A hairstyle characterized by deep regular waves made by a heated curling iron. Also used as a proper name.
Named after Marcel Grateau, a French hairdresser who invented the technique in the 1870s using heated curling irons. The style became extremely popular in the early 20th century, particularly in the 1920s.
The marcel wave was revolutionary because it was the first hairstyling technique that could create long-lasting waves without pin curls or overnight setting. It became so iconic that 'marcelling' became a verb, and the style influenced fashion and beauty standards for decades.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.