When did the fashion for short hair for men/long hair for women begin?
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Men had longer hair in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Though in the early 1900s up until the 50s they had short hair. And before the 1900s it seems like men had longer hair than women (yikes).
The long/short hair fashion (on men) was on and off throughout the last century. I hope men stay with short hair - much more attractive.
Small sample set of royalty is not representative. Men by virtue of doing - on average - more consistently strenuous work (and potentially threatening work if wearing long hair) throughout history likely kept their hair shorter than women due to:
1 Safety concerns,
2 Reducing hair as a potential weakness to be used against them in a fight
3 Having better ability to keep it clean and free of disease type issues (Lice) especially when water in many regions of world was not plentiful for activity like hair washing.
4 Style was unimportant except to upper classes
Women historically were encouraged to keep long hair to convey 'modesty' [head covering] et al. Also, historically women were in many cultures adornment chattel etc... so treatment and caring for hair was akin to keeping them as 'pretty' as possible and in some circumstances as a way of differentiating themselves for male attention.
No even peasants in the Medieval period had long hair. Men of course. And of course throughout many cultures, from Japan to Native America to the Vikings. All of these groups frequently went into combat and did dangerous jobs. So no, not buying your reasoning.
Small sample set of royalty is not representative. Men by virtue of doing - on average - more consistently strenuous work (and potentially threatening work if wearing long hair) throughout history likely kept their hair shorter than women due to:
1 Safety concerns,
2 Reducing hair as a potential weakness to be used against them in a fight
3 Having better ability to keep it clean and free of disease type issues (Lice) especially when water in many regions of world was not plentiful for activity like hair washing.
4 Style was unimportant except to upper classes
Women historically were encouraged to keep long hair to convey 'modesty' [head covering] et al. Also, historically women were in many cultures adornment chattel etc... so treatment and caring for hair was akin to keeping them as 'pretty' as possible and in some circumstances as a way of differentiating themselves for male attention.
Good stuff. On #3, people might be wondering why that wouldn't also push women toward short hair, but I think men are more prone to scalp infections and before modern cleaning and medicine, that might have come with some risk of death or at least giving others the idea that someone was very unhealthy to be around.
What's strange is the custom of dressing and coiffing little boys like girls. I've seen photos of male relatives/ancestors in their childhood, and they had long hair with curls, and were dressed in the same clothes as girl toddlers were. I couldn't believe they were photos of boys, when I first saw them. These were from around the late 1800's to the early 1900's sometime.
Only from a modern perspective can this be seen. During those times the way toddlers of either sex were dressed was considered nonsexual. There was no gender assigned to toddlers. Back then pink was not considered a girls only color and blue was not specifically assigned to boys. Only after those changes do we look back and see a male infant toddler wearing a "white dress" with "long curly hair" as being dressed like a girl. At that time there was not even a market for male toddler and female toddler clothes, there was just clothes for toddlers, period.
In the most ancient of times long hair on men was considered a symbol of strength, consider Samson or the long-haired Frankish kings.
Only from a modern perspective can this be seen. During those times the way toddlers of either sex were dressed was considered nonsexual. There was no gender assigned to toddlers. Back then pink was not considered a girls only color and blue was not specifically assigned to boys. Only after those changes do we look back and see a male infant toddler wearing a "white dress" with "long curly hair" as being dressed like a girl. At that time there was not even a market for male toddler and female toddler clothes, there was just clothes for toddlers, period.
In the most ancient of times long hair on men was considered a symbol of strength, consider Samson or the long-haired Frankish kings.
Yep, all very true. We look at history outside the window of our own domicile.
here's another angle at your question. religion. specifically islam. men are supposed "to look the opposite of women" such as short hair and keeping a beard. in turn, women keep long hair and no facial hair (as expected). so since 630 AD, all of the lands colonized by muslims and those converted since have somewhat arbitrarily followed this rule. there are exceptions to this but i heard this constantly when i was overseas in islamic countries for vacation (i even heard it in india from a fellow muslim who told me not to shave).
in the sikh religion from india, men do not shave their hair but keep it rolled up in the turban instead. again, religion is influencing man's choice, rather than style or reason.
on a side note, these two religions are the opposite in terms of hairstyle and obviously belief systems, yet americans have no clue about that. both of these images show muslims according to most americans.
Does not nature itself teach you that long hair is a dishonor to a man, but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her instead of a covering. However, if anyone wants to argue in favor of some other custom, we have no other, nor do the congregations of God.
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