Why men started wearing sideburns and why they stopped

It's hard to find a man with sideburns these days. Only some representatives of show business decorate themselves with them to give themselves an extravagant look. But in the 19th century, most males wore sideburns and were very proud of them. How did the fashion for these strips of hair between the temples and chin appear and did they have any significance?

Sideburns came into fashion at the very end of the 18th century. It is believed that the hussars of Napoleonic Grand Army were the first to release them en masse. At one time it was an attribute of the military, but then it was adopted by civilians. At the beginning of the 19th century, two types of sideburns were distinguished: Roman-Empire and English. In the first case, the hair strips smoothly turned into a hairstyle. In the second, they were lush and protruded noticeably above the cheeks.

The word sideburns comes from the Dutch language and in the original it looked like bakkebaarden. The Germans adopted it, turning it into backenbart, and only then it found its way into the Russian language. It is translated simply and logically - Backen means cheeks, and the word Bart means beard. But it will not be possible to attribute their invention to Europeans. Men wearing this facial hair ornament can be seen in illustrations of ancient Indian treatises, as well as in medieval Chinese and Japanese prints.

They appeared in Western culture not so long ago, but quickly became a mass phenomenon. Men wore them from London to Kamchatka and from Alaska to Rio de Janeiro. But what caused such popularity of this unusual method of modernizing a beard? Is it really just blind imitation of fashion?

As you know, fashion is fleeting and has changed many times over the course of a century. But the stronger sex began to cool down towards sideburns only in the 20s of the last century. Historians have repeatedly studied this issue, and although they have not come to a common denominator, they have proposed two hypotheses.

Many historians believe that facial hair has long demonstrated the status of the owner. Moreover, commoners could also wear a beard and mustache, but well-groomed hair was the privilege of aristocrats. The nobility carefully looked after their beards, sparing no time, effort and money. Many people even had personal barbers with them.

But in the 17th and 18th centuries, lace frills and complex, elaborate costumes came into fashion. Wearing a thick, well-groomed beard has become not entirely comfortable. Therefore, neat mustaches and beards appeared, which we now call “musketeers.” Then they gradually abandoned them and began to shave their faces according to the “English fashion.”

The French Revolution, launched for the sake of equality and fraternity, forced the French nobility to abandon gold-embroidered camisoles. Since Paris has always been the capital of fashion, other European countries soon did the same. But the aristocrats, who now wore formal frock coats, needed to stand out somehow. Therefore, everyone returned to facial hair, but in a more modest form - in the form of sideburns.

Facial hair needed attention. They were cut, trimmed and combed. It was believed that only wealthy gentlemen who were not indifferent to their appearance could take care of their sideburns. It was so stylish and cool that some young men ordered false sideburns for themselves to impress others and especially ladies.

The second version is not so popular, but it also has a right to exist. It says that sideburns began to be worn as protection against gunpowder burns. When they became popular, flintlock guns were widely used in Europe. Before firing, gunpowder was poured onto the shelf of the gun mechanism, which was ignited by a spark struck by a trigger with a silicon insert.

To ensure an accurate shot, the shooter placed the butt of the gun to his shoulder and took aim. At the moment of the shot, the gunpowder flared up dangerously close to the face, and its hot particles dug into the skin of the cheeks. Sideburns could protect against burns. Agree that it is better to burn your hair than your delicate skin. This explains the fact that the fashion for such vegetation appeared precisely among the military.

In the USA, sideburns are often called sideburns. This word consists of two: side - side and burn - burn. Although during the Civil War, Union Army General Ambrose Burnside was very popular, wearing luxurious sideburns and a mustache. So with the American term, not everything is clear.

Civilians of noble birth loved hunting. They also needed protection, and they got it. And besides this, everything military was in great fashion in the 19th century and, as an option, sideburns took root thanks to the imitation of the brave hussars and cuirassiers. Thus, even those who were completely indifferent to weapons turned out to be “in style.”

At the beginning of the 20th century, hairy cheeks were already treated cooler, but there were still enough keepers of the tradition. It is believed that the end of the sideburn era was marked by the First World War. All parties to the global conflict actively used toxic substances and the gas mask became a faithful companion of the military.

It was awkward to pull the thick rubber mask over the lush vegetation. Delay during a gas attack could cost the fashionista his life. That is why the military began to massively get rid of facial hair or reduce its amount to a practical minimum. By the way, this is why the German corporal Schicklgruber, who later became Hitler, shaved off his luxurious Kaiser mustache and left the famous “brush” under his nose.

Then history repeated itself - civilians began to follow the military, and sideburns sank into oblivion. Some surge in fashion for them occurred in the 50s–70s among progressive youth. Hair on the cheeks became a sign of rebellion and was highly respected by the hippie subculture. It is they, and not Pushkin, who are imitated by modern pop stars, artists and other representatives of the creative bohemia.