Hair through the ages.

How hair has developed: from Elizabethan to modern day urban styles.

Renaissance and the build up to Elizabethan:

Ladies in  the renaissance period tweezed the front layer of hair on the hairline to give the illusion of a bigger forehead. Women started to actually show their hair where as in medieval times women rarely showed there hair. Women to influence from Greek and Roman hair styles which inspired there looks and headdresses. They Often added embellishment to their hair with pearls, ribbons and jewels.  

Elizabethan Hair:

       

The Elizabethan hair shape was very tight to the head continuing from the Renaissance period with the high hair line. Only now the hair formed two high heart shapes on top of the head and was not scraped back tight like the Renaissance period. The hair still had decorations and was heavily embellished throughout. 

18th Century:

       

18th Century hair followed on well from the Elizabethan style with large coiffures of hair on top of the head and tendrils that hang down loosely. However now the style is highly decorated with feathers, jewels, pearls and flower garlands. 

Baroque:

         

The Baroque style included long loose tendrils of hair that would ringlet and coil down around the face and shoulders. Often worn with hairbands to hold the coils in the right place on the face. With almost no embellishment or decoration. 

Victorian:

Makeup in the Victorian era was much more toned down in comparison with the Elizabethan era and hair was more relaxed and not in high shapes with extravagant embellishment. There was more use of hats and flowers as well as looser curls that hang longer on the head.  Hair was often plaited and pinned into coils on the  nape of the neck.  Hair was often parted in the middle of the head and pompadours were worn toward the end of the century. 

1920's - 30's 

    

The 20's created a new and innovative style in women hair, the bob. These styles were short and waved tight on the head rather than the height in all the previous eras. Cinema was invented and so the celebrity was born. Women would idolise more that one women unlike the Elizabethan times where everyone was influenced by the Queen's style. Makeup became more prominent and obvious with elongated and prominent eyebrows as well as dark rouged lips. 

1950's - 60's

      

The idea of perfection became the style of the 1950's with the thought of one hair being out of place as a reflection of your personality. Makeup became heavier again with very dark eyebrows, eyeliner and the appearance of larger, fuller lips. Women started to visit hair salons on a weekly basis to have shampoo and sets. The style was smooth, straight hair with large pin curls. 

1970's - 80's:

     

In the 1970s, women wore their hair in a wide variety of fairly natural styles. with feathered layers which had a fluffy texture to it.  Long, free and natural best describes hair in the 1970's. Manes of free-falling curls, soft partings and long fringes were complemented by bronzed skin and glossy lips. The purdey hair style was inspired by a famous television show of the time where one of the characters had her hair very straight and blow dried underneath to create a helmet type look. The 70's saw the introduction of fringes which made the face look smaller and neater.

     

The 1980's was all about big, bouncy hair with great amounts of texture and volume. Short layers that were permed and moussed to create large and fluffy hair.  Scrunchies and ribbons were used to tie the hair in large messy pony tails that were off centre on the head and also on the side of the head. 

2000's to present.

Long and straight hair is the current trend with layers and often no fringe. Braids have been reintroduced however they are mainly used in certain cultures. Black cultures traditionally used these braids known as cornrows to keep their naturally afro styled hair out of the way by creating tight thin dutch braids on the head. As time has gone on cornrows are now used by all cultures as an urban expression of style and confidence. The plaited hair around the hair has also made a re-appearance in todays hair styles with plaits being wrapped around the head. However the hair is much looser and free looking now. These hair styles are often used for formal events and not everyday hair styles. Crimped hair is also very popular again after being used frequently in the 80's and 90's it was continued into the 2000's and unnatural coloured hair has been a recent development in hair styles to show self expression. In a way this is similar to the Elizabethan's who would use pearls and ribbons to express themselves through their hairstyles.