Figure 1.--A HBC reader has provided us his photograph taken in 1947. This haoir style was called a "choupette". It was common for boys from affluent families after World War II. Notice that the part is indestinct.
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Figure 1.--A HBC reader has provided us his photograph taken in 1947. This haoir style was called a "choupette". It was common for boys from affluent families after World War II. Notice that the part is indestinct. |
HBC is just beginning to research the part (raie dans les cheveux) in French hair styles. One French reader tells us that with the short hair that was common for boys in the 20th century, especilly after World War I, that the boys in France usually parted their hair on the left and the girls on the right. There were no definitive rule on this and boys could be seen with both left and right oarts. The left part for boys, however, was much more common. This convention not as strictly observed for the boys from affluent family and with especially attentive mother. One could thus see boys with part on both the left or right. Today this old convention has not changed. The girl always parts her hair on the right
and the boys normaly on the left although one can find some boys with part in right and this is regardless of social class.
Some of the French words associated with hair parts may be useful to English-speaking readers:
Hair: cheveux
Part: Raie dans les cheveux
Part right: Raie à droite
Part left: Raie à gauche
Hair styles as well as other fashions changed in France after World War II. After World War I, short hair became increasingly common for boys, even younger boys. Working class families did generally follow the left for boys and right side for girls convention. The affluent class was less likely to follow this convention. One French reader tells us that with the short hair that was common for boys in the 20th century, especilly after World War II, that the boys in France usually parted their hair on the left and the girls on the right. There were no definitive rule on this and boys could be seen with both left and right parts. Today this old convention has not changed. The girl always parts her hair on the right
and the boys normaly on the left although one can find some boys with part in right and this is regardless of social class.
The gender convention described above was not as strictly observed for the boys from affluent family and with especially attentive mother. One could thus see boys with part on both the left or right. This was in part because younger boys from affluet families might have their hair cut longer and the styles involved often did not have the definitive part in the shorter hair styles worn by boys from working class families.
A French reader tells us of his hair styles as a younger boy, "I usually had my hair parted on the right. But for some styles it was parted on the left. My hair was not natural curly, so the maid at night put 2 or 3 curlers "bigoudis" in my hair. In my time they were
made in wood or bakelit; today they are plastic. (Bigoudi pronunciation = bee goo dee.) Then the next morning it was easy to do a "choupette" hair style which lasted 2 or 3 days. {Choupette pronunciation = shoo pet.) The "bigoudis" were not particularly pleasant to keep or tomsleep in. So it could be replaced by some "barrettes". I suppose that probably the American boys in the 19th century to maintain the hair styles shown on HBC had the same treament for their ringlet curls ! We certainly looked attractive, but we sufferd a bit to get it."
In middle 1950s a style of cup-hair was in vogue and was called " cheveux à la brosse "
(very short hair and combed straight alike a brush). The hair part with this style was not prominent if it existed at all.
Men before the World War II often did not have a part in their hair. They combed their hair straight back from the forehead. Since World War II and it has continued today, most French wear their hair with a part as do children. This is the case in many other countries, including America.
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