ATitus cut orcoiffure à la Titus was ahairstyle for men and women popular at the end of the 18th century inFrance andEngland. The style consisted of a short layered cut, typically with curls.[1] It was supposedly popularized in 1791 by the French actorFrançois-Joseph Talma who playedTitus in a Parisian production ofVoltaire'sBrutus.[1][2][3]
The Titus cut was considered a radical departure from the large elaborate hairstyles and wigs that were popular during the last quarter of the 18th century.[1] As a simple "classical" style, free from aristocratic excess, it was associated with theFrench Revolution and popular among those who supported it.[2][4] Although initially a men's style, it was soon adopted by women as well. TheJournal de Paris reported in 1802 that "more than half of elegant women were wearing their hair or wigà la Titus."[1] The style spread to England as well, where it was often calledcoiffure à la guillotine in reference to the beheadings of the French Revolution.[5][6] Although the style remained popular into the 19th century, by the 1810s it had fallen out of fashion.[1][4]
Media related toTitus haircut at Wikimedia Commons