Figure 1.--Here are several hair styles for younger boys in fashion after the World War II in the 1940s and early 50s. The boys here are 18 months, 3 years and 4 years old. Sometimes the curls and choupette were done with the help of several " bigoudis. In the On the photo (upper left) the boy wore a romper with a white mantel baby. His hair was trimmed shorter for his 4th birthday, but his granparents were upset and his parents let it grow longer. |
Assessments of hair styles in the many different countries is complicated by the foreign langiage terms for the various styles. Some of the French words associated with boys' hair cuts and styles may be useful to English-speaking readers. Some are similar to the English terms others are entirely diffrent. Our French readers have provided us many of the French language terms.
Barettes: Barettes
Bigoudi: Plural bigoudis, rollers or curlers. They are a sort of little cylinder on which one rolls up the hair. In the 1940s they were made in wood or bakelite. Today they are made in plastic. Bigoudi pronunciation = "bee goo dee".
Blond hair: Cheveux blonds
Brown hair: Cheveux châtains
Choupette: Pronunciation = "shoo pet".
Coupe anglaise: The "coupe anglaise" (English cut).
Coupe au bol: Bowl cut.
Coupe au carré: This term is used to descrine a fring ("fange") or bangs haircut.
Curly hair: Cheveux bouclés
Frange: A French reader reports that in French there is no special term refering to the bangs hair style. So bangs are referred to, as in England as a "fringe" or in French "frange". "Cheveux courts avec frange" (short hair with fringe) or "cheveux longs avec frange". A popular saying is "coupe de cheveux au carré" (???).
Hair: cheveux
Long hair: Cheveux longs
Part: Raie dans les cheveux
Part right: Raie à droite
Part left: Raie à gauche
Short hair: Cheveux courts
Ringlet curls : Cheveux avec des anglaises (meaning English-styled hair)
Wave: Un cran
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