Figure 1.--This photograph was, I believe, taken in the 1860s. It shows a boy wearing the hair knot style, with parts on both side. Notice his tunic and straw hat. The small collar also helps to date the photograph.
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Figure 1.--This photograph was, I believe, taken in the 1860s. It shows a boy wearing the hair knot style, with parts on both side. Notice his tunic and straw hat. The small collar also helps to date the photograph. |
I'm not really sure what to call this style, nor
have I seen it mentioned in the literature consulted so far in my
research. For want of a better term I will refer to it as a hair knot.
If anyone knows what it was really called when in use, please let
me know.
The style involves sweeping a boys hair into a knot or bun on the top
of the head. I believe thid was an exclusively boys' style, although I
still know very little about it.
One HBC contributor reports that an exclusive litttle boys hair style
was a part on each side and the hair in the middle made into a curl.
As far as I can tell this style was worn from about
1850-1885, although this is only a guess arrived at from the few available images I have. This is largely based on an assessment of photograpic images. It is possible that the style was worn earlier in the 1830s and 40s before photographic images were commonly available. I have not noted the style in painted portraits, but there are far few paintings than photographs--so it may just be the lack of images that suggests the style began in the 1850s.
I do not think it was must used after the the mid 1880s, aklthough
there are a few images of boys with this style in Fauntleroy suits. This means it may have continued into the 1890s, but was much less common than the more standard ringlet curl styles.
Figure 2.--This Daguerotype or photograp has been colored. Notice the hair knot. I have no details, but would estimate the photograph was taken in the 1860s. The large collar suggests the 1880s, but the small bow looks more like the 1860s. This boy looks older than many boys photographed wityh this hair style. |
I can find few images of boys wearing this style after 1885. I believe
this is in part because the Fauntleroy-style
ringlet curls generally
replaced it. Doting mothers who might have used this style apparently
found ringlets much more attractive.
I have just begun to assess the styles of clothes with which boys would
wear this hair style. Based on the few available images, it appears to
younger boys both before and after brreching. Boys in dresses wore it as did boys in tunics after they were breeched and wearing bloomer-like
knickers.
The limited number of images I have do not permit me to reasonably
assess the age at which boys had their hair styled in these knots. It
appears it was most common on boys 5 years old of younger. Some older boys also wore this style, mostly boys 7 or 8 years of age. A few images old older boys up to about 10 years of age also exist. The age range, however, requires, however, some further research.
I have only noted this style in American photographs. I have not noted it any foreign phptographs. Thus it may be an American rather than an imported style.
It may not have been very popular as I have not noted it in the drawings and illustrations reproduced in fashion magazines. Also I have noted it it worn in only a small number of photographs. This probably means it was not common, but it was the 1880s when really large numbers of photographs began to be taken, so perhaps the rarity of the images in part reflects the time-frame in which he style was popular.
Figure 3.--This American boy wears a few short ringlets with his hair knot with his Fauntleroy suit and lace collar. |
These hair knots were worn in several different variants.
A common style in the 1850s and 60s was to sweepnthe hair ]
from both sides up into the hair knot. This style was commonly used
when ringlets were not employed.
Another common variant was ringlets. The most
common variation was those worn both with and without ringlet curls.
The knot itself required quite a bit of hair as it took away from the
amount of hair which could be used for ringlets. This probably explains why the style became less commion in the late 1880s. Mothers much opreferred the ringlets and the hair knots detracted from them.
Another commom feature of many hair styles with these knots are
front bangs. The bangs were commonly used when ringlets were formed with hair knots. The bangs allowed the hair at the sides to be formed into ringlets.
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