Though only in action for 2 years, Rags magazine gives us a window into the world of DIY fashion in San Francisco in the early seventies. This publication was known to be an anti-establishment fashion magazine that covered everything from trends in makeup and dressing to disrupt gender norms to the sexual advantages of owning a water bed. The above image is the April 1971 cover for an entire issue devoted to hair.
This issue’s central focus speaks to the powerful statement made by men growing their hair out long in this era. It encourages men and women alike to keep their long hair with articles such as “31 Hairy Tips From the Czar of Long Locks.” Both Liane and Jeanne recalled having long, natural hair parted down the middle in this era, much like that of the cover girl above, and many men sported a similar ‘do. For men, this was a radical gesture; an article entitled “A Rags Special: Hair & The Law” underlines this point. It speaks to the prejudice of the corporate mainstream against “long-haired youth,” using the example of a young man by the name of Michael Gayle Gallahan who received unfair treatment do to his long-haired “undesirable appearance,” as the judge called it. The judge went on to rule that his unseemly presentation warranted jail time, because he was “in contempt of court.” But the defendant protested this judgement on his appearance and took the jail time as an act of protest. Read the full article by clicking “View the full document” to the right!
In an issue devoted to hair, the choice to include an article citing many examples of discriminatory treatment towards young men with long hair, sideburns and facial hair is a powerful one. It reminds readers that for men, growing their hair out long was more than just an aesthetic choice but a political choice, challenging the gendered expectations of appearance.