Figure 1.--Occasional images show bangs being worn in the 1870s and 80s. The reklatively limited number of such images, however, suggest that it was not a popular style for boys.

I am not sure just when this hair style first appeared. I have noted boys earing bangs as early as the 1870s. Based on the relatively limited number of images, however, it would seem that bangs were not very popular for boys from affluent families until the turn of the century. This may, however, be somewhat misleading. I think farm boys throughout the country had their hair cut by their mothers. One common method was to use a bowl to cut a straight line. This led in effect to bangs at the front. These boys in the 19th Century, however, were probably less likely to have their hair cut.

The 18th Century

I'm not sure about the 18th century yet, but do not believe bangs were a common style. I am not sure about boys' hair styles before breeching, they may have worn the same styles as their sisters. After breeching they wore basically the same hair style as their fathers.

The 19th Century

Doting Victorian mothers kept their treasured sons in dresses and long curls. I do not believe that bangs were a major hair style for affluent boys in the early 9th century--at least in America. It may have been more common among rural and working-class boys as it was the result of a bowl cut where mothers placed a bowl on their son's head and cut around it. I'm not sure how common bangs were in Europe. Bangs in the 19th century, at least until the 1890s do not appear to have been a stle of their own. They were either tolerated as the opiycome of the bowl cut, or worn with more elabotate styles, like Fauntleroy curls.

Figure 2.--This boy looks to be about 5 years old. He wears a Fauntleroy suit with curls, even his forehead bangs are curled. The image appears to date to the late 1880s or 1890s.

Early and mid-19th century

HBC has insufficient information at this time to assess how commonly bangs were worn during the early and mid-19th century.

The 1880s

The hair do that stylish mothers, especially American mothers, wanted for their sons in the 1880s were ringlet curls. While bangs may have been part of the hair style, it was not the focus of it. Many boys with Fauntleroy long ringlets had the front of their head done in bangs. In a few instances the front bangs themselves might be done in ringlets, although this was not common. Boys who wore bangs instead of ringlets usually had longish hair which fell over their ears. The excetion to this was the boys with bangs resulting from a bowl cut. These boys had their hair well above their ears.

Figure 3.--Dutch boy bangs were worn by boys from many countries. This French boy, the son of Emie Zola, wears bangs in a photograph taken during the late 1890s.

The 1890s

HBC has noted both American and French boys wearing bangs in the 1890s, but they were probably worn in other countries as well. American boys mostly wore bangs with their hair cut short off their ears. Boys wearing loig Fauntleroy curls, however, often wore front front bangs. French images from the 1890s show bangs with long hair covering the ears were worn by school-age boys. Ringlets were never very popular in France. Younger French boys still might wear long hair. The bangs cut appears to have been considered appropriate for boys up to about 11 or 12 years of age, perhaps even 13 years of age. Such boys, however, may have been home schooled. HBC is unclear, however, just how common bangs were in France. Available images and fashion magazines do not indicate that it was a major style. The sailor suit was a popular outfit to be worn with bangs in both America and France.

Figure 4.--Boys in bangs by the 1920s were wearing more mature looking suits. This boy was wearing a suit just like his brother. The only difference was the bangs. Click on the image to see his brother.

The 20th Century

At the turn of the 20th century, boys were less frequently kept in dresses and their hair was cut earlier. It was about this time that front bangs began to appear on boys. The bangs I have noted which appeared at about the turn of the century also had longer hair left over the ear at the side. I am not sure why bangs began to appear at this time or who promoted the fashion. Perhaps the so called bowl-cut of low-income families had some impact in popularizing bangs. Using a bowl a boys hair could be eavenly cut at home, leaving a front fringe, but the hair cut away from the ears. Throughout the 20th century bangs varied in popularity. Usually they were considered a little boys' style, but the Beatles help popularize them for teenagers.

The 1900s

I'm not sure about the popularity of bangs in the 1900s. Available images confirm that some boys wore them, but they do not seem as popular as later in the century.

The 1910s

Bangs were becoming an increasingly popular hair style for boys as ringlets and other longer hair styles declined in popularity. Long hair for boys was declining in popularity in the 1910s. Boys wearing bangs wore both the long and short style. Some boys still wore it long over their ears. Other boys had it cut above their ears. Interestingly they were great variations in the clothing styles worn. Some boys wore juvenile over the ear hair with rather mature looking ties while others had abobe the ear cuts with juvenile floppy bows.

Figure 5.--Dutch boy bangs became very popular in America after the turn of the century. Long ringlet curls declined in popularity, especially after the first decade, but bangs in various forms have continued to be a popular hair style for boys. This boy in the late 1910s early 1920s has had his hair cut above the ears.

The 1920s

Bangs by the 1920s had become a popular style for younger boys. Boys in bangs by the 1920s, however, were beginning to wear more mature looking suits like sailor suits. For the most part, however, bangs were considered to be a hair style for girls or younger boys. As a result, the boys in bangs still also wore rather juvenile styled clothes. Bangs were still being used, however, to differentiate between boys of different ages. Some boys in bangs still had their hair over their ears, but by the mid-1920s this had become increasingly rare. Most boys in bangs were having their hair cut short above the ears.

The 1960s

The young John Kennedy restablished bangs style as a fashionable style for younger boys. The mopish bangs-look he wore as he began schooled helped to make bamgs popular for school age children. The Beattles were another factor in establishing bangs as a major hair style for boys.

The 1970s

Bangs became increasingly popular in the 1970s. Older boys wore bangs, even some younger teenagers. Bangs lost much of their previous association as a little boys' hair cut.

The 1980s

Bangs continued to be worn by boys. A current popular style is bangs in front across the forehead worn with a general bowl cut. This is often worn by blond boys. It is most common with smaller boys, but is often worn by younger teenagers. While formal straight cut bangs are still commonly seen on younger boys, a more common style is the sort of stragely bangs popularized by John-John in thr 1960s.

The 1990s

Figure 6.--The classic bangs continue to be one of the most popular style for younger boys. One modern look is the kind of informal, uncombed bangs worn by this boy.

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Created: December 24, 1999
Last edited: June 28, 2001