Boys' Hair Styles: Parts with Various Styles


Figure 1.--This American child is unidentified, except that the portrait was taken in Norwick, New York. We would estimate about 1890. Note the stereoviewr on the desk. The child to us looks rather like a boy which is also suggested by the plain dress and side part worn with the ringlet curls. The hand posture also suggests a boy. Note the very long curls that mother has lovingly layed on both shoulders so they show in the portrait.

The part is an element in a wide variely of hair styles, including both short and long styles. The part is normally an element, but not the most importnt element in a style. There are some styles in which the part is the central element. These have included styles worn by both genders. Sometimes because of the styling, the part can not be seen at the front. The parts have been both side, center, and back parts. The use of the part may have had some gender connotations with some of these hair styles, but we are still developing information on this. We believe, for example, that boys with ringlet curls often had side parts, but girls often had center parts. Here we are still assessing how common this convention was.

Central Element

The part is normally an element in a style. There are some styles in which the part is the central element. These include the cut part and double part styles.

Cut part

A reader informs us of the cut part style. "I have a funny question. When I was a kid there was a hair style we all thought was cool. The hair was cut short then a part was cut in. I believe that this was used during the 1950s and 60s. My daughter cuts our 4 year old grandson's hair. She is afraid to try the "cut part" technique. How is this done?" This is not a style that we were familiar with. I'm unsure how popular the style this was. Hopefully our readers will know more.

Double part

I'm not really sure what to call this style either, 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 double part. The style involves two parallel parts on both sides of the head. I know that boys with ringlets hafd the side parts joined as a "U" at the back of the head. I'm not sure about the boys without ringlets. I believe thid was an exclusively boys' style, although I still know very little about it. As far as I can tell it was worn from about 1840-1880, although this is only a guess arrived at from the few available images I have. I have only noted this style in American photographs and not in Europen photiographs, although admittely I have seen fewer European photographs.

Secondary Element

The part is an element in a wide variely of hair styles, including both short and long styles. The part is normally a secondary element in a style. These have included styles worn by both genders. Sometimes because of the styling, the part can not be seen at the front. The parts have been both side, center, and back parts. The use of the part may have had some gender connotations with some of these hair styles, but we are still developing information on this. We believe, for example, that boys with ringlet curls often had side parts, but girls often had center parts. Here we are still assessing how common this convention was.

Bangs

When a boy's hair is done with front bangs, it is difficult to see how the hair is parted.

Short Back and Sides


Ringlet Curls

The use of the part may have had some gender connotations with some of these hair styles, but we are still developing information on this. We believe, for example, that boys with ringlet curls often had side parts, but girls often had center parts. Here we are still assessing how common this convention was. For some boys, the part may have been done at random rather than reflecting gender conventions. This appaears to habevbeen more true of lft or right parts. Center parts appear to have had at times strong gender conventions.







HBC






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Created: November 13, 2002
Last updated: 12:58 AM 12/8/2017