* Boys' Hair Styles: Hair Knots/Top Curl styles








Boys' Hair Styles: Hair Knots/Top Curl--Styles


Figure 1.--This photograph was, I believe, taken in the 1860s. It shows a boy wearing the hair knot style, with parts on both side. Notice his tunic and straw hat. The small collar also helps to date the photograph.

We are not sure what this style was all about. Or even what it was called. It may look rather strange and many today may not think it very attractive, but obviiously some fashionable mothers at the time liked this style. We are not sure what the fathers thought. We see these large top curls done in various styles. They were done both with and without long hair, usually ringlets. They were mostly done with ringlets at the side and back. Most of the top curl portraits we have found show the boys with ringlets. Using the hair for a top curl affected the number and thickness of the ringlets whichncould be formed. The hair at the top took away from the ringlets, so these boys generally had fewer ringlets. The most commpn way of styling the hair at a boy's forehead when wearing ringlets was bangs. There were, however, other options such as a front part. While these were the more common options, another option was a top curl, hair knot, or other piling of the hair at the forehead and top of the head. They were done with ringlets, although the top curls reduced the hair availavle to form ringlets. Thus the number and thicknes of ringlets were affected. The hair at the top took away from the ringlets, so these boys generally had fewer ringlets. These top knot style were worn both with and without ringlets. Some of these top roll/curl hairbstyles were done without ringlets, especially in the earlier phase. Most of the top curl portraits we have found without ringlets come from mid-century. It was most common to see them with runglets, but we have found sone boys with top knots that did not have accomoanying ringlets. These fancy top styles were almost always done with a curl or roll on top. We have found one boys whise mother did a kind of uopward sweep.


Figure 2.--This Daguerotype or photograph has been colored. Notice the hair knot. I have no details, but would estimate the photograph was taken in the 1860s. The large collar suggests the 1880s, but the small bow looks more like the 1860s. This boy looks older than many boys photographed wityh this hair style.







HBC






Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing hair style pages:
[Return to the Main top curl page]
[Return to the Main hair page]
[Return to the Main Long hair page]
[Bangs] [Ringlet curls] [Hair bows] [Curls] [Caps] [Collar bows]



Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[About Us]
[Introduction] [Activities] [Biographies] [Chronology] [Clothing styles] [Countries] [Girls] [Theatricals] [Topics]
[Bibliographies] [Contributions] [FAQs] [Glossaries] [Images] [Index] [Links] [Registration] [Tools]
[Boys' Historical Clothing Home]





Created: March 5, 1999
Last edited: 10:10 PM 8/4/2020