Boys' Hair: France--Choupette


Figure 1.--This French boy with a choupette was pictured in this February 1954 advertisement for embroidery. Some readers may think that the child is a girl, but French girls did not wear rompers. Note the embroidered work on the boy's romper suit.

French boys have not worn curls as commonly as boys in several other countries, including America. HBC has noted, however, one curled hair style. A French reader describes a "coiffure de garçonnet avec une choupette". He reports that it was was common from the 1930s and early 50s with mothers who wanted to make a younger boy look nice and he himself wore such hair styles. The origins of the style, however, were much earlier. Our French reader indicates that choupette was a familiar term. It consisted of a big curl of hair placed in the the middle of the head. The vogue was quite common for boys in affluent families and to make boys look alike "enfants modèles" (model children). Boys might keep a "bigoudi" or a "barette" in their hair. The word choupette today is only understood by the older people. Young people in France today don't today know exactly what it means, but recognize it as something associated with hair styling. The young boys with these choupettes were commonly dressed in rompers ("barboteuse"). This was a style for pre-school boys, normally up to about 4 or 5 years of age.

Curls

French boys have not worn curls as commonly as boys in several other countries, including America. This was especially the case of ringlet curls which were not common for French boys when ringlets were ppular for boys in the late 19th and early 20th century. Curiously a kind of curled styled, the choupette became very popular for younger Frebch boys in the late 1940s anf early 1950s. One can only surmise that French mothers after the horrors of World War II wanted to hold their boys as close as possible.

The Choupette

HBC has noted, however, one curled hair style. A French reader describes a "coiffure de garçonnet avec une choupette". Choupette styles varied, but the one consistent feature is a large rolled curl on the top of te child's head. A French reader reports that it was was common from the 1930s and early 50s with mothers who wanted to make a younger boy look nice and he himself wore such hair styles. He indicates that choupette was a familiar name. It consist as a big curl of hair placed in the the middle of the head. The vogue was quite common for boys in affluent families and to make boys look alike "enfants modèles" (model children). Boys might keep a "bigoudi" or a "barette" in their hair. The word choupette today is only understood by the older people. Young people in France today don't today know exactly what it means, but recognize it as something associated with hair styling. The young boys with these choupettes were commonly dressed in rompers ("barboteuse"). This was a style for pre-school boys, normally up to about 4 or 5 years of age.

Chronology

HBC had thought that the choupette originated in the 1930s. We note, however French boys wearing choupette hair styles in the 1890s. We nore one French boy wearing a choupette-type style in 1898, his name was André. It is likely that they were worn well before this, although we do not have details at this time. The choupette style tht became popular in the 1930s appears tomhave had shorter hair at the side than was the case for the earlier styles that were worn at the turn of the 20th century.

Clothing

French boys wore the choupette hair style with a variety of outfits. The choupette was especially popular in the 1940s and 50s. Thus it was primarily worn with the clothes. One especially popular outfit during this period was the romper suit or barboteuse. Blouses with puffed sleeves were also commonly worn with the choupette.

Gender

Some HBC readers have written to say that surely the child in figure 1 must be a little girl. Two features of the image, however, clearly identify the child as a boy. First, girls in the did not wear dressy romper outfits like this boy wears. A little girl would have worn a dress. Also notice the emroidered car--a boys' motif. Second, the choupette hair style leaves no doubt that the child is aboy because the choupette were only for boys. He in fact has a typical look for a well-dressed the boy of the 1950s. A French reader reports, "I have had the same look at that age." French mothers whould have done their daughter's hair in "anglaises" (meaning Englishes) or big ringlet curls. HBC notes that sellers on E-Bay almost always identify children with the choupette hair style as girls. French readers, however, inform HBC that this was a boys' hair style.







HBC






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Created: October 23, 2001
Last edited: March 18, 2002