United States Boys' Clothes: The 1960s--Hair Styles


Figure 1.--This pastel drawing of an American boy was done in 1968 and shows a common short hair style. While longer styles were becoming the popular thing style especilly among teenagers, many boys still had short cuts in the 60s.

Most American boys continued wearing the short hair cuts of the 1950s in the early-1960s. This wasa primarily styles that could be combed, but cut short at the sides, often eell away fom the ers. The British called short-back and sides. For most Ameican boys it was not quite as sevee, but none the less short. Other boys had really short cuts, such as the butch and crew cuts. These short hair cuts of the 1950s continued intio the early-60s. Some boys wore them year round. Other boys had their their cut short for the summer. This included really young boys that in early years might have had had their grown out in curls. At the same time period icons like film start James Dean and singer Elvis Presely were spoorting longer cuts which beginning in the 1950s began influencing teengers. And President Kennedy's son John-John influnced hair styling for younger boys. Destinctive national styles began to decline in importanmce with the appearance of the Beatles in the mid 1960s and their mop top. These longer became more pronounced by the end of the decade, at first for teenagers weho by their very nature tnd to be a little rebelious. Parents fo a time resisted the longer styles for their children. Tenngers had more abolity to express themslves. Mom and dad cold not ductate tmdelves. . Even so thefre was considerable variation during the 1960s. Many American boys still wore short hair even in the late-1960s. This was especially true in the more conservative Southern and Mid-Western states. Gradually long hair was becoming increaingly popular. John. F. Kennedy Jr. helped to poularize bangs, rather shaggy bangs, for younger boys rather than buzz cuts. Of course the Beattles helped popularize longer hair styles for older boys, especially teenagers. These longer styles became more pronounced by the end of the decade. Even so thefre was considerable variation during the 1960s. Many American boys still wore short hair even in the late-1960s. This was especially true in the more conservative Southern and Mid-Western states.







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Created: November 26, 2002
Last updated: 10:15 PM 8/7/2022