Shirley Polykoff's 'Does she or doesn't she?' and the Postwar Woman

Key Insight

Hair dye faced significant social stigma in the Depression era, with women like Shirley Polykoff secretly coloring their hair. In 1956, while a junior copywriter, Polykoff was tasked with launching Miss Clairol, a revolutionary hair-color bath allowing at-home lightening, tinting, conditioning, and shampooing in one 20-minute step. This product, offering shades like Topaz or Moon Gold, astonished beauticians at its debut, marking a significant technological leap for the industry. Polykoff's personal experience of being judged for colored hair informed her strategy, leading to the iconic slogan, 'Does she or doesn't she? Only her hairdresser knows for sure.'

The campaign strategically aimed to normalize hair coloring, utilizing 'girl next door' models in everyday settings like a housewife preparing hors d'oeuvres or a mother with her child. Early print ads, shot by Richard Avedon and Irving Penn, frequently included a child to subtly counter any sexual connotations and demonstrate the natural-looking color match. This approach resonated deeply, leading to a flood of letters from women whose lives reportedly changed, such as one who attributed her engagement and honeymoon in Bermuda to becoming a blonde. The success led to hair coloring rising from 7 percent to over 40 percent among American women between the 1950s and 1970s.

The 'Does she or doesn't she?' slogan, along with others like 'If I’ve only one life, let me live it as a blonde!', reflected deeper societal shifts during the postwar era, intertwined with women's entry into the workforce, social emancipation, and the availability of the birth control pill. It tapped into the concept of 'useful fiction,' allowing women to project a desired image without fully embodying it, a common experience for those seeking assimilation in America. The slogan’s true meaning extended beyond hair color, questioning identity: 'Is she a contented homemaker or a feminist, a Jew or a Gentile — or isn't she?'