The quiff is a

hairstyle A hairstyle, hairdo, haircut or coiffure refers to the styling of hair, usually on the human scalp. Sometimes, this could also mean an editing of facial or body hair. The fashioning of hair can be considered an aspect of personal groomi ...

that combines the 1950s pompadour hairstyle, the 1950s

flattop A flattop is a type of haircut where the hair on the top of the head is cut and styled upright to form a flat profile when viewed from the front or side. Styling In the most classic and mainstream style of flattop for men and boys, the hair ...

, and sometimes a

mohawk Mohawk may refer to: Related to Native Americans * Mohawk people, an indigenous people of North America (Canada and New York) *Mohawk language, the language spoken by the Mohawk people * Mohawk hairstyle, from a hairstyle once thought to have been ...

. It was born as a post-war reaction to the short and strict haircuts for men. The hairstyle was a staple in the British '

Teddy Boy The Teddy Boys or Teds were a mainly British youth subculture of the mid 1950s to mid 1960s who were interested in rock and roll and R&B music, wearing clothes partly inspired by the styles worn by dandies in the Edwardian period, which S ...

' movement, but became popular again in Europe in the early 1980s and experienced a resurgence in popularity during the

1990s File:1990s decade montage.png, From top left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope orbits the Earth after it was launched in 1990; American General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-16s and McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle, F-15s fly over burning o ...

Origin

The etymology of the word "quiff" is uncertain, several proposals have been suggested for its origin. It may owe its origin to the French word ''coiffe'', which can mean either a hairstyle or, going further back, the

mail The mail or post is a system for physically transporting postcards, letters, and parcels. A postal service can be private or public, though many governments place restrictions on private systems. Since the mid-19th century, national postal sys ...

that

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

s wore over their heads and under their helmets. Another possible candidate for its origin is the Dutch word ''kuif'', meaning "crest". The Dutch name for

Tintin Tintin or Tin Tin may refer to: ''The Adventures of Tintin'' * ''The Adventures of Tintin'', a comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé ** Tintin (character), a fictional character in the series ** ''The Adventures of Tintin'' (film), 2011, ...

, who sports a quiff, is ''Kuifje'', which is the diminutive of the same word.

Styles

The modern-day quiff includes plenty of hair at the front of the top of the head, receding into shorter hair at the back with a trimmed back and sides. The Japanese

punch perm Punch commonly refers to: * Punch (combat), a strike made using the hand closed into a fist * Punch (drink), a wide assortment of drinks, non-alcoholic or alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice Punch may also refer to: Places * Pun ...

, a favorite among

yakuza , also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media, by request of the police, call them , while the ''yakuza'' call themselves . The English equivalent for the ter ...

(organized criminals) and bōsōzoku (biker gangs), is similar to the quiff.

References

External links

* * {{Human hair Fashion 1950s fashion 1980s fashion 2010s fashion

Origin

Styles

See also

References

External links