Eton crop
Encyclopedia
The Eton crop is a type of short, slicked-down crop hairstyle for women. It became popular during the 1920s because it was ideal to showcase the shape of cloche hat
s. It was worn by Josephine Baker
, among others. The name is supposed to derive from its similarity to a hairstyle popular with schoolboys at Eton
.
The Eton crop appears to have emerged in Britain in the mid-1920s: the first use of the phrase in The Times
is in September 1926. It was a severe hairstyle, emphasising the shape of the head and focusing interest on the face. By June 1927 Margot Asquith
, Lady Oxford, was deriding it: "Women with neither backs nor tops to their heads, and faces as large as hams, appear at the King's Drawing Rooms with the nuque of their necks blue from shaving..". By 1930 it seems to have become outmoded among the most fashionable. A critic reviewing a collection of society portraits notes: "Hairdressing is in a state of transition. There is an Eton crop, there are many soft shingles, and there are a few heads where the hair is being let grow."
It was the choice haircut for the more masculine lesbians in the lesbian subculture, particularly in England, during its time of popularity.
Cloche hat
The cloche hat is a fitted, bell-shaped hat for women that was invented by milliner Caroline Reboux in 1908, became especially popular during the 1920s, and continued to be commonly seen until about 1933. Cloche is the French word for "bell"....
s. It was worn by Josephine Baker
Josephine Baker
Josephine Baker was an American dancer, singer, and actress who found fame in her adopted homeland of France. She was given such nicknames as the "Bronze Venus", the "Black Pearl", and the "Créole Goddess"....
, among others. The name is supposed to derive from its similarity to a hairstyle popular with schoolboys at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
.
The Eton crop appears to have emerged in Britain in the mid-1920s: the first use of the phrase in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
is in September 1926. It was a severe hairstyle, emphasising the shape of the head and focusing interest on the face. By June 1927 Margot Asquith
Margot Asquith
Margot Asquith, Countess of Oxford and Asquith , born Emma Alice Margaret Tennant, was an Anglo-Scottish socialite, author and wit...
, Lady Oxford, was deriding it: "Women with neither backs nor tops to their heads, and faces as large as hams, appear at the King's Drawing Rooms with the nuque of their necks blue from shaving..". By 1930 it seems to have become outmoded among the most fashionable. A critic reviewing a collection of society portraits notes: "Hairdressing is in a state of transition. There is an Eton crop, there are many soft shingles, and there are a few heads where the hair is being let grow."
It was the choice haircut for the more masculine lesbians in the lesbian subculture, particularly in England, during its time of popularity.