The 1940s look was controlled but longer and romantic. The boys were off to war: every woman was waiting for some man to come home. She was keeping the home fires burning, and if she worked in a factory for the war effort, it only meant she tried to be ultra-feminine on her shifts off. She was capable but soft, wise but wistful. And they said it all with their hair.
For long hair, use big rollers to achieve a soft wave, and flip the ends under. Bangs weren't in: part your hair on the side, and sweep it over, using a barrette to hold it. Make it glossy with one of the silicone based gloss gels, and coat generously with hair spray to keep it in place.
The everyday '40s hairstyle for women was a roll that sat loosely at the nape of the neck, often hiding the ears. For work, the roll was essential, to keep hair from being caught in machinery or otherwise getting in the way. Tight rolls were for work and daytime chores, like doing laundry on the weekends. Looser rolls are more elegant, and harder to maintain. You can make even medium length hair into a roll by teasing it to fullness, then combing the top layer around a large, round brush, filling it with teased hair. The top layer should be very smooth: the teased part underneath creates the needed volume. Pit it into place using long hairpins and spray it to keep it there.
