History of Men’s Hairstyles
And how they reveal the age of a painting
Some time ago we had a quick look at the history of women’s hairstyles and learned how to use that knowledge to assess the old master painting in question. This time, I share a quick guide on men’s hairstyle trends and their evolution in Western culture.
It will be interesting both for those who are curious to see how the fashion trends for hairstyles evolved through the centuries, as well as for art lovers and collectors willing to expand their knowledge and learn some new tips for properly attributing the artwork in question (we will get down to this after the history part).
Did it ever occur to you, that the sitter’s fashion in terms of his or her dress or hairstyle is a rather accurate indication of the century down to a decade if not a precise year, this portrait was created?
How is it all possible? Well, if you paid an artist to make your likeness immortal, you’d probably make sure that you dress to impress in line with the latest trends of your epoch.
So, let’s now run through the history timeline of major trends in Western men’s hairstyles from the Renaissance to the beginning of the 20th century.
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1450–1515
Renaissance
This hairstyle was typical for men across Europe from the Early Renaissance period up to the beginning of the 16th century.
European leaders shaved their beards and moustaches to show their alliance with the Pope, who banned facial hair for his clergy.
As usual, Royalty set up a fashion example for the subjects. Charles VIII of France was this period European trendsetter who used to wear his shoulder-length hair in a Pageboy style, as we call it today.
1515–1550
François I
16th-century men’s style brought back the beards and considerably shortened the haircut.
There is a legend that King Francis I of France once accidentally burned his beard with a torch and that’s how his new wreath-shaped beard combined with a narrow moustache came into fashion.
This shape of beard was also favoured by the English King Henry VIII. No wonder the two kings were close allies and practically changed their styles simultaneously.
1550–1620
Elizabethan era
The second half of the 16th century continued the tradition of beard revival — it was now more elaborate and extended up to the lower lip. Grooming and styling facial hair gained social significance at this time.
Hair was generally worn short, brushed back from the forehead. It was becoming longer towards the end of the century to then transform into a completely new style.
Ruff, a circular collar made from a pleated frill covering the neck and shoulders of the men, became one of the status symbols of this epoch. Starting from smaller versions in the 1550-s they were becoming bigger and more flamboyant by the end of the century.
1620–1650
Cavalier
This was the beginning of the growing importance of hair in men’s fashion. It is said that King Louis XIII of France could not grow a thick beard and this way set a new fashion rule to the court nobility that prescribed wearing only moustaches and a pointed beard or chin tuft.
Longer and curlier men’s hairstyles become a real obsession across all of Europe. Louis XIII even introduced the first male wig when he had prematurely begun to go bald.
Broad lace and linen collars came in place of disappeared ruffs to match the longer hairstyle.
1650–1720
Louis XIV
This was the era of men’s grandest hairstyles that had never been seen before and have never returned ever since.
King Louis XIV of France, Roi du Soleil (King Sun), affirmed his love for the full head of long and curly hair at the very beginning of his reign. Like his father, he also started to go bald at a relatively young age.
The beard had been in a long decline and now disappeared among the upper classes.
This fashion was brought to England by King Charles II who spent years of his exile in France. He preferred the wigs with the natural dark hair, just as Louis XIV did. By contrast, the young French heir to the throne chose blond wigs which would become dominant in the 18th century.
1720–1790
Louis XV
The 18th century was the age of elegance in men’s hair that was a pure reflection of dominating Rococo style with its leading idea of «joie de vivre» (joy of living).
Men of fashion now preferred short blond wigs or their own white-powdered hair to be tied back into a braid or tail at the nape of the neck with a black ribbon. Sometimes the back hair was encased in a black silk bag.
Hairdos were flat at the beginning of the period getting volume in backcombing towards the decline of this fashion before the French Revolution.
1790–1835
Romanticism
This new style of the early 19th century was a pure reflection of people’s minds of that post-Revolution romantic epoch.
No beards or moustaches, no wigs or artificial elements, just natural, disordered, expressive short to middle-sized hair with sideburns to respond to the spirit of freedom and constant search for new ideals.
Another trendsetter was the 5th Duke of Bedford who in protest against the high tax on powder abandoned wigs and started to wear his hair cropped and short. His society friends and future dandies followed him with enthusiasm. No wonder the comforts of this hairstyle ‘au naturel’ keep it popular even today.
1835–1900
Victorian age
Victorian-era style followed the pattern introduced by the early 19th century with its sharp turn to short natural hair.
Facial hair including moustaches, sideburns, and full beards was back in trend, while the clean-shaved face of the romantic period did only come back to fashion at the end of the century.
This was just a bird’s eye view of the evolution of men’s hairstyles. Inside every epoch, there were several sub-trends and movements recognising which you may learn more about the life and identity of a sitter and the circumstances of the painting creation.
Using fashion history to tell how old a portrait painting is
Curiously for amateur and seasoned art collectors, these fashion details might be used as another instrument to deduce the date of an artwork, which you could use in your visual analysis of a portrait.
Obviously, there are numerous other bits of information one should take into account (like the regional differences, trend diffusion lags, sitter’s age and supposed habits, and so on), yet even a brief look at the sitter may often give you a pretty good idea of the epoch the painting belongs to.
In my practice, I often use this method in defining the rough epoch of a picture in question.
For example, you are collecting Rococo paintings and graphics. One day you see an interesting work at an auction house website that is attributed as “French School, 18th-century”. Yet the hairstyle of a sitter and her attire did not come into fashion until the late Victorian era in the second half of the 19th century. This would be an immediate red flag that would let you make a quick decision and not waste time on additional research.
Of course, there are tons of other ‘first choice’ ways how to identify or double-check the date of an old master painting in question. Say, you may sometimes find an indication of a particular year inscribed on a painting surface or its backside by the artist, rely on the expert suggestion of an art historian or dealer, analyse the style, media and pigments yourself — all of that, hoping, that the piece had not been forged and somehow altered by the malevolent third party.
Moreover, a good imitator and follower of a painter would copy the fashion, and this way it might get harder to define the dating and if a picture is a potential fake.
So, please, use this guide as another instrument in your research about a picture. It might be a great additional instrument or starting point in your research. For the rest — read my other articles from Art Collecting Guide.
