Picture a bowl cut but with the bangs straight across — and the sides shaved clean.
It’s called The Edgar, and it has gained widespread popularity among Gen-Z Latinos in recent years.
The owner of a barbershop on the Southwest Side says kids request the somewhat divisive haircut with Mexican and Indigenous roots on a near-daily basis.
First popularized in border states such as California, New Mexico and Texas, the haircut has become a viral meme on social media during the pandemic.
Some say it’s a reference to Edgar Martinez, the former Seattle Mariners baseball star. Others call it a takuache cut, in reference to the Mexican ranchero aesthetic.
“Kids ask for that haircut, and the parents get upset because it’s, like, ‘What did you cut?’ And you hear the kids arguing with their parents, like, ‘This is the way I like it,’ ” said Victor Batrez, owner of Empire Cutz in McKinley Park.
Batrez says most of the clients who request Edgar cuts are Latino boys and teenagers from the neighborhood. The cut takes about 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the barber, and costs $30. The style can be difficult to pull off because of the detail and maintenance required.
We spoke with three Chicagoans with Edgar cuts about what they like about it.
Manny Urquizo
Manny Urquizo gets an Edgar hair cut by barber Jesus Saldana at Empire Cutz.
Manuel Martinez/WBEZ
“Hair is really important. I get a haircut like every two or three days. I just like how it looks sharp,” said barber Manny Urquizo, pictured here getting a touchup from a coworker.
Urquizo joined the staff at Empire Cutz shortly after it opened in McKinley Park last summer.
“I feel like that’s my haircut. My hair grows out fast, and I don’t really like that. I like to see my skin,” he said.
Xavier Ramirez
Xavier Ramirez
Manuel Martinez/WBEZ
“I just like how it looks, how it blends in on the sides,” said Xavier Ramirez, 17,a McKinley Park resident.
He said his parents typically let him “do his own thing” when it comes to hair.
“Sometimes, my mom might tell me — if it’s getting too long — she wants to cut it off. Like just a normal fade in the back,” he said.
Alejandro Coss
Alejandro Coss
Manuel Martinez/WBEZ
Alejandro Coss, 21, said he likes to start the weekend with a fresh haircut. He’s been rocking an Edgar for at least three years.
“I would recommend it for anyone,” he said.
Coss said his cousins used to make fun of his hair — but now, years later, they wear similar styles.
“Don’t let anyone talk you down on your haircut,” he said. “Just be you, and be happy.”
Nereida Moreno covers education for WBEZ.
