Elizabethan Hair Techniques

     Considering that Elizabeth I reigned almost 500 years ago, it's amazing how the people of the era did not allow the limitations they faced to prevent them from being innovators with regards to their hair. Far from the convenience of today's home hair dyes and electrical styling appliances, the people of the golden age had to think outside of the box to find way of altering the natural appearance of their hair. 
     Today, we take the most basic of styling aids for granted, such as hair grips. I know that when I had long hair, I would get through hundreds of grips as they are easily lost and damaged but I couldn't live without them. Rewind to the 1500s and this most simple of tools was not available to women of the period so they fastened their hair by sewing it into place with ribbons. Whilst this is much more time consuming than to pop in a few grips, it had it's benefits; hair could be styled before sleeping and it would retain it's form for days! 
     Another popular hair feature of the time was to be fair or red-haired... But this was difficult and quite disgusting for the Elizabethans to achieve. As a naturally dark haired woman, I have had my hair professionally lightened to achieve a red colour. For me, this was a simple process of visiting a salon and having a colour correction treatment in which a low peroxide solution was applied to my hair and placed under heat, extracting the existing dye and preparing my hair for a bright red colourant to be applied. Below you can see my hair close to it's natural colour and the result after the dying process (please note, this was not my own work but the work of a professional hairdresser at 'The Egg' in Norwich)

   

     Unfortunately, it was not so simple if you were around in Elizabethan times. To lighten their hair they used some hideous substances like oil and urine which was applied to the hair and then slowly cooked in the heat of the sun. The problem with this method was that the sun would colour the skin, but the favoured complexion was one of alabaster white. To prevent their skin tanning as their hair bleached, the ladies would wear a kind of hat which only had a brim... the hair would be fed through the hole in the crown to be exposed to the sun, whilst the brim of the hat would protect their faces. Genius!

A Short History of Hair

     In the Elizabethan era (1558-1603) hair styles were heavily influenced by the monarch, Queen Elizabeth I. A famous red head with a pearly alabaster complexion, the Queen had a very distinctive style which was considered as the image of beauty by the Elizabethan people and was therefore widely emulated. 
      In this period of history, it was easy to differentiate married women from single young women as for the former the hair was worn swept up (a trend which accommodated the fashionable ruffs of the era); for the latter, hair was long and flowing as this was thought to be representative of innocence. Young brides would decorate their heads with flowers as this was also seen as a mark of purity and virginity. 
     The up-do favoured by Elizabeth in the latter part of her reign was a curled and frizzed style, formed into a heart shape around a prop known as a 'rat'. Hair was curled using small, cylindrical irons which were heated in the fire... A kind of early version of the modern electrical tongs we are so familiar with today. Once the hair was styled, curls were then set using waxes and gums which have inspired some of the products we still use in out hair today.

     Since the Elizabethan age, hair styles and techniques have moved on greatly but throughout the many decades since her reign, we have continued to take inspiration from Elizabeth and her people. Examples of this are pin curls in the 1920s:

Structure in the 1940s:

Softer waves and curls in the 50s

Height in the 60s:

    These examples are all loosely reflective of Elizabeth's style and with the recent rise in the popularity of vintage styling, we continue to see many people adopt these looks. Celebrities such as Rihanna and Paloma Faith have been instrumental in the surge in popularity of red hair, with other stars such as Dita Von Teese and Adele influencing the return of structural hair dos. With the progression in styling and techniques in mind, we can begin to understand how we might contemporise the authentic Elizabethan look for modern interpretations of the style. 

Who Were The Elizabethans?

     The Elizabethan era or 'The Golden Age' ran from 1558-1603 when Britain was under the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Throughout the era, the country thrived economically and enjoyed a rich culture of music, theatre and literature. In addition to this, our military triumphed over Spain in the Spanish Armada of 1588.
      Perhaps the most notable individual of the day, aside from the monarch herself, was William Shakespeare whose theatre and poetry works are still studied in schools today. Many interpretations of the prolific playwright's creations can still be seen in theatres across the world and the language used within these, as well as the costumes and staging, are an excellent resource in understanding the people of the era. 
     Education throughout the era was improving, with grammar schools available to the middle class and the availability of information was enhanced by the development of printing techniques, making books more widely available. In addition to this, theatre was utilised as a tool for influencing and educating the masses as it was cheap and reached wide and varied audiences, including the lower classes. As education was bettered, the employment situation improved. The population had taken a knock due to bouts of the plague and as a result of this, even peasants were now paid a small fee for their labour. As we know, better rates of employment stimulate the economy and whilst the Elizabethan poor were very poor, generally the country and it's people were doing well. 
     In an age where so much stood out, it is unsurprising that the fashions of the day were unique and distinctive. Influenced most strongly by the Queen herself, the Elizabethans were very much alike in style. Without the subcultures we are so familiar with today, what really divided the people of the golden age was the definite class system of the time. The heavy fabrics and intricate embroideries which we imagine when we think of this period were exclusive to the monarchy and aristocracy, whilst lower classes were limited in their choice of attire by the 'Statutes of Apparel'. This was known formally as the Sumptuary Law which was implemented by the Queen to ensure that the class system retained a clear structure; breaches of this law carried heavy penalties. 

     

Hair design

      Using the research I have compiled and the knowledge I have gained on the era, I am now beginning to produce hair designs based on the Elizabethan period. I will be producing my designs on paper and then practising them in 3D to determine how well they translate from theory to reality. Here you can see some of my initial designs and my reflections on them. Through this design development process, I aim to reach a final design which I can then produce in my timed assessment. 

Design One; Front View:

Design One; Back View:

     In my first design I have illustrated my idea using watercolour pencils. I have considered the different levels in the hair, the shape I want to create and how this related to the Elizabethan theme. I have illustrated height at the front of the head as hair teased high onto the head was common in Elizabethan fashion and I feel that this is vaguely reflective of a crown. Towards the back I have visualised four buns formed in doughnut shape as the style of the time was very decorative and elaborate. On reflection, it would have been better to keep the height at the front but leave the back plain or have the hair flowing down the back as this would contemporise the look.

Design Two; Front View:

Design Two; Back View:

     In this second design, I have used oil pastels as I like the way the colours blend together to create the texture of hair. In this design, I have considered what I liked and disliked about my initial idea. After considering these factors, I have kept the height at the front of this design and left the hair flowing to one side at the back. I have created an asymmetry as I feel this makes the look more modern, whilst still keeping the half up, half down element which references my inspiration. 

Celebrity Hair Crush!

     After hundreds of years, it's amazing to see how the Elizabethans are still inspiring the hair of today! Whilst techniques have moved on and styles have evolved, it's safe to say that some of us have hair which still subtly echoes the fashions of the period. One star I love for this is Paloma Faith as her flowing red locks are always styled to perfection in elaborate up-dos which contrast beautifully with her delicate alabaster complexion. Very Elizabeth!