The litvish minhag was that the regular sideburns going down the side of your face till about the middle of the ear was the halachic peyos chassidish influence after the war had a big influence on the litvish velt in certain ways and i can state more then just peyous such as mikvah on non yomim norim days reading pitim hktoros from a klaf and more
There is such an idea as mesorah it just depends how strong the mesorah is followed and fefended by a paticular mosod
By the way all the many bachruim that learned in pre war europe the no peyous spitzy dressing etc didnt hurt them into becoming gedolim
