Lifebooker Blog How Men's Hairstyles Have Changed Over the Past 100 Years

We talk a lot about the history behind a lot of female beauty phenomena-say, lipstick, eyelashes, brows, curly hair, tanning-you get the picture. But guys are part of the beauty landscape, too! Check out their contributions below. Share with the men in your life. Create a better-groomed world. Do your part! (And use our chat platform to book the subsequent haircut appointment.)1920s: Hat HairProhibition-era men all wore hats-so naturally, their hair had to fit underneath. The preferred style, it follows, was flat, smooth, and slicked back, often with a middle or slightly off-centered part. This required five to seven inches of length for locks to cover the crown of the head when brushed straight back. The preferred product? Brillantine, an oily pomade invented by French perfumer Edouard Pinaud around the turn of the century. It was so greasy, in fact, that people would cover the tops of chairs with doilies to prevent stains from dudes' heads. Silent film stars John Gilbert (who died at age 40 after a long bout with alcoholism) and Ramon Novarro (a Mexican-American actor typecast as a "Latin lover" who was assaulted and murdered due to homophobia) are our models here. Side note-early Hollywood was bleak.1930s: Debonaire, IndeedThe '30s added a bit of length, a bit of wave, and a bit of swagger. Parts moved from the more austere middle to the deep side part we associate with classic Hollywood babeliness. The length, however, remained long while the sides were kept short (known as a high and tight). Clark Gable sauntered his well-groomed head through 1934's It Happened One Night and 1939's Gone With the Wind to iconic status. Cab Calloway, meanwhile, represented the big band scene as co-headliner with Duke Ellington at New York's Cotton Club in 1931. As both demonstrate, mustaches (thin, slightly parted) were still all the rage. But certain political happenings in Germany were soon to knock that straight outta fashion... if you catch our drift.1940s: Military MenOnce the war started, facial hair was replaced with clean-shaven mugs that represented decorum and order (no five-o-clock shadows allowed). While movie stars like Cary Grant carried on their love affair with product, haircuts across the board were shorter and neater-no comb-backs here. A ridiculously young Paul Newman served in the Navy's torpedo squadron in the Pacific theater, and shows off the crew cut. While crisper, emphasis was placed on the front of the hairdo. All the more perfect for showing off in your sailor hat.1950s: The PompadourHair continued on the up and up. Like, Little-Richard-level up. The early rock-and-roller didn't just introduce the world to his mega hit "Tutti Frutti" in 1955, he also introduced them to the pompadour. Prim parents further had to hold on to their hats (which, yep, were still prevalent) after 1955's Rebel Without a Cause. Are we sure James Dean's cause wasn't starting a hairstyle craze? James Franco seems to think so.1960s: Counterculture CoifsWe all know that the '60s were a turbulent time. Things started slow, with the early Beatles moptop, as shown by Paul McCartney. It's hard to believe now, but four boys in suits with slightly shaggy hair were quite controversial. That all seemed precious in comparison to Jimi Hendrix's wild psych-rock afro, though, which was reportedly influenced by Little Richard's theatricality. By the end of the decade, anti-war, anti-mainstream, anti-"the man" sentiment had ramped up to such a degree that the Beatles looked less like this and more like this.1970s: Bring on the FunkThe hippies reigned during the first half of the '70s, with guys' hair as long as the ladies'. Whether fighting the patriarchy or simply too lazy to see a barber, you can't deny that the results were swoon-worthy (what up, Robert Plant). A lack of DevaCurl and MoroccanOil didn't hold anyone back, either. Men also wore it long and straight-looking at you, Gregg Allman. Once disco got its claws into everyone's record players, however, afros and sideburns became the preferred look. Martial artist and Blaxploitation star James Kelly (seen here in the 1973 Bruce Lee film Enter the Dragon) shows it off. And looks fly.1980s: Metal and Hip HopSorry to bombard you with this, but then the '80s happened. It was the age of mullets, perms, and metal hair, and none demonstrate this better than Mötley Crüe's Tommy Lee. In an interesting twist, guys became as intimately involved with hairstyling (teasing, blowouts, etc) as women had been for decades. Haircuts also got more creative, with angled chops, side fades, and razor details. Say hello to Bobby Brown.1990s: Smells Like Teen HairdosIs there anything more '90s than Will Smith's flat top? No. Except... maybe... Kurt Cobain's never-been-washed grunge hair. While Will continued the inventive styles introduced in the '80s, Kurt brought back '70s counterculture hair with a dose of nihilism. One felt fresh and optimistic, one felt dirty and rebellious... yet no less fun. Isn't it ironic?2000s: Popstar HairWhen Justin Bieber burst on the scene in the late aughts, people legitimately lost their shit over this hair. Really, it was just an update on the Beatles 'do, with a touch of feathering. But culturally, it was a Vanity Fair cover and an iconic beauty moment. This was a world starved since the other Justin, Timberlake, shaved off his ramen-noodle locks in 2000 for the decade's other most prominent look: the buzzcut. Usher. Drake. Brad Pitt. It was all happening.Today: You Do YouToday, we live in a world of "you do you." For reference, let's look at three pop singers: Zayn, The Weeknd, and Harry Styles. A bleach blonde high and tight? Sure. A half dread loc, half afro hybrid? Okay. Mick Jagger reincarnate? Why not! These are unprecedented times, in which man-buns and man-braids have given men perhaps as much hair freedom as women. Now if only we could be paid as much as them. What an equally groomed world it would be!Related:5 Guys Who Went BleachedGuylashes We're obsessed WithMan Brows We're Obsessed WithMan Brows We're Obsessed With, ContinuedThe Top 5 Most Underrated Celebrity Man Parts