Shape-up

Basketball player Dwyane Wade with an edge-up hairstyle.

A shape-up, also called a line-up or an edge-up, is a hairstyle that involves cutting along the natural hairline to straighten it. Edge-ups are typically found among men and short-haired women. The haircut grew in popularity during the 1980s, typically among those who have Afro-textured hair, and became the precursor to other stylish haircuts, such as the high-top fade, low fade, and designs such as crescent moon parts, side parts, and waves in hair.

The shape-up is influenced by hip-hop and pop culture and is common among entertainers and basketball players. ^[1]

History

A man with a freshly cut shape-up and waves

Matt Dumba with a buzz cut and line up

During the 1970s and the era of disco, the afro hairstyle was used African-Americans to reflect their cultural identity and their pride in their hair. In the 1980s, afros became "shaped up" with their sides cut short. The shape-up was first introduced in the mid- or late 1980s. ^[2] Influential hip-hop artists such as Big Daddy Kane, ^[2] Eric B and Rakim popularized the hi-top fade with the shape-up.

See also

• List of hairstyles

References

1. Gabbara, Princess (2016-12-27). "The History of the Fade". EBONY. Retrieved 2019-12-07.
2. Horne, Madison (February 2019). "A Visual History of Iconic Black Hairstyles". HISTORY. Archived from the original on 2018-03-11. Retrieved 2019-12-07.

External links

• The dictionary definition of shape-up at Wiktionary