A kiss curl describes a lock of hair curling onto the face and usually plastered down. Although the curl could be flattened with
saliva
Saliva (commonly referred as spit or drool) is an extracellular fluid produced and secreted by salivary glands in the mouth. In humans, saliva is around 99% water, plus electrolytes, mucus, white blood cells, epithelial cells (from which ...
(hence its alternative name spit curl), soap or hair lotion is more typically used.
Pre-20th century
In the late seventeenth century, there was a fashion for
fringes composed of curls described as ''fripons'', ''guigne-galants'', or 'kiss-curls', sometimes augmented with false hair.
20th-century onwards
The kiss curl style was worn by both men and women.
It became a trademark of the singer
Bill Haley
William John Clifton Haley (; July 6, 1925 – February 9, 1981) was an American rock and roll musician. He is credited by many with first popularizing this form of music in the early 1950s with his group Bill Haley & His Comets and million-sel ...
, who wore a large kiss curl over his right eye to divert attention from his left eye, which was blind. Other people known for their kiss curls included Josephine Baker, Diana Ross, and Superman.
In early episodes of the TV drama series ''Agatha Christie's Poirot'', Poirot's assistant, Miss Lemon, portrayed by Pauline Moran, appears with five kiss curls across her forehead.
In the 1990s, kiss curls inspired the trend of laid edges, notably worn by Rozonda Thomas, Chilli in the girl group TLC (group), TLC.
See also
*List of hairstyles
*Lovelock (hair) braided hair to the side, sometimes on the forehead
References
External links
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Human hair
Hairstyles
1920s fashion
1930s fashion
African-American hair
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