MEN'S HAIRSTYLES THROUGH TIME

Men's hairstyles have undergone many evolutions throughout history, always diversifying in styles, lengths, and cuts.
Let’s take a trip through time together to discover some of the looks that have defined men’s fashion over the decades!

1700s

Let’s start at the dawn of the European Enlightenment: the eighteenth century marked the end of the era of wigs, which had been widely used for decades.
At the beginning of the century, men's wig hairstyles were very lavish under the influence of Louis XIV, with large curls reaching down to the shoulders. Towards the end of the century, however, the trend reversed: women wore exuberant wigs, while for men, the new King of France, Louis XV, mandated smaller, simpler wigs, dusted with white or gray powder. The most popular hairstyle of the time was a ponytail at the nape of the neck, tied with a ribbon: a style very popular across all classes.

1800s - early 1900s

After the French Revolution, the long style—a symbol of the nobility—was abandoned in favor of short, natural hair, following the aesthetic of the bourgeoisie: there was no time to maintain long, voluminous wigs!
In the century of Neoclassicism, with the recovery of the art of the ancient Greek and Roman world, men's hairstyles were also inspired by these models.
Consequently, the trend favored hair kept short on the sides and back, and longer and curled on the forehead (legend has it that Lord Byron slept with curlers in his hair to achieve perfect curls!). This is the ancestor of the modern Caesar cut.
In the early 1900s, the cut became even shorter and neater: pairing it with a prominent mustache was almost mandatory!

1940s-1950s

Moving into the heart of the 20th century, one of the periods boasting the most characteristic hairstyles is the 1940s-50s.
Until the 1930s, hair was kept short, slick, and shiny, parted on the side—a feature that remained a constant into the 1940s, when the cut became longer but still neatly combed back.
The 1950s were defined by the style inspired by Elvis Presley or James Dean, two of the most influential figures of the time! The defining features of these cuts were short hair on the sides and a long quiff on top, also known as a "pompadour," with the side part becoming optional. For a hairstyle like this, strong hold and volume are essential: to achieve them, try our matte finish modeling paste!

1960s-1970s

Moving into the 1960s and 70s, we see hairstyles becoming increasingly long under the influence of The Beatles and the Hippie movement. In the 60s, the fashion was a bob cut complemented by sideburns, a very distinct style that signaled a drastic change from the previous period.
In the 70s, however, the trend favored hair that was even longer, wavy, and tousled, a symbol of the American counter-culture that sought to break free from social rules.

1980s-1990s

In the 80s, we see another major change, with hairspray and teasing dominating both men's and women's hairstyles. The most widespread men's cut featured hair kept short in front and longer in the back: the original mullet, inspired by the eclectic style of David Bowie, which has recently seen a comeback.
With the rise of grunge culture in the 90s, however, there was a return to simplicity, with a cut short on the sides and longer on top: this time, however, strictly tousled (those who follow us on Instagram have already had a glimpse!).

2000s

With the new millennium, we saw hairstyles getting shorter on the sides, often with a "faux hawk" and blonde highlights, styled in short, spiky tufts—to recreate this look, our gloss finish wax is definitely the right choice for you!
Another option from the early 2000s, usually for younger guys, was definitely the Justin Bieber or Zac Efron-style cut: easier to achieve, with hair long in front down to eye level and side-swept bangs.

But let’s return to the present: today, one of the most appreciated styles is the beard, which in the past was a symbol of neglect, while for hair, there has been a return to simplicity with more natural cuts.
To satisfy your curiosity on the subject, we refer you to our articles on tips for beards and mustaches and on 2023 hair trends!