Q: I am looking for photos of the popular hairstyle named the duck ass or duck tail. Could you send me some photos or tell me
where I can find a website that may have some to browse through? Thank you in advance.
A: Well, apart from doing a general web search (such as on Google) using the keywords: “Ducktail” and “Hairstyle”, one of the better
sources is to do a search for websites dedicated to Elvis Presley (his early career), “Ricky Nelson” and movies like “The Outsiders”
(which featured an ensemble cast of young, up and coming actors).
The ducktail hairstyle was made popular among the men of the 1950’s, particularly young men
belonging to a social class referred to as “Greasers”. These tough, working-class boys seemed to get their label both from the fact
that most worked blue-collar jobs doing auto-repair and maintenance and sported hairstyles loaded with hair product which gave it a permanently “wet” or “oily” look.
The duck ass style was typically longer than the traditional “short-back-and-sides” of the normal
fifties men’s haircut, although it is virtually straight-laced by comparison to today’s styles. The hair at the nape was usually
grown to at least 1-to-1-1/2 inches in length and would be combed back on each side toward the center back and then a tail comb was
used to draw a parting line down the middle of the back of the head.
Hair products such as Brylcreem and other thick, paste-type or oil-based pomades were used, and
when set, the hair would hold its style through a lot of abuse.
