Design your own Coiffure

Have a good chunk of time on your hands?  No?  Well you may find yourself going to this link anyway.  The V&A have developed a new distraction game in which you can design your own eighteenth-century wig.  You've been warned.

You can go for somewhat accurate

Slightly OTT

Or just go nuts.

Enjoy! Design a Wig

The New Phaeton

As women's hair grew bigger and bigger in the the 1770s, many satires honed in on the comedy of these women actually getting to their fashionable events that required such sartorial extravagance.  The New Fashioned Phaeton (1776) was one print which had a suggestion for how society could accommodate such fabulosity.

Ob-sessed: Coiffure Products

Oh marketing gimmicks!  While looking for hairspray this weekend I came across a product with the image you see above.  Did I need Umberto Gianni's Backcomb in a Bottle? No.  Did I want it? You know it!

More marketing
gimmicks!

Luckily the company puts out travel sizes of their products which is ideal for impulse buyers like myself.  Well, it looks like I will be buying the normal-size version in the future too, this stuff is great!  Take a few strands of hair that need some pouf action and spritz them and  style your glorious locks into the coiffure of your choice.  It does have hairspray-like elements in it so it will harden hair.  For extra 18th century action you can pair it with Bumble and Bumble white hair powder (one of my essential hair products) and you will really be indulging in your inner eighteenth-century fashionista/o. 

I found Backcomb in a Bottle at Boots, North American peeps will sadly have order them from overseas, because I haven't yet found any US suppliers- let me know if you do find it stateside though!

Guest Post: Talia Felix talks Poufs and Pompadours

I am delighted to start of this new year with a guest post from illustrator, author and blogger, Talia Felix.  Talia's newest adventure is her blog, The Gibson Girl's Guide to Glamor which details the toils of being a fabulous lady of fashion in the Edwardian age.  Talia is here today to shed insight on the similar hairstyles that graced both the Georgian and Edwardian Ages and how you too can create these fabulous coiffures.

Can you spot the differences between these two hairstyles?

They are actually very slight, and while the Edwardian girl is trying to model herself on the Georgian look, she's made a small alteration which makes her true era quite easy to identify. It mostly just amounts to her having set her pompadour about 2 or 3 inches further forward on her crown -- all the difference there is between a pompadour and a pouf.

This observation is mostly of interest to those people who enjoy recreating historical hairdos. Hair styling methods from the Edwardian era are much better documented than those of the Georgian period, and if the methods of one also apply to the other, that's good news for the reenactor!

There is a reputation that the tall "Marie Antoinette" hairdos were achieved by simply wearing a wig. While this may have been true in some cases, examination of portraits don't usually show women with that same telltale wig-line the men's pictures tend to have. And how many women do you know who'd be willing to shave their heads entirely, even if they would be covered with a wig?

One of the few actual Georgian-era sources I've come across, that produces any sort of attempt to give a realistic description of the period's hairdressing practices, is the book Evelina. (Maybe it has the honor just because it was actually written by a woman, who knew something about the subject.) In fact Evelina and her friends get into plenty of hairy situations. It describes use of "cushions" and of false hair to supplement the natural locks, as well as ratting or "frizzling" the hair for volume, but makes clear that the women's own natural hair is the basis for all the styles. Edwardians had similar ways of gaining the amount of volume needed for the fashionable styles of their time -- ratting the hair, adding artificial rats (often cultivated from their brushes and combs, and saved till a nice mass was had) or purchasing pieces of false hair to weave or pin in. It is a fact that until the 1920s, most women kept their hair as long as possible; but really, when you think about it, even those with very long hair are unlikely to have enough of it to not only pad out a full pouf but to also have been able to achieve all the external supplementary rolls and curls as well.

The best-remembered styles of the 18th century, tall as one or two more heads stacked onto your own, didn't seem to be super-popular in England as on the continent, judging by the styles English ladies preferred to wear in their own portraits. The mere 3/4 of your own head looked like it was the standard for active English ladies, like Frances Abington and the Waldegreve girls. This is actually a fairly easy style to achieve -- and it's done with the same base as the Edwardian pompadour.

These demo pictures are being done in a very loose and messy fashion since I'm trying to style my hair myself with no mirror, and without using any pomade (if you do want to go all out yourself though, I recommend Murray's pomade. It really holds those Antoinette curls in place!) My own hair is, functionally, about hip-length -- wet and held straight the longest point goes roughly a quarter way down my thigh. This is to give some idea what's being worked with.

To make the pompadour/pouf, I'm using a hair rat made of my own hair, saved for a couple months from combs, and formed into a crescent shape.

1.Testing the rat. You'll want to comb your hair over it, but here it's just set on top of my own hair, and almost looks like a complete style.

2. Hair combed and pinned up over the rat. A ponytail is left over.

3. That ponytail gets used to create two rolls going down toward the neck. It's interesting to see how flat the style actually looks from the side.

4. Front view of the 3/4 head pouf.

Now I am sure if I had not used that rat I'd not have had hair enough remaining for the two neck curls. But if the Edwardians are anything to go by, there's a second cheat for this: if you want to rat your own hair, or for some other reason don't end up with enough hair remaining for the curls, you can just pin on pre-curled pieces of false hair. I have dark hair so we're not getting much contrast for the photo, but right over my ear in picture 5 is a pinned-in roll made entirely of false hair. Buns, coils and whatever else you want of false hair can also be thrown in. 

This just goes to show that, firstly, it is possible to achieve these styles without a full wig: but also, that the fashionable 'dos might not always have been entirely one's own hair either. Let's face it, even nowadays the most fashionable hair style are made with hair extensions. But just as the Edwardians made use of "transformations" to gain the needed abundance of hair, so can we assume did the Georgians with their at least equally complicated tresses.

The Grandma Hat

In the time of hair towers when bigger was better, the threat of grazing one's "head" with a lit candle was a very real danger.  Not only could a budding flame at the top of a coiffure be unnoticed for some time, it could pose a real threat to not only to the wearer but to anyone in the same proximity of the flaming hair.  The science of putting out house fires was still developing at the time, after all.

There was also perhaps the more dangerous of issues with having a towering coiffure: offending the old matriarchs who found offense in the fad of extreme hair.   Luckily, an inventor by the name of Beaulard came to the rescue with a new contraption which he called a bonnet de la bonne maman (Grandma bonnet or Granny hat).  The milliner/inventor had invented a pouf which had a hidden switch which could lower the hair tower in cases of fire hazards, offended matrons (hence the the name), and low doorways.  I am sure it also made travel much easier as well.

Beaulard enjoyed much success from his invention and had the honor of serving clients such as the Princesse de Lambelle and Marie Antoinette.  However when his success surpassed that of Rose Bertin, the Queen of France's personal dressmaker, the fashionista flew into a rage and spread rumors to bring about his downfall.  Bertin's designs may have lost some popularity but her influence was still strong.  Beaulard and his mechanical coiffure disappeared into obscurity.

Trouble with Travel: Hats

While scouring for pictures of the royal wedding in Edinburgh today I cam across this gem, which I found rather adorable.

 Get in the back, Kate! 

Then I looked at it again and realized poor Katie Cambridge is hunched over due to her rather large hat (been there, Honey)! 

That instantly brought to mind a satirical print from Matthew Darly in 1776 when hair heights were at their largest.  Elegant females were constantly forced to sit on the floor due to their hair; there was no other way to get around it aside from sticking your head out the window.  Here's hoping that someday we will have vehicles to accommodate fashion!

Setting Sail

I was thumbing through Tom and Lorenzo's photos from Bridal Week in Barcelona.  Ah lots of lace this season, big surprise...*gasp*...what's this!

Victorio and Lucchino opted to bring back the ship headress!  Both Georgiana and Marie Antoinette were known to have sported this most extravagant of poufs in their time.  I think it looks hot!  Perhaps I could walk down the aisle with one when the time comes; the ship in the hair look is the ultimate status symbol.

I am having trouble finding the whole collection but here are more pictures of it.  There are a lot of Jane Austen-esque empire gowns in the mix too!

The Wig-Maker is Back in Town

It's that time again! Now that it's October you might be like me and scrambling to pull together a fabulous ensemble for masquerade night.  For the past three years I have posted the good, the bad, and the ugly in 18th century costumes.  To bring in Halloween 2010, here is the good, or should I say absolutely amazing!

Antoinette's Atelier shop on Etsy has some of the best wigs I have seen not on a drag queen's head.  Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say, "fit for a drag queen."  They are absolute show-stoppers.  The wigs are powdered, edgy, and made to order.  While browsing the shop you'll notice the classics such as the ship at sale and the pompadour. 

If you already spent your guineas on a wig for the big night, never fear, Antoinette's Atelier has other necessities such as shoes, stays, and art.  However, I think the wigs are the crown jewels of the shop.  Which is your favorite? I can't possibly decide!

A Pouf for Fall 2010?

While flipping through the September issue of Glamour I was reading the delightful proclamation that when it comes to hair this season, bigger is better.  Not 1980's bigger, either; we're talking 1780's! So get out your teasing combs, not to mention your scented pomade, powders, and horsehair bundles (18th century bumpits) because this could be the return of the pouf (not to be confused with the poof sported by Lady Snookie).

Sorry boys, no mention of any macaroni hair trends yet, but I'll be the first to let you know when that vogue reoccurs!  Fashion week is closely approaching after all...

Dior

Oscar de la Renta

Tracy Reese

Chanel

Powder Me

Do you spend your mornings being tortured with the decisions of what to wear? Should it be the polonaise or anglais, the red waistcoat or the green? There is simply just too much to think about. And what about that hair? You have the style down but what about the powder? The eighteenth century had people powdering every inch of themselves creating an endless demand for those in the powder business.

You could powder your hair just about any color you wished ranging from the pristine white to the macaroni-approved, unnatural colors, such as blue. In the early part of the century, white was the established color of choice but by the end grey seemed to take over in popularity. Of course, you could always just go without...but then again with all that pomade in your hair and lack of regular shampooing, maybe powder was the best way to go.

Just for fun, I thought I'd whip up an online quiz (a short one, mind you) to help determine the right powder color for you. But as for brand or scents, that is up to you; personally you will usually find me with Lush's Candy Fluff in my hair (no lie) because my hairdresser to this day always recommends it to prevent over-washing. See, they knew their hair then! Take the quiz here and don't forget to tell us your result!

High Humor

BibliOdyssey had a great post a while ago on satires of hair towers. I think I spread word about it on Twitter (but I'm a scramble-brain, so maybe I didn't!) which I know not everyone follows. However, I've had multiple people email me about the post so that tells me I must do a better job about spreading the word and give the fabulous post the recognition it deserves.

High hair reached it's height (ha!) in popularity in the 1770s due to trends in France as well as a young debutant Duchess popularizing three-foot tall hair towers and feathers. The fashion trend caused a trend in mocking the extreme coiffures which became so grand they surprised many a social-observer.

Check out BibliOdyssey's great collection of coiffure satires here.

Hair Mags

Oh which hairstyle to choose, which to choose. Perhaps a coiffure a l'inoculation today? On no that was so last season. Trouvais' post on coiffures reminded me about the hair guides of the eighteenth century which helped those fashionably-conscious ladies pick out a new doo. These were especially popular in fashion-conscious France. As the post goes on to say, cook turn hairdresser, Legros de Rumigny produced a very popular coiffure brochure in 1768-70 with the modest title of L’Art de la Coeffure des Dames Francoises avec des estampes, ou sont representees les tetes coeffee. You can see some of the illustrations from it here. Unfortunately for Legros, he was never able to continue producing his hair guides for he was stampeded to death during one of the celebrations for Louis and Marie Antoinette's wedding. She totally missed out on his hair expertise!

But of course there were many other hair almanacs. You can find some of them on this great french website. The Almanach de Modes, for example, was a very thorough hair guide, complete with beautiful illustrations. The book names the hairstyle, gives a little song about it, and then of course there is the illustration and commentary. That's a lot more extravagant than our modern hair mags. Much more elegant as well!

News From Paris

Lady Clermont writes to Georgiana on the fashions in France,

"The heads are not so high nor as many feathers, that is to say many people are dress'd so, but the people the best dress'd are more modest than they were."

November 1775

Mary Lady Kent by Reynolds, 1777

More Hair How-to's

We all dream of a fabulous pouf. In the past I found this fabulous video of how to style yourself an 18th century coiffure. Well, that's a bit time consuming and not all of us have long hair. That's why you need a good wig. Those also get expensive and sometimes look cheap. We can't have that! Maria found this great site that gives step by step instructions on how to make your own pouf wig and it makes you want to hop on ebay and grab a wig right away. I also heard somewhere that it's best to buy those spray-on Halloween hair dyes in white and grey to get the powdered look. Now all there is to figure out it what kind of hairdo would you have? A la enfant? A la l'inoculation? There is too many possibilities.

Hair How-to's

So this chick, Amy B, on youtube has a bunch of hair and make-up how-to's which are instructional and fun. This is her video for how to make a coiffure/pouf. The hair is okay for the basic doo, but what I really like is the makeup! It's modern twist of rococo makeup. Now I want to get my hands on some Mac Pure White Pigment!

Size Matters

What better to make an entrance into society than with a 3 foot hairdo. Georgiana blasted into the London scene in full couture splendor upon her marriage at the age of 17. She immediately got to work on establishing herself as a fashion icon. Whether this was her intention or not, one can only guess, but her celebrity began with her fashion trends.

The first notable trend she began was the three-foot hair tower. Hair was already large at the time, especially due to French influences, Georgiana simply took it one step further. The hair towers required scented pomade, pads of horse hair, and at least two hairdressers in order to be constructed. To this, Georgiana would add scenes such as the classic ship in sail or stuffed birds. As with every trend in London, woman immediately took to the look and tried to make it more outrageous by making their hair even taller or more ornate.

Georgiana never seemed to acknowledge when people took to her fashions; while London society attempted to imitate her by making her vogues more outlandish, she would simplify and create an even bigger buzz. Her next hair fad was the infamous ostrich feather which she would drape in a large arch across the front of her hair. When Lord Stormont presented her with one over four feet long every lady of refinement went on a wild goose chase to find the rare length of feather. Of course scandal developed. Only the very wealthy could afford the feathers, which they snobbily flaunted to the point where Queen Charlotte banned them from court. This couldn't have come at a worse time for the fashion elite. The Duchess of Kingston's trial for bigamy was approaching and everyone who was anyone would be showing up in their best in order to outdo each other at the embarrassment of their fellow Peeress. Feathers were forbidden from the trial. This was a devastating blow; like banning Gucci from fashion week. The only lady who seemed unaffected by the ban was the one who started the fashion trend; Georgiana brought snacks to munch on with Lady Derby at the trial instead of her signature feathers.

Although (probably due to the ban) large ostrich feathers was only a short-lived fad it lived on through the decades. In satirical prints, Georgiana would forever be identified as herself by being portrayed with ostrich feathers in her hair.

Check out this collage I made of the hair tower. I only used Reynold portraits because I'm lazy, but it serves a purpose; if you were being painted by one of the most fashionable artists in society you would be portrayed in only the hottest trends. The portraits were painting from 1775-1779.Satirical Prints related to the D of D and her hair:

Lady All-Top May 1776

The Preposterous Head Dress, or Feathered Lady March 1776

Matthew Darly, Vis a Vis May 1776