Haircut and Facial Hair

[Johnny Lloyd]

http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22613&highlight=hair

Ya'll:

Okay... I've been wondering. And for me, that means POLL TIME! :)

The above thread subject got me thinking: Being in the National Guard, I have a job that needs to have closely-cropped hair as well as trimmed facial hair (FYI- I don't go for a mustache-only per regs). My regular job is dealing with the Army on an every-day basis and I still need to look uniform for such dealings.

I fall into this category: My job prevents me from having the more-common hairstyles/facial hairstyles of the day for a more-authentic look for my impression. I suppose my only respite is to shave my head or to grow my hair as long as I can between monthly drill periods.

Until retirement, I don't think I have the ability to really grow-out my hair or facial hair for a quality event. Yuk. Darn. And my wife might not approve of me growing facial hair... "it's too prickly", she says LOL.

So... I pose the question to the members of the forum once again. How do you deal with haircare for your impression?

Oh, and uh... Don't read into this too much. Just pick one of the below choices and tell us why you chose the way you did.

All the best- Johnny Lloyd :wink_smil

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Haircut and Facial Hair

Hallo!

A tough one...

For many years, I had a "CW" era hair cut and style, and beard.

For five years I left the ACW for the 18th century and grew a mid back length queue ("pony tail") and shaved.

Returning to the ACW, I cut off the 18th century length hair to go back to a common CW length and style.

Going to WWI, I went to a 1917-1918 German military length and style with either moustache or beard. With WWI events basically April and November, I can "grow out" the WWI hair cut and beard back to a "more ACW length/style" (not that there is a universal here).

IMHO, modern job interference is a Real World obstacle, and a lad has got to do what a lad has to do to have the dollars to play this game.

IMHO, still, though... a proper hat covers a multitude of "problems" and since "short hair" is ALSO common for the ACW (especially among younger lads rebelling with "buzz cuts" or "crew cuts" against the "longer" styles of the 1840's and 1850's their fathers wore, or considerations of say head lice epidemics) shorter lengths and style as not as visual, not as obvious, and not as uncommon as "pony tails" and excessively long hair on men (individual ACW exceptions so noted).

And as many lads are finding out through direct experience, I think attitude,
correct clothing and gear, and a willingness to engage in more "history-heavy" activities gets a lad further and father than having "too short" of hair (again not all that unusual or uncommon for the CW).

Others' mileage will vary...

Curt
Hairetic

[Johnny Lloyd]

Re: Haircut and Facial Hair

Yeah- This is a hard one for me too. I try to let my hair grow out for an event that I know will take some prep work, but the longest I can grow it out is 1 month between drill periods. In that time period, I can cover-up the "freshly buzzed" look pretty well enough on the sides. I leave the top longer than the sides to facilitate this.

If an event is just a powder-burner or not one that I anticipate prep for heavily, then I go with what I have.

I wish I could grow a goatee, but I can't grow a sufficient one between drill periods due to light facial hair. For me to get a full goatee, it takes about 3 months of steady growing and no shaving.

Plus, the constant belly-aching by the wife and family for "not looking like me" while I have facial hair just ain't worth the wait for it to come-in fully.

-Johnny

[Prodical Reb]

Re: Haircut and Facial Hair

Johnny
did you read this thread here? Practically the same question.

http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/...ad.php?t=22613

When I was active duty I fell into the 1st category of go w/ buzz cut & don't worry. Now that I'm a DAC (Dept of the Army Civilian) they don't care.

[Johnny Lloyd]

Re: Haircut and Facial Hair

Johnny
did you read this thread here? Practically the same question.

Yes, of course, but there was no poll with it... I felt this needed a firm answer from the group. Not everyone takes the time to comment on threads, but a poll is a quick sampling that gets a wider audience. ;)

-Johnny

[Prodical Reb]

Re: Haircut and Facial Hair

okay! cool. Here is a couple of me before and after retirement.

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

Re: Haircut and Facial Hair

I actually quit a job several years ago for this very reason. I was a restaurant manager making decent money, but I wasn't allowed long hair or any facial hair at all short of a mustache. I grew the longest moustache I ever had though, and waxed it up, until upper management got onto me about it. I pointed out the employee manual said we could have mustaches and that it stated no length. They pointed out the tiny little paragraph that said they could dictate all policy when it came to that. Thats when I pointed myself toward the door and left. Todays financial market makes that difficult for most, if anyone, to do that, but luckily that was the option for me at the time. I then worked the next seven years in contruction where even with a 6 inch beard I had shorter hair than most around me. Luckily I work now in a museum where my facial hair is welcomed and encouraged.

[Parault]

Re: Haircut and Facial Hair

I am in the last category.......I can grow more facial hair now that I have retired from the F.D.

[CJDaley]

Re: Haircut and Facial Hair

Quick story about period hair in real life situations:

One of our youth volunteers at the museum wanted to shave just the right side of his head and let the left side grow long. Most Powhatan Indians did this so their hair didn't get caught in the bow when shooting arrows.

Problem didn't come from the museum.
Problem didn't come from his parents.
Problem didn't come from his part time job.
Problem didn't come from his high school.

Problem came from his soccer coach! The coach of a traveling soccer team didn't want him to grow the hair long on one side and shave the other.

Solution...the kid joined another soccer team!

[Kace]

Re: Haircut and Facial Hair

You missed one category.

I cut my hair before an event to get it short enough to pass as a CW length.

My preferred modern style is a pony tail which of course doesn't work for the hobby. The day before the event I run into Super Cuts and get it cut so it is just long enough to bet put back in a pony tail when I get back. I pomade it up, slick it straight back and am ready for the weekend. I just have to live with a stubby pony tail till it grows out longer.

I am working on the family to give a goatee a try but am getting resistance from my 5 year old. (And the answer to the question is yes she does has me wrapped around her pretty little finger.)

Kace

[Johnny Lloyd]

Re: Haircut and Facial Hair

You missed one category.

I cut my hair before an event to get it short enough to pass as a CW length.

My preferred modern style is a pony tail which of course doesn't work for the hobby. The day before the event I run into Super Cuts and get it cut so it is just long enough to bet put back in a pony tail when I get back. I pomade it up, slick it straight back and am ready for the weekend. I just have to live with a stubby pony tail till it grows out longer.

I am working on the family to give a goatee a try but am getting resistance from my 5 year old. (And the answer to the question is yes she does has me wrapped around her pretty little finger.)

Kace

I guess you fall in the 'other' category... LOL ;)
-Johnny

[thad gallagher]

Re: Haircut and Facial Hair

I too am limited by my line of work- Firefighter. I can also do about a month's worth of hair growing before an event and get away with it. As for facial hair, I am really limited. I push the limits as it is now with my mustache. I keep it neatly trimmed most of the time, but will let it get a "little bushy" in the week or two before an event. I have seen plenty of images with a similar mustache type and go by that. As for the hair, it is bascially a military style and I just do my best with it. I would echo that a great hat makes up most of the difference, and when I sit for am image, I always wear a cover.

[Drygoods]

Re: Haircut and Facial Hair

You forgot one in your category that suits those in my family...
We wear our hair and beard in period fashion every day, and everyone at work complains about it, but Peebles men dare to be different and like a good argument, so tough cheese to the rest of the modern world.:wink_smil

[J. Donaldson]

Re: Haircut and Facial Hair

I worked in an office several years ago that forbade any facial hair without a written policy (office dress and grooming stuck squarely in 1960.) The minute I gave my two weeks notice to go back to college, the goattee started. Eight years later I'm still waiting for puberty to kick in and fill it in. With the exception of the year or so that I decided I needed to shave my head, hair hasn't really been an issue, although I like to keep it fairly short out of personal preference.

[J_V]

Re: Haircut and Facial Hair

Like yours, my wife does not tolerate facial hair, so the work issue is moot anyway.

As to hair style, I am in the business world (at the moment) and I can't get away with much, however, I usually just make sure that I don't have my hair tapered with clippers or other very modern looking cuts.