The Eton crop is a type of very short, slicked-down crop hairstyle for women.Vargas, Whitney. "Head Start." ''

Elle ''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the ...

'' (Sept. 2007): p190. It became popular during the 1920s because it was ideal to showcase the shape of cloche hats. It was worn by

Josephine Baker Josephine Baker (born Freda Josephine McDonald; naturalised French Joséphine Baker; 3 June 1906 – 12 April 1975) was an American-born French dancer, singer and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in her adopted Fran ...

, among others. The name derives from its similarity to a hairstyle allegedly 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 ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday 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 Emma Margaret Asquith, Countess of Oxford and Asquith (' Tennant; 2 February 1864 – 28 July 1945), known as Margot Asquith, was a British socialite, author. She was married to H. H. Asquith, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, from 18 ...

, 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.Gay Life and Culture, 2006

References

External links

* Hairstyles 1920s fashion {{fashion-stub