Figure 1.--This is the earliest boy's hairbow picture HBC currently has. While the image is unidetified, the front buttoning dress suggests the child was a boy. The child's hat to the right especially suggets a boy. HBC believes that the photograph was taken in the 1870s. The photographer's set and striped stockings suggest the 1870s. Click on the image to view the hat. Also note the stripped socks.

HBC knows of no study detailing the chronology of hair bows for boys. HBC can only theorize at this time that the hair bows followed the same basic chronology as long hair for boys because hairbows were worn with long hair. The chronology also probably followed the popularity of hairbows for girls. Men and boys in the 18th century had worn bows on their pigtails. This disappeared in the early 19th century as both boys and men adopted shorter hair styles. Boys generally wore short hair in the first half of the 19th century. Longer hair styles began to become more common in the late 1860s and 70s. It is likely that mothers at the same time began adding hair bows. This continued into the 20th century, becoming less common in the 1910s and was little seen by the 1920s.

The 18th Century

Men and boys in the 18th century commonly wore long hair. Men of substance and even boys after breeching wore wigs. Pigtails called queues were considered stylish. Both men and boys had worn bows on their pigtails. The style of long hair became a political issue as long hair anf wigs became identified with the Amcien regime during the French Revolution which began in 1789. By the turn of the century, the fashion of short hair had crossed the Channel to England.

The 19th Century

We have more information on hair bows during the 19th century. The wigs and pigtails disappeared in the early 19th century as both boys and men adopted shorter hair styles. Boys generally wore short hair in the first half of the 19th century. There are scattered reports as young boys wearing long hair even during this period. Most boys, however wore short hair. Thus hair bows were probably not common in this period. Short hair styles for boys continued popular in the mid-19th century. Again scattered reports indicate that younger boys might wear long hair. Thus hair bows were probably not common in this period. Quite a few of the images of boys wearing hairbows that we have acquired from the late 19th century. We can not say that they were more common in this period. The increasing numbers pf photographs being taken is a major factor. Longer hair styles began to become more common in the late 1860s and 70s. HBC believes that it is at this time that mothers began adding hair bows to their sons' long hair. A good ecample is the Powell family in 1886. Another example is an unidentified American boy in the 1890s. HBC believes that this is also about the same time that girls began wearing prominent hairbows, but this needs confirmation.

The 20th Century

Boys continued wearing hair bows into the 20th century. Much of our information comes from the United States. We see quite a few American boys in the 1900s wearing ringlet curls and hair bows in the 1900s. This was largely associated with the ringlet curl hair style as most Americans boys who wore hair bows wore them with ringlets. Hair bows were perhaps not as common as the 1890s, but still bows were definitely a well-established fashion. Both bows and ringlets became less common in the 1910s and were little seen by the 1920s. This time line seems similar in both Europe and America, although ringlets were much more common in America. This may mean that hair bows were as well, but we are not yet sure about this.

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Created: May 13, 2000
Last updated: 7:11 PM 5/26/2008