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.