Sideburns | Research

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Image found on: Nov 16 2015

Sideburns or mutton chops are the sections of hair that grow from the ear and cheeks down to the jaw line. Having mutton chops was popular for centuries, from Alexander the Great, to Karl Marx and Charles Darwin to Marlon Brando.
They were named 'sideburns' in the 19th century after a US politician and Union Army General, Ambrose Burnside. 
Military men had to shave their heads but could keep the sideburns which made them a very popular look in the army. Apparently, Ambrose spent more time planning his mutton chops than battle strategies, which caused some military disasters, but he was forgiven due to his amazing facial hair. Side burns were a good way of reducing the amount of shaving without having a full beard since shaving with a cut throat razor in gas light wasn't the easiest thing to do in the 19th century. In 1901 Gillette started selling desposable razor blades which made shaving a lot easier and cheaper. Men started shaving more and stopped having sideburns and when the World War I started, shaving was required in order to seal gas masks.

Later, towards the 1950's sideburns started being a sign of style and fashion, rather than symbol of military and political authority. Elvis Presley definitely helped popularising this fashion trend. 
In the 1980's sideburns were considered retro, although Tory Rhodes Royson proudly wore Victorian style sideburns.
Bradley Wiggins is one of the few sportsmen that have sideburns, although his has a very clean cut. 
Like every fashion trend, facial hair and sideburns go in and out of style. Today they are a part of the modern hipster look and more and more younger men like to have a bit of hair on the sides.

Ambrose Burnside

19th century

(source: http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/03/why-sideburns-are-named-as-they-are/)

Image found on: Nov 16 2015

Elvis Presley

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British educator and politician Tory Rhodes Boyson

(source: http://holliegreigjustice.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/thatch-knew-3.html)
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Modern day sideburns

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(source: https://www.reddit.com/r/punchablefaces/comments/31nq8k/this_cunt_with_the_sideburns/)

Reference (Found on Nov 16 2015)

http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/03/why-sideburns-are-named-as-they-are/

https://kmflett.wordpress.com/2012/08/05/a-modern-history-of-sideburns/