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Tudor and Elizabethian hair styles

Started by Capt Gabriela Fullpepper, May 31, 2008, 03:28:29 PM

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Capt Gabriela Fullpepper

Does any one have links out there that SHOW how to do Renaissance... ore spesifically Tudor and Elizabethain hair styles? I understand that Queen Elizabeth wore wigs once she became Queen... or at least latter on. But what I am looking for is how to style/wear your hair in those times and how to do it.

Thanks in advance
"The Metal Maiden"
To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody e

isabelladangelo

For the most part, their hair was pulled back, braided, and set into a bun. Through out most of the 16th c, a lady in England did not go out without her hair covered.  You either wore a coif or a hood over your hair so there is very little pictorial evidence, beyond a bun, that shows different hairstyles in England. 

A style worn in Italy, however, is to part your hair down the middle, braid the sides, and then wrap the braids around your head.  You can see it at bit here http://www.wga.hu/art/a/anguisso/sofonisb/chess.jpg

There is some evidence of this style being worn in England as well, beneath the flat caps, as shown ins
http://www.elizabethan-portraits.com/Elizabeth42.jpg.   Think of it as the Heidi braids style.  If you don't have mid-back or longer hair, you probably won't be able to do the style.  However, in that case, simply pull it back in a bun and wear a snood or coif if you are looking to be HA.

Lady Anne Clare

#2
I hope this is what you were looking for:
http://www.extremecostuming.com/articles/twoelizabethanhairstyles.html

It only shows two Elizabethan styles.  I really like how clear the instructions are and there's pictures to help along as well  :)

Here is Italian Renaissance hair taping:
http://www.mfgraffix.com/hird/faoilt/style1.html
http://www.mfgraffix.com/hird/faoilt/style2.html
http://www.mfgraffix.com/hird/faoilt/examples.html

I love historical sewing for the lack of zippers ;)

Baroness Doune

#3
Another example of hair taping.
http://www.festiveattyre.com/gallery/flemish/flemish.html

Hair styling to achieve a certain silhouette under a French hood.  The first example employed fake hair.
http://www.modehistorique.com/elizabethan/coif.html
A later version used hair taping.
http://modehistorique.com/elizabethan/french_hood/french_hoods.html

Venetian hair styling.
http://www.geocities.com/oonaghsown/hairstyle.htm

More Venetian hair styling.
http://au.geocities.com/virtuesofvenice/Hairhowto.html

My own hair is currently cut rather short in back and is about chin length in front.  (That hairstyle you see everywhere these days.)  A caul hides the shortness of the hair in back.  Since my hair is fine and slippery and I hate using stuff like hairspray and mousse, I use a stretchy comb to hold the hair back from my face.  Then, there is a small plastic hair comb sewn inside the front of my caul.  The comb on the caul slips underneath the front edge of the stretchy comb.  Additional headwear can be worn over the top and, depending on the style, may have a hair comb sewn in the front of it as well.  Hat pins keep the back of the hat in place.   


Hadassah

Thank you Baroness Doune for you explanation on what you do with your hair, I recently just cut my mid-back length hair to that style as well and was wondering what to do with it. 

Lady Delaney i have found that that Italian Renaissance Hair Taping examples work well given by Sagittarius Uisce Beatha and have used them mostly on friends but occasionally when time allowed, on myself. 
being lazy takes up all my time.

peggyelizabeth

my hair is about the same length and style as the Baroness', I've found that not washing it the day before, the oils help to hold the expandable headband in place better. Otherwise, forget it, I'd be better off without having put in the effort.

gem

I didn't see this one linked already...

Lynn McMasters has a good photo tutorial of an Elizabethan hairstyle here:

http://www.lynnmcmasters.com/hairdo.html

One added bonus is that the model doesn't have particularly long hair.

Capt Gabriela Fullpepper

Quote from: gem on June 01, 2008, 12:17:29 PM
I didn't see this one linked already...

Lynn McMasters has a good photo tutorial of an Elizabethan hairstyle here:

http://www.lynnmcmasters.com/hairdo.html

One added bonus is that the model doesn't have particularly long hair.

This is the best link so far I have seen to date and the step by step really helps.
"The Metal Maiden"
To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody e

Margaret

God bless the inventor of the stretchy combs.  I'd be lost at faire without mine.
Mistress Margaret Baynham
The Sweete Ladye
IWG #1656 MCL
wench.org (IWG forums)
ibrsc.org (IBRSC forums)

mellingera

I use the method with the 2 braids wrapped across the top of the head. My french hood is on a headband and it sits securely and stays w/out bobby pins, even in the breeze! It is easy on and off that way. I can take it off before venturing into the privies without worrying about loosing all my hard work "down the drain."  ;)

Cilean



Tudor Tailor  www.tudortailor.com

Will give you information and some help on how to use a 'tape' and they braided their hair and tied it into place.

Stefan's Florilegium has some great information as well:
http://www.florilegium.org/?http%3A//www.florilegium.org/files/PERSONAL/Medieval-Hair-lnks.html

Cynthia Virtue has some great information:
http://www.virtue.to/articles/braiding.html


Dame Aoife's information:
http://lists.gallowglass.org/pipermail/artssciences/2003-October/000186.html

Margo Farnswort's information:
http://www.mfgraffix.com/hird/faoilt/hairtape.html

Cilean






Lady Cilean Stirling
"Looking Good is not an Option, It is a Necessity"
My Motto? Never Pay Retail

LadyStitch

I have hair past my tail bone and I swear Ren Faire's are the only places where I can actually wear my hear comfortably.  My only problem is most of the designs I would need an extra pair of hands, and I don't get that in my camp.  Trying to explain to someone who doesn't know what they are doing to proper roll smooth curls, or rats from 2 feet away isn't easy.  The best luck I have had was to side pig tales braided, and then crossed/knotted over my crown then bobby pinned in place.  It looks like I have on a hair crown and allows my french hood to stay in place with only a comb.
It is kind of strange watching your personal history become costume.

gypsylakat

Related hair question, just out of curiosity, does anyone know if it was usual for lower class women to sell their hair to wigmakers? they had to get it from somewhere right? Or would this only have been in later times?
"A kiss can be a comma, a question mark or an exclamation point.
That's basic spelling that every woman ought to know."

Baroness Doune

Maybe hair from nuns who are taking their vows? ???

The quality of hair is related to diet of the person who grew the hair in the first place.  I don't think the hair of a poor person would be very desirable.



gypsylakat

that was one of the things I had been thinking... but then like I don't know how historically accurate this is, but in the movie sweeney todd they had discussed wig-makers getting their hair from the asylums...
"A kiss can be a comma, a question mark or an exclamation point.
That's basic spelling that every woman ought to know."