A Silhouette of Republican-Era Hairstyles

Republican-era men, once they cut off their queues, mostly kept it short — a side part, or slicked straight back, paired with a long gown or a Western suit. Scholars liked their hair combed down smooth, a bit of oil in it, looking refined. In photos of officials and politicians, what stands out is always that short hair — buzzed, cropped close — you can tell just by looking that these are people who mean business :). Women changed even more. Once the new-style schools opened up, cutting and perming hair slowly became fashionable. The so-called “civilized new dress” usually came with short hair underneath it. You can catch a glimpse of what was in style from Ruan Lingyu’s old photos — short hair, faintly drawn eyebrows, clothes that didn’t try too hard. Of course, plenty of people cut their hair simply because it was a hassle, or because everyone else was doing it. But back then, every time the scissors came down, they usually took something else along with the hair.