The Evolution of Black Men's Hairstyles: A Look at the 1950s Trends

The 1950s were a transformative era for hairstyles, reflecting a shift in cultural norms and individual expression. Black men's hairstyles of this decade exemplify this change, showcasing both traditional styles and innovative trends. This article explores the diverse range of black men's hairstyles in the 1950s, from relaxed looks influenced by music icons to the emergence of natural styles and the impact of subcultures like the greasers.

The Rise of Relaxed Hairstyles

The 1950s saw the rise of relaxed hairstyles among black men, influenced by prominent figures like Little Richard. These styles often involved the use of chemical relaxers to straighten the hair, allowing for greater versatility in styling.

• The Conk: The conk, a hairstyle that had been popular since the 1920s, continued to be a prominent choice for African American men in the 1950s. This style involved chemically straightening the hair and styling it into various shapes, often with a pompadour or other elaborate designs. Men’s conked hair was also getting longer and more complicated. For those looking to show off, this longer conk could be styled up into a tall pompadour, as seen on performers like Chuck Berry and Little Richard.

The Popularity of the Flat-Top Haircut

The flat-top haircut was another popular style for black men in the 1950s. It was a versatile hairstyle that could be styled in various ways. Some men wore it high and tight, while others opted for a more relaxed look. Regardless of the style, the flat-top haircut was always stylish and cool.

• Flat Top Boogie: Named after the shape the hair ends up taking on, the Flat Top (flat top boogie!) and other short styles were preferred.

Embracing Natural Hair

In contrast to the relaxed styles, some black men in the 1950s chose to embrace their natural hair texture. This was often expressed through short, neatly groomed afros.

• Short Afro: Hair was also kept natural in the form of a short, neat afro. Free from the pain and expense of maintaining hair with harsh chemicals, it became more popular as the decade progressed. This short afro was seen on a variety of men, ranging from performers, to musicians, to public speakers. 1950s afros were kept short and neatly groomed, generally shorter on the sides than up top. His hair could also be cut to resemble other hair silhouettes, such as a Flat Top or pompadour. Some men would even shave a line into their hair to resemble a side-part.

Influence of Subcultures

The 1950s also saw the emergence of various subcultures, such as the greasers, which influenced men's hairstyles. Greasers were predominately young men of working-class backgrounds. Ergo, many wore simple working-class men’s haircuts: butch cuts, flat tops, Caesar cuts, and short afros for heavily textured hair. However, there were also more unique longer hairstyles seen in rebellious greaser circles. These were not normal, socially acceptable haircuts you saw on professional men. 1950s greaser haircuts could be entirely new cuts, or simply unique style variations on standard cuts.

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• Pompadours and Quiffs: Pompadours and Quiffs could both be as long as the wearer desired, provided they were kept in shape. While businessmen were limited to short pompadours, young men and performers could express themselves with big, bouffant hair. These long pompadours were often feathered to take weight off and add texture, especially in the later half of the ’50s.
• Ducktail: In the 1950s D.A. hairstyle, hair was parted down the middle and pomaded down across the sides. It was a unisex style, worn by both men and women.
• Boogie: The boogie was not a haircut per se, but rather a method of styling.
• Jelly Roll: Longer hair was combed upwards and inwards to create a symmetrical rolling crest that looked like its namesake - a jelly roll. The jelly roll is very often misidentified as a pompadour.

Other Notable Styles

In addition to the aforementioned styles, other notable haircuts were popular among black men in the 1950s.

• Caesar Cut: Most famously seen on Marlon Brando in Julius Caesar (1953), the Caesar cut is a short hairstyle with very short, level bangs across the forehead. It was most commonly seen in rural areas on both men and boys.
• Butch Cut: Unlike the crew cut, it lacks any taper or graduation and is the same size in every dimension or only slightly longer on top. Today this hairstyle is most often called a buzz cut. Unlike most 1950s haircuts, this one required minimal styling and maintenance.
• Crew Cut: A crew cut is defined as having the top of the hair cut short, and the sides/back tapered shorter in any way that best complemented the face shape. It was slightly longer than the GI crew cut of the 1940s, but still quite short.
• Ivy League Haircut: The Ivy League haircut is a variation of the crew cut, following the same general shape but leaving hair at the front of the top of the head long enough to be styled. Using hair wax/hair product, the hair would be given a side part and groomed upwards or to the side, occasionally with a wave.
• Quiffs and Short Pompadours: Quiffs and Short Pompadours were similar to the Ivy League haircut in that they were longest at the front part of the top of the head. This time, however, the bangs were styled upwards, curled back (in the case of a short pompadour), and held in place with hairspray. The bouffant part of the hair could be small or very pronounced, but the longer it was, the bigger risk the man was taking.
• Breaker Haircut: The breaker haircut used lots of styling and product to create sleek waves. Similar to the pompadour, it required longer hair at the top of the head, and took some time to get right.

Hair Products and Grooming

1950s men’s hair products, like pomades and sprays (especially the Brylcreem brand), were regularly used by many men to maintain their hairstyles. Hair could be matte or shiny, and if present, bangs were soft. While standard barbers stuck to the basics, an avant-garde hairstylist could dye, texture, and overhaul a man’s hair. A good businessman kept himself well groomed without a hair out of place.

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tags: #1950s #black #men's #hairstyles #trends

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