Picture a bowl cut but with the bangs straight across — and the sides shaved clean.
At a barbershop on the Southwest Side of Chicago, the owner says kids request the somewhat divisive haircut with Mexican and Indigenous roots on a near-daily basis. It’s called The Edgar, and it has gained widespread popularity among Gen-Z Latinos in recent years.
First popularized in border states such as California, New Mexico and Texas, the haircut became a viral meme on social media during the pandemic. Some say it’s a reference to Edgar Martinez, a former baseball player with the Seattle Mariners. 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, if not all, of the clients who request Edgar cuts are Latino boys and teens who live in the neighborhood. The cut takes about 30 to 40 minutes from start to finish, depending on the barber, and costs $30. The style can be difficult to pull off because of the level of detail and maintenance required.
WBEZ talked to three Chicagoans with Edgar cuts to find out what they like about it.
Manny Urquizo
“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 touch-up from a co-worker.
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
“I just like how it looks, how it blends in on the sides,” said 17-year-old Xavier Ramirez, a McKinley Park resident.
Xavier says 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, 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.
