Hair Parts: Gender Trends
Figure 1.--HBC stresses that while there may have been some conventions concerning hair parts, available images show that many mothers ignored those conventions. The American boy and girl here both have left parts. This image is undated, but we would estimate that it was tken about 1905.
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In some contries, hair parts have had gender connotations, although this has varied over time and we have not yet developed details on those connotations. In particular we do not have extensive information available on girls' hair sryles which would be useful for comparaive purposes.
We note that in mid-19th century, for example, younger girls often parted their in the middle. It was worn at different lengths, ofren with a ribbon or headband to keep it out of the way. As girls got older before or in her early teens she would usually let her hair grow longer. Boys on the other hand generally wore short hair styles and parted it on the side. I'm not sure if the choice of which side was important, but as most people are left handed the left side was probably the most common. Of course it was mother who generally did the parting until the boy was well into his school years. By the turn of the century, center parts had become very fashionable for boys. We should stress that while there may have been some conventions concerning hair parts, available images show that many mothers ignored those conventions. Not infrequently mothers would just comb all of their children's hair with the same part.
19th Century
We note that in mid-19th century, for example, younger girls often parted their in the middle. It was worn at different lengths, ofren with a ribbon or headband to keep it out of the way. As girls got older before or in her early teems she would usually let her hair grow longer. Boys on the other hand generally wore short hair styles and parted it on the side. We see countless examples of this. An early example is an unidentified American family in 1855.
We see many images of children with side parted hair. Unfortunately many are not identified as to gender. A good example is the Ross children.
I'm not sure if the choice of which side was important, but as most people are left handed the left side was probably the most common. Of course it was mother who generally did the parting until the boy was well into his school years.
A reader writes, "I attended a lecture at Sturbridge Village over the weekend by Joan Severa who has written two books on dress as seen in early photographs. One thing that she emphasized is that girls always had their hair parted in the middle and boys on the side. When looking at early photos that does seem to hold absolutely true and it make sense because if you look at men and women of the same periods, women parted their hair in the middle and men on the side so children’s hair would have been dealt with in the same manner even though dress was not totally mimicked in very young children." HBc would agreee that the center hair part is am important gebder indicator.
A good example of center parts for girls is an unidentified American girl anout 1850. Numerous images shoe girls with center pats and boys with side parts. A good example is an unidentified brother and sister at about the same time.
We would not agree, however that it is an absolute indicator. The one thing that we have noted from working with 19th century images is the variation. Because media was not as developed today, conventions on dress, hair, colors, ect are not as iniform as is the case today. Mothers thus had much more latitude as to hiw they dressed their children. Thus we see in the photographic record great variations from family to family on hair styles and when a boys' curls were cut. The same is true as to clothing. Thus we see not reason why the hair part would be the one hair styling aspect that did not change. There were magazines and books with advise on child raising, including fashion. I have no information to indicate that the hair part was the one hair style element that everyone agree about.
The 20th Century
By the turn of the century, center parts had become very fashionable for boys. A good example is an American boy, Clarence Rogers in the 1900s.
We should stress that while there may have been some conventions concerning hair parts, available images show that many mothers ignored those conventions. Not infrequently mothers would just comb all of their children's hair with the same part.
HBC
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Created: October 7, 2002
Last updated: 3:04 AM 2/15/2007