A mother sprays hairspray on her son's meticulously styled retro hairdo, as he looks at his reflection in a handheld mirror while sitting on a stool in a kitchen.

The year was 2007. The air still hummed with the faint echo of dial-up tones and the tinny pop of Britney Spears from forgotten radios. But in the quaint, slightly cluttered kitchen of the Henderson household, something far more retro was taking shape. 16 year-old Mike wasn't like the other boys in his class, who sported spiky gelled hair or shaggy skater cuts. Mike didn't just wear his hair; he curated it. Every Saturday morning, under the patient, loving hands of his mother, Sarah, his dark, surprisingly thick hair was transformed. It was a masterpiece of mid-century chic: a perfect 1960s Bubble Flip. Voluminous at the crown, with meticulously curled ends that bounced outwards, framing his delicate, almost elfin face. With his slender frame and wide, innocent eyes, Mike genuinely looked like a girl from a vintage magazine. And he absolutely loved it. He loved the way the hair swished when he turned his head, the way it made him feel… special. Sarah, a woman who embraced life with an enthusiastic, almost theatrical flair, adored her son's unique style. "Oh, my little darling," she'd coo, giving the last, critical spray of hairspray, "you look like a little superstar!" Mike, perched on a worn kitchen stool, beamed at his reflection in the small, hand-held mirror. His head was a perfectly sculpted helmet of retro glamour. "Alright, my little mod icon!" Sarah clapped her hands, her voice a booming, theatrical alto that made the teacups rattle. "Now for the finishing touches!" See more