Hime cut
Encyclopedia
Hairstyle
A hairstyle, hairdo, or haircut refers to the styling of hair, usually on the human head. The fashioning of hair can be considered an aspect of personal grooming, fashion, and cosmetics, although practical, cultural, and popular considerations also influence some hairstyles.-History of...
consisting of straight, usually cheek-length sidelocks and frontal fringe. The rest of the hair is usually worn long and straightened
Hair straightening
Hair straightening is a hair styling technique which involves the flattening and straightening of hair in order to give it a smooth, streamlined, and 'sleek' appearance. It may be accomplished by using hair irons and hot combs, chemical relaxers, Japanese hair straightening, or Brazilian hair...
. As the name suggests, the style is thought to have originated, or at least become common, in the Imperial court during the Heian Period
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
of Japanese history, when noble women would sometimes grow out their hair for their entire lives.
Care and maintenance
The Hime cut is very high-maintenance for those without naturally straight hair, and requires frequent touch-ups on the sidelocks and frontal bangs to maintain their shape. Hair straighteningHair straightening
Hair straightening is a hair styling technique which involves the flattening and straightening of hair in order to give it a smooth, streamlined, and 'sleek' appearance. It may be accomplished by using hair irons and hot combs, chemical relaxers, Japanese hair straightening, or Brazilian hair...
is sometimes used to help with these problems as well as straightening irons and specially formulated shampoo
Shampoo
Shampoo is a hair care product used for the removal of oils, dirt, skin particles, dandruff, environmental pollutants and other contaminant particles that gradually build up in hair...
s for straight hair. Humidity is also cited as a problem with certain hair types, as the curling caused by excess humidity can change the shape of the hair. Occasionally hair extensions and weaves
Hair weave
A hair weave is a very general term used to describe human or artificial hair used to alter one's natural hair appearance by adding additional hair to one's natural hair or by covering the natural hair altogether with human or synthetic hair pieces. The highest-quality extension hair is Indian...
are used for the sidelocks to prevent this.
The hairstyle is frequently seen in Gothic Lolita subculture, especially the classification of Elegant Gothic Lolita (EGL). Within the EGL community the Hime is considered a more elegant alternative to other styles that may require frequent curling and crimping
Hair crimping
Hair crimping is a method of styling usually straight, long hair so that it becomes wavy, often in a sawtooth fashion. This is usually achieved by treating the hair with heat from a crimping iron or by braiding the hair, often in multiple strands, then undoing the braids.In 1972, the modern...
that can permanently damage the hair.
Variations
Variants of the sidelocks have also been seen, such as longer sidelocks sometimes pulled in front of the ears (see Kikyo from InuyashaInuYasha
, also known as , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It premiered in Weekly Shōnen Sunday on November 13, 1996 and concluded on June 18, 2008...
for an example of this style) and lack of frontal fringe with only the sidelocks present. The sidelocks may also sometimes appear shorter (as is the case with Ai Enma from Hell Girl, whose bangs cover her eyebrows and sidelocks are cut level with her mouth). The hair is also sometimes worn short in a variant of a pageboy
Pageboy
The pageboy is a hairstyle named after what was believed to be the haircut of an English page boy. It has straight hair hanging to below the ear, where it usually turns under. Often there is a fringe in the front. This style was popular in the 1950s and 1960s.-Design and style:The pageboy...
, or cropped short in the back such as the personification of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in Hetalia: Axis Powers
Hetalia: Axis Powers
is a Japanese webcomic, later adapted as a manga and an anime series, by . The series presents an allegorical trivialisation of political and historic events, particularly of the World War II era, in which the various countries are represented by stereotyped anthropomorphic characters...
. The style is sometimes paired with odango, as worn by Fushigi Yūgi
Fushigi Yūgi
, also known as Curious Play, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yu Watase. Shogakukan published Fushigi Yûgi in Shōjo Comic in its original serialized form from May 1992 through June 1996. Viz Media released the manga series in English in North America starting in 1999...
character Miaka Yuki, or worn one-sided, such as the character of Miyu from Vampire Princess Miyu
Vampire Princess Miyu
is a Japanese horror manga series by Narumi Kakinouchi and Toshiki Hirano, as well as an anime adaptation by the same creators. The anime was originally presented in a 4-episode OVA licenced by AnimEigo in 1988, and was later adapted into a 26-episode television series licensed by Tokyopop and...
. In the late 1970s a variation of the style was worn by actress Louise Lasser
Louise Lasser
Louise Lasser is an American actress. She is known for her portrayal of the title character on the soap opera parody Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. She was married to Woody Allen and appeared in several of his films.-Personal life:...
as the title character on Mary Hartman Mary Hartman.