Faire Hair!

[captmarga]

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

[gem]

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.

[Squire_Kit]

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.

[operafantomet]

That first picture is sooooooooo nice! 

[Adriana Rose]

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.

[captmarga]

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

[gem]

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?

[amy]

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.

[Kate XXXXXX]

Brilliant hair trick!

[Squire_Kit]

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.  



Amy - Oh I totally  went to cast dinner with the coif still on. I just made sure I wore a dress that matched it.   (PS - I too have thin, flat, dull, lifeless hair. GAH!)

[Elennare]

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!

[isabelladangelo]

http://www.wikihow.com/Tease-Your-Hair

There are several other good instructional pages and videos out there on how to tease your hair.   

[amy]

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.

[LadyStitch]

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.

[Elennare]

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?