Not all of us have a maidservant to do our sometimes elaborate tresses ^_^, so what do you do?
I wanted to check out some sites for hairpieces to vamp up the garb this season, and get ideas and inspirations for hairstyles from the ladies out there.
Do you have a favorite source for braids, fasteners or falls if you don't/can't use your own hair?
Bits and pieces. Colors and cuts.
Just saw this one on the Sephora site:
http://sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P254650&categoryId=C12673&shouldPaginate=true
I run down to the hairstick ladies at MDRF and see if they'll do my hair. :-) If they aren't there, I spend the $25 it takes to braid my hair over at the hair braiding booth. If neither of those options are available, I cry. ...And then I attempt to twist my own hair up with my hairsticks.
I have troubles braiding my own hair so I twist my hair starting at the bangs and working back. Gives a "Belle" look to the front and I usually pin the twists into place and let the rest fall free.
I'm really liking the braided headband though, might have to look into securing one for myself!
Nim uses products by Paula Young (http://www.paulayoung.com/home.do), and has for some time. It took some doing to convince her to let her natural colour out, which is quite gray now. I happen to like it—the gray hair—a lot, but then I'm quite biased when it comes to her... She uses Paula Young clip-ons.
My hair is mostly on the chin. For faire, I'll usually put small braids on either side, then sometimes a spiral wrap on the center. I've actually begun to wear the small braids to work as well. I get a lot of smiles on campus. I don't know if it's because they like it, or they're laughing at me, but I don't really care anymore! ;D
A couple threads from last season you might find helpful:
http://www.renaissancefestival.com/forums/index.php?topic=16004.0 (This topic has lots of discussion on false hair)
http://www.renaissancefestival.com/forums/index.php?topic=11677.0
(FIVE pages of hairstyle suggestions!)
Thanks gem,
I remember those threads ;D I got a few ideas for hats and snoods that I used in 2010..
What I would love to see is a hair piece worked with pearls, pins, chains or elaborate ribbon work that would look good with anything from noble garb to merchant class so I can borrow some ideas. for something different this year.
I like that braid headband, and might just get one to wear with a french hood to hold back the wispies without a billion hairpins and gel.
When I wear my elven garb (rarely ) I have some instructions on how to have the Faire braiders do it. I print them off and then let them get a little inventive.
http://www.dreamweaverbraiding.com/braids/legolas.htm (http://www.dreamweaverbraiding.com/braids/legolas.htm)
However I now keep a stern eye on both them and Milady...as last time they conspired and wove a few flowers into it....... >:(
:P
Just like these! Thanks!
I have very long hair. So the trick is to get the start right, the hair close to the head...
My favourite method is to divide the hair into two equal parts, and either braid them, or to "bind" them. I then either roll them around the crown (backhead), or I make it into a bun. Not terribly exciting, but period.
I find that many period hairstyles for everyday use consisted of getting the hair out of the way in one way or another, and by that to make a firm know/roll/whatever where the hat, cap, caul, snood or veil could be attached.
These depictions shows the style I often head for, though sometimes I attach the braids/roll higher on the head:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/firenze3/braidedhairroll.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/siena/casolani1580ssiena2.jpg)
My hair is cut in a shoulder length bob with no layers, so I can't braid.
I'll be looking to create a removable hair piece, to decorate at my whim.
I've seen fake hair pieces like hair buns and braids that look pretty realistic. They are sold at some of the re-enactments I've been too.
http://www.amazon.com/Lattice-Hair-Glamorous-Hairpiece-Available/dp/B006DD85PK/ref=pd_sim_sbs_bt_1
Turns out, they even sell them on amazon. ;D
These are great! I've been wanting to create something like this. Good price. You could certainly sew a ribbon or a sring of pearl thtough if you wished to.
Thank You!!!
That's exactly what I'm looking for!
I have one of those! We had a visiting vendor at our fair that was selling them for $5 apiece. Mine even has pearls in it.
...However, I have *never* figured out how to attach it to my head and have it look like anything other than something stuck to the back of my head. It's almost exactly the same color as my own hair, but there just doesn't seem to be a seamless way to affix it and have it look like it belongs there.
When you attach the bun to your head, leave a hank of your real hair out. Braid it and wrap it around the base of the hair piece. This helps tremendously with blending it in.
I use long straight hair extensions that I get from Sam Moon. They are about 18" long, and there is about 12" wide worth of hair. I use one piece, cut in half, to make two braids. There are wig clips attached to the piece, and this gives me three clips per piece. I weave in ribbons, and/or wrap with pears. Jofranka has ribbon braids, Marga has a new pearl-wrapped braid set. You can also get wig clips by themselves at Sally's. They are tiny little combs you sew in. They bend to clip to the head. Jofranka's hair is quite stable, and is worn through 3-5 dance performances throughout the day, from 825 am to 730 pm.
The hair costs $35, but since I am only using half, I have enough to style two sets, or as I have in past, set the other half back for when the first half is too ratted/frayed to wear.
Marga
Marga, that sounds wonderful! Would it be possible for you to post some pictures? I *think* I can picture what you're saying, but I'd love to see for sure.
I had a very unfruitful trip to Sally last fall; the clerk tried valiantly to find me some extensions, but nothing even came close to the color of my hair--sort of reddish--and I wasn't up for trying to dye something. I had better luck, color-wise, at the costume wig section at Party City! I picked up a couple long red wigs to cannibalize for parts, but I'm kind of afraid of them.
I was a noble last year and tried to do a more period-looking hairstyle rather than just slicking my hair back in it's usual ponytail. That consisted of me pulling back a small portion of my hair into a ponytail, then teasing the rest of it to epic proportions (My castmates gave me the nicknames of "Red Fraggle" or "Pomeranian runway hair"). I bought a foam cylinder from a local hair shop (looks like this---->http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31QLkT09eBL._SL500_AA300_.jpg) - though mine was straight, not curved - sliced it in half, tapered the ends, then bobby pinned it to the front of my head (where my bangs are). Then I rolled the teased over to smooth it over the foam roll and pinned it under my hat. To finish it off I added some pearl twists from Claire's.
(http://i943.photobucket.com/albums/ad271/The_Lady_Nerd/ME_Daniel_Meigs.jpg)
(http://i943.photobucket.com/albums/ad271/The_Lady_Nerd/ME2.jpg)
That first picture is sooooooooo nice! :o
That is a very clever rat fake out! For the folks that dont have a Sally's or simliar around them they could use some of the cheapy foam rollers that you find in the hair stuff in Walmart as a swap out.
Quote from: gem on February 06, 2012, 06:26:10 PM
Marga, that sounds wonderful! Would it be possible for you to post some pictures? I *think* I can picture what you're saying, but I'd love to see for sure.
I had a very unfruitful trip to Sally last fall; the clerk tried valiantly to find me some extensions, but nothing even came close to the color of my hair--sort of reddish--and I wasn't up for trying to dye something. I had better luck, color-wise, at the costume wig section at Party City! I picked up a couple long red wigs to cannibalize for parts, but I'm kind of afraid of them.
My friend Ron Wheeler shot this photo at the Feast of St Voloc.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronald_the_bald/6761239379/in/photostream
The pearl-wrapped hair in front of the ruffle is all extensions. My hair is thin, unruly, wavy, and shoulder length. If I braid it, is it about a 5" little tail in the back. Nothing near close enough to wrap over my head.
The extensions look like this :http://www.chiiron4u.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Clip-In-Hair-Extensions1.jpg (or this, but longer...http://www.herahair.com/hair-pics/clip-hair/Clip-in-hair-extensions.jpg)
I carefully cut the six-clip wide piece ( about 8" wide) in two so I have two four-inch pieces with three clips each. Then I fashion those into my braids.
Marga
Splendid! (I had to blow the photo up to see the braid, but *awesome*.) And thanks for the second one, too.
Your natural hair sounds like mine, which is shoulder-length, layered, thin, and curly. It will braid &c, but there's no bulk to it and hardly any length.
Kit, your hair is *stunning!!* How do you bobbypin the foam roller in place? This may be self-explanatory once you have the thing in hand, but I'm not quite picturing it... Do you wrap/roll your hair *around* it (so it starts off away from your head, and you roll the hair/roller toward you), or brush your hair *over* it (so the roller starts off on/against your head, and you comb your hair over the top of it?
Thank you Kit for sharing the foam roller trick. I have posted before about using kneehigh stocking made rats but your idea sounds much easier. I am growing my hair out including the bangs right now so I can do something similar this year. I think with my thin, fine hair I will opt for teasing it up then just smoothing it over the roller and hiding the loose bits under a band and then into the coif. I also picked up some of the cheapy zig zag head bands that work like a comb the full way around your head to help hold the whispy tails at the neck up. then hide it under the hat.
P.S. Wouldn't it be glorious to be one of those women who can take off their hat and go to dinner immediatly after faire and not worry that everyone in the restaurant not only thinks you are dressed funny but that your head has been sleeping in a blender? Ahhh.. lucky wenches! Dang hat head.
Brilliant hair trick!
Operafantomet - Thank you!
Gem - I divided my hair right behind my ears. All the stuff behind my ears went back in a ponytail (and under the coif). The rest got teased within an inch of it's life, minues some strands in the very front. I took a long bobby pin and secured it length-wise (so parallel) to the foam. Then, I literally just pulled all the hair over the foam (which was already secured to my head with the bobby pins) and clipped it behind the foam with a barrette. Y'know....we need to get Kim (aka Syrilla) on here. She's the one who taught this whole thing to me. If it helps any, this is what my hair looked like BEFORE it was put over the foam. :D
(http://i943.photobucket.com/albums/ad271/The_Lady_Nerd/382770_10150397249078604_503163603_8422124_1224558417_n.jpg)
Amy - Oh I totally went to cast dinner with the coif still on. I just made sure I wore a dress that matched it. :P (PS - I too have thin, flat, dull, lifeless hair. GAH!)
Not to hijack, but do you (or anyone) know of a good explanation of how to tease hair? I've read stuff before, but I just can not get it to work.
Kit, your hair actually looks pretty cute all fluffed up like that! :)
http://www.wikihow.com/Tease-Your-Hair
There are several other good instructional pages and videos out there on how to tease your hair. ;D
I know it adds beautiful volume and makes KIT look like a very loveable type of Furgy toy but it is awful to brush out and it breaks my hair off terribly. so the rat support will be so important this year.
My grandmother who was beautician helped several of us for a Victorian ball thing. We went out and and found panty hose in a color close to our hair, stuffed them, and used them to make the 'poof" for the hair. Worked great since mine especially is VERY long and like fine silk. I can make it look like my hair is thicker by putting them over something like that.
Quote from: amy on February 14, 2012, 02:26:23 PM
I know it adds beautiful volume and makes KIT look like a very loveable type of Furgy toy but it is awful to brush out and it breaks my hair off terribly. so the rat support will be so important this year.
I had a stylist tease my hair for an updo (sp?) and the advice I was given was rather than try to brush it out, put a LOT of conditioner in it and detangle it with your fingers. Then wash your hair and work on it some more in the shower. It seemed to work for me. Maybe give that a try if you want to give the teasing another go?
Oh it wasn't hijacking at all. :) I teased my hair simply by using a teasing comb and combing the hair strongly towards my head. That was it!
Hah! The cast actually called me Red Fraggle and Pomeranian Runway Hair because of that teasing. I used to come in every day to morning meeting with my hair like that (since it was the last thing to be done after my costume). I came in one morning with my hair already done and the rest of cast demanded I go back to coming in with it teased! :P
Quote from: Squire_Kit on February 06, 2012, 08:01:17 PM
I was a noble last year and tried to do a more period-looking hairstyle rather than just slicking my hair back in it's usual ponytail. That consisted of me pulling back a small portion of my hair into a ponytail, then teasing the rest of it to epic proportions (My castmates gave me the nicknames of "Red Fraggle" or "Pomeranian runway hair"). I bought a foam cylinder from a local hair shop (looks like this---->http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31QLkT09eBL._SL500_AA300_.jpg) - though mine was straight, not curved - sliced it in half, tapered the ends, then bobby pinned it to the front of my head (where my bangs are). Then I rolled the teased over to smooth it over the foam roll and pinned it under my hat. To finish it off I added some pearl twists from Claire's.
That is great, thanks for the tip! I've been wanting to try that style but haven't been able to get it right. Luckily I've been put into a tallhat for the past couple seasons so it hasn't mattered too much, but I'll have to try the faux-bumps next time.
Quote from: Elennare on February 14, 2012, 06:34:39 PM
Quote from: amy on February 14, 2012, 02:26:23 PM
I know it adds beautiful volume and makes KIT look like a very loveable type of Furgy toy but it is awful to brush out and it breaks my hair off terribly. so the rat support will be so important this year.
I had a stylist tease my hair for an updo (sp?) and the advice I was given was rather than try to brush it out, put a LOT of conditioner in it and detangle it with your fingers. Then wash your hair and work on it some more in the shower. It seemed to work for me. Maybe give that a try if you want to give the teasing another go?
Butting in here again... Since I braid my beard, I've had the same issue when trying to get the tight braids out, and using conditioner did make the job considerably easier...
thank you all for the tips! Seems we will be a beauteous bunch this year