From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pompadour is a style of haircut which takes its name from Madame de Pompadour.

The pompadour was a fashion trend in the 1950s among male rockabilly artists and actors in the 1950s like Elvis Presley, Marlon Brando (The Wild One) and James Dean (Rebel Without a Cause); in the late twentieth century, rockabilly revival musician Brian Setzer and Pretenders bassist Pete Farndon were known for wearing this style. There are also Latin variants of the hair style more associated with European and Argentine tango fashion trends and occasionally with late twentieth century musical genres such rockabilly and country.

In recent years they have been almost the sole province of those enamoured with "vintage culture" of the late 50s and early 1960s that includes antique cars, hot rods, American folk music, rockabilly bands, and Elvis impersonators. However, they have also become a symbol for fans of new wave and retro cultures as well, and are sported by musicians and artists affiliated with those cultures, such as Morrissey. Talk show host Conan O'Brien is also famous for his pompadour. In the 'HBO' (Home Box Office) series "The Sopranos", character Silvio Dante, played by American actor and Musician Steven Van Zandt, has worn a customized pompadour hairpiece in all 6 seasons since the show's inception.

The pompadour is also a favorite hairstyle of televangelists. (cf. John Hagee, Jack Van Impe, Robert Tilton, and Jimmy Swaggart.)

In modern Japanese popular culture, the pompadour is a stereotypical hairstyle often worn by gang members, thugs, members of the yakuza and its junior counterpart bōsōzoku, and other similar groups such as the yankii (high-school hoodlums). In Japan the style is known as the "Regent" hairstyle, and is often caricatured in various forms of entertainment media such as anime, manga, television, and music videos. The musical group Kishidan is known for their large "Regent" hairstyles.

A pompadour is often created by combing the sides of the hair back, while fanning the top of the hair forward and curling over itself. There are numerous ways to sculpt a pompadour. Some only curl the front few inches of their hair up, while others comb their hair back and use their hands to "push" it into its desired place. Occasionally hair is kept relatively short and cut into the desired look, and pompadours are created through standing the hair straight up, retaining a "spiked" quality. Variations on exact style vary from a straight front to a more rounded and organic look. The quiff also exists, as a product of the Psychobilly movement. This is most easily described as a mohawk styled into a pompadour.

For women, the hairstyle has become marginally popular again in the first few years of the twenty-first century. It can be created by ratting at the roots of the hair on the sides of the pompadour towards the top of the head. Then the hair is combed up and over the ratted hair, off the forehead, the front up in a curl straight back, and the sides pulled back towards the center.

Often many hair-care products are employed in the creation of a pompadour. Commonly seen are wax and gel pomades, held in high regard for their durability. Sometimes they are created solely with the use of hair spray, hair gel, or even glue.

Definition

• Merriam-Webster definition. Retrieved 25 April 2005.

Rockabilly connection

• "Lord Carrett's Pompadour Page." Retrieved 25 April 2005.
• "Pompadour." A Word A Day Archives. Retrieved 25 April 2005.
• Trebay, Guy (November 18, 2003). "Hidden for Years at Graceland, His Clothes Have Left the Building." Elvis Australia. Retrieved 25 April 2005.

Setzer connection (many more available on Web)

• Abrams, Kerry (February 8, 1999). "Setzer Swings Into Town."] The Daily Beacon. Rerieved 25 April 2005.

• Brian Setzer live journal fan community description page 25 April 2005.

• Hinke, Christina M. "Brian Setzer Puts the Swing Into the Holidays" (interview with Setzer, mentioning hair style). Associated Press, reprinted in Hoodoo Voodoo Lounge fan site. Retrieved 25 April 2005.

• Hinke, Christina M. (October 10, 2005). "Brian Setzer Rocks and Doo-wops his Way Through New Album." Associated Press. Retrieved 25 April 2005.

• Townsend Records Shop description of Brian Setzer. Retrieved 25 April 2005.

Examples of nonrockabilly male musicians with pompadours

• "Nick Cave Kinder and Gentler? Not Quite." (March 27, 2001). Reprise Records News. Retrieved 25 April 2005.
• Leiby, Richard (January 21, 2002. "Joe Henry: Too Big Too Fit." The Washington Post, pg. C.01.
• Tav Falco's Argentine-styled pompadour

Tango and Latin connection

• Foley, Dylan (November 22, 1977). "Tango: Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places." Toronto Globe and Mail. Retrieved 25 April 2005.

• "Tressed to Kill." (February 9, 2005. New York Post online edition. Retrieved 25 April 2005.