Maxfield Parrish I can find natural, beautiful, curly (sometimes frizzy!) hairstyles.

Stars, 1926

Contentment, 1927

What do you think? Could you imagine creating a natural style like one of these? I'd love to see! P.S. all of this thinking about curly hair reminds me of my favorite New Yorker, circa 1998: