Theundercut is a hairstyle that was fashionable from the 1910s to the 1940s, predominantly among men, and saw a steadily growing revival in the 1980s before becoming fully fashionable again in the 2010s. Typically, the hair on the top of the head is long and is often parted on either the side or center, while the back and sides arebuzzed very short or shaved.[1] It is closely related to thecurtained hair of the mid-to-late 1990s, although those with undercuts during the 2010s tended to slick back and top gelled up thebangs away from the face.
Historically, the undercut has been associated with poverty and inability to afford a barber competent enough to blend in the sides, as on ashort back and sides haircut. From the turn of the 20th century until the 1920s, the undercut was popular among young working-class men, especially members of street gangs. In interwarGlasgow, theNeds (precursors to theTeddy Boys) favored a haircut that was long on top and cropped at the back and sides. Despite the fire risk, muchparaffin wax was used to keep the hair in place.[2] Other gangs who favored this haircut were theScuttlers ofManchester and thePeaky Blinders ofBirmingham, because longer hair put the wearer at a disadvantage in a street fight.[3]
During thejazz age of the 1920s and 1930s, hairstyles of this type were considered mainstream fashion.[4] Military barbers of theWorld War I era gave short back and sides haircuts as fast as possible because of the numbers, under orders to facilitate personal hygiene in trench warfare, and as nearly uniform as possible, with an eye to appearance on parade. This made the short back and sides style the norm in the UK after 1918, and its variant thebrush cut became common in North America and France.[5] InNazi Germany, a version of this haircut which was long on top but shaved at the back and sides was popular amongWehrmacht soldiers.[6][7] The undercut remained common in the UK and America until the 1960s, when longer hair such as thewings haircut was popularised by themod subculture andBritish Invasion bands such asThe Beatles andThe Rolling Stones.
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Beginning in the late 1980s, centrally parted undercuts derived from thebowl cut made a comeback among fans ofnew wave,synthpop, andelectronic music as an alternative to themullets andbackcombed hair ofglam metal bands.[7] A collar-length version of the bowl cut, known ascurtained hair, went mainstream in the early 1990s and was worn by many celebrities, most notablyTom Cruise.[8] Another variant, with a floppypermed fringe, was known as the "meet me at McDonald's haircut" due to its perceived popularity among young teenagers in the UK who socialise in and around McDonald's restaurants.[9]
Curtained hair and undercuts went out of style in the early 2000s, but underwent a revival in the early 2010s amonghipsters andskaters andPunk subculture who imitated the 1930s and 1940s version: longer withpomade in or swept to one side on top and shaved or clipped at the sides[7] and with the shaved sides and the tops gelled up, At the time, although the style had many different names, the most controversial were the "Hitler Youth",[1][7][10] "Jugend",[11] and "fasci".[12] Some of the most high-profile early adopters of this haircut includedMacklemore,[13]Kim Jong Un,[14]David Beckham, andWin Butler.[1]
During the late 2000s and early 2010s, undercuts were often associated with villainous movie characters such asHannibal Lecter inHannibal Rising,Johnny Depp's portrayal of gangsterJohn Dillinger inPublic Enemies,Jared Leto asThe Joker inSuicide Squad,Guy Pearce inLawless, and various German officers in war films.[15] Characters from television series such asJimmy Darmody on HBO'sBoardwalk Empire and various characters from theBBC seriesPeaky Blinders were also associated with the undercut. By 2014, the haircut had become relatively mainstream in the UK and was worn by people not normally associated with the indie scene, such asreality television stars from shows likeThe Only Way Is Essex.[16]
During the late 2010s, the American and Israeli press associated the undercut withalt-right agitators such as the Americanwhite supremacistRichard Spencer or the British far-right and anti-Islam activistTommy Robinson[17] and withneofascist supporters seeking a less intimidating alternative to thebuzzcut.[18][19]
There were a few hipsters with fasci haircuts and ZZ Top beards at the "Walking Dead" slot machines, drinking beers.
Media related toUndercut at Wikimedia Commons
The dictionary definition ofundercut (hairstyle) at Wiktionary
