JoJo’s Got Nothing on These Hair Bows –

I know it will come as a surprise to many adolescent girls today, but JoJo Siwa did not invent the giant hair bow. Giant hair bows were in style very early in the 1900’s (possibly even in the late 1800’s).

Although JoJo certainly did not invent giant hair bows, she might actually be able to take credit for making them controversial. Schools have sometimes banned JoJo bows because they consider them distracting. Nothing irks me more than when cute fashion trends get banned. Seriously, only today could a hair bow offend someone.

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Related Article: What Are JoJo Bows, and Why Are They Controversial?

See, aren’t they cute?

We’ve never paid the hefty price tag for any of them. I actually find it absurd that anyone would pay the $18 I saw some of them going for at the mall.  My youngest owns several generic bows that look similar and even a couple of the real JoJo Bows, purchased once they ended up at Walmart for $5, but I wouldn’t dream of banning them. Banning hair bows can only happen when adults get way too full of themselves.

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The History of Hair Bows

Apparently, hair bows were a fashion for men around 1715 when some French king made them popular, but hair bows were around even in ancient Rome and Greece. They were likely invented as a safety measure to keep hair from obstructing the view of people who didn’t have scissors readily available.

Related Article: Hair Bow Designs – A Lesson In History Part 1

They’ve appeared in various forms for centuries. The large, floppy bows in this week’s picture are often referred to as Great War Bows, though I doubt this picture was taken during World War I.

I suspect the photo was taken shortly before the Great War, closer to 1910. The young ladies featured are Blanche (Bales) Sickels, Carrie Hazel (Oberender) Engle, and Hilda (Oberender) Oler-Huffman. Blanche was born in 1903 and Hilda in 1902. I don’t think they look old enough for this photo have been taken as late as 1914 when World War I was happening, but I could be wrong. Maybe kids looked different at those ages a century ago.

You’ve met Blanche and Hilda in Gender-Confused, Transgender, or Just Messing Around. There’s a lot more biographical information on them there. Hazel is the older sister of Hilda, and both girls were cousins to Blanche. You’ve met their grandparents, John Henry and Martha Bales, in numerous other posts.

Hilda’s hair bow is twice the size of her face! Don’t you love it?

I’m sure these ladies would be rolling over in their graves today at the prices people are paying for JoJo Bows. What do you think? What’s your favorite frivolous fashion from the pages of history?

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Other posts related to this topic:

Bales and Others at Carlos, Indiana

Bloomingport Livery Stable and Carlos City to Carlos Mystery Solved

J. H. Bales Butter, Eggs, and Poultry Wagon

Other genealogy posts can be found under the Genealogy tab on the toolbar!