The Teddy Boy Hairstyle: Britain's 1950s Quiff and Its Legacy
The Teddy Boy hairstyle is a long, heavily styled quiff at the front, with the sides grown long enough to sweep back and meet at the back of the head, often in the shape known as a DA. It was worn with greased, high-shine products by young working-class men in London in the early 1950s, alongside the long drape jackets and narrow trousers that gave the “Teds” their look. To wear it today you need length: several inches on top and enough at the sides to comb back, which means growing out any fade first. A barber shapes the outline and weight; the height comes from you, a comb and a firm pomade.
Where the Teddy Boy look came from
After the Second World War, some Savile Row tailors tried to revive a version of Edwardian dress for wealthy young men: long jackets, narrow trousers, fancy waistcoats. The upper-class customers lost interest, but the style was picked up and reworked by teenage boys in south and east London, who had jobs, a little money of their own for the first time, and a strong wish to look like nobody’s father.
The name came from the newspapers. “Edwardian” was shortened to “Teddy”, and by the mid-1950s “Teddy Boy” was in common use, usually in alarmed headlines. The full outfit was a drape jacket with velvet collar, drainpipe trousers, a narrow “slim Jim” or bootlace tie and thick crepe-soled shoes. The hair was the finishing piece, and Teds were known for the time they spent on it, comb always in the top pocket.
The arrival of American rock and roll in the mid-1950s gave the look its soundtrack, and the hair borrowed freely from American stars, which is why the Teddy Boy cut overlaps so much with what we now call rockabilly hairstyles.
The parts of the cut
| Element | What it is | What to ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Quiff | The front lifted up and forward, then rolled back | Keep real length at the front hairline; do not thin it out |
| Sides | Long enough to comb straight back over the ears | Scissor work only at the sides; no clipper grades |
| DA (duck’s arse) | The two sides meeting at the back in a central vertical line | Leave length at the back and let the barber shape the meeting point |
| Boston neckline | A neckline cut straight across rather than tapered | Ask for a square, blocked neckline |
| Sideburns | Often grown longer than usual | Say how long you want them before the barber starts |
Not every Ted wore every element. Some wore a high quiff with a tapered nape; others wore the sides greased flat with a modest front. The common ground was length, grooming and shine.
Teddy Boy hair vs a modern quiff
A modern quiff usually sits on short, often faded sides with a matt or natural finish. The Teddy Boy version is longer everywhere, combed into place and glossy. If you already wear a quiff and want to move towards the 1950s version, the change is mostly at the sides: you stop cutting them short and let them grow. Our guide to the quiff and the pompadour explains how those two styles differ, which is useful background because the Ted front often sits somewhere between them.
How long it takes to grow
From a short back and sides, expect to need several months before the sides comb back properly over the ears, and longer still for a full DA at the back. The awkward phase, when the sides stick out rather than lying back, is normal. Regular light tidy-ups during the grow-out keep the shape intentional while length builds. Tell the barber at the start that you are growing towards a 1950s shape so they take only what is needed.
How to ask for it at the barber
- Bring pictures. Period photographs of Teds are easy to find and far clearer than words. Show the front and the back if you can.
- Name the neckline. Boston (square) or tapered. It changes the look from behind more than anything else.
- Say how you style it. If you will wear it greased back every day, the barber can cut the sides to lie flat in that direction.
- Agree the front. Ask the barber not to remove length from the front hairline unless you agree to it. The quiff needs it.
- Plan the next visit. Long styles still need regular shaping, especially the neckline and around the ears, to stay neat rather than shaggy.
Every visit to Highgate Cuts starts with an assessment: the barber looks at your hair, how it grows and what you are aiming for, then makes recommendations. That conversation matters with a long classic cut, because cowlicks and crown whorls decide where the DA can sit.
Styling it at home
- Product: the original Teds used greasy hair creams and oil-based pomades. Today a water-based pomade gives similar shine and hold and washes out far more easily. Oil-based pomade holds longer but can take several washes to remove.
- Method: towel dry, work product through from roots to ends, comb the sides straight back, then comb the front forward and up before rolling it back on itself.
- Tool: a fine-toothed comb for the sides, a wider one for the front. A blow-dryer on the front before product adds height.
- Through the day: carry a comb. The Teds did, and with good reason.
The legacy
The Teddy Boy style faded by the end of the 1950s as mods and other youth styles took over, but it never fully disappeared. It had a strong revival in the 1970s, influenced plenty of musicians since, and still turns up at rock and roll weekenders, vintage events and on men who simply like a sharp, combed look. Its real legacy is broader: the Teds were one of the first British youth cultures to treat hair as a deliberate statement of identity, and barbering has been shaped by that idea ever since.
It also sits close to other strongly British period cuts, from the disconnected style covered in our post on the Peaky Blinders haircut to the short back and sides of the post-war years.
Questions we get asked
Can I get a Teddy Boy cut with a fade?
You can wear a 1950s-style quiff over a fade, and many men do, but it is a modern hybrid. The traditional look needs longer sides that comb back.
Does it suit thinning hair?
A heavy quiff relies on density at the front. With a receding or thin front hairline, a lower, neater front with combed-back sides usually looks better than chasing height.
Which face shapes suit it?
The height lengthens the face, so it suits round and square shapes well. Longer faces often do better with a lower quiff.
How do I book?
Email us with the look you are after and the day that suits you. See our barber menu or email us for prices.
Book with The Highgate House
Ready for a proper cut? Email us at [email protected] with the service and the day that suits you, and we will come back to you with times.
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