Stylish Hair and Hair Goods

Recently I went to a haircut appointment, something I have not done in over a year. When the ends of my hair started to reach the top of the small of my back, I figured it was probably time to clean things up a bit. And since I was going to most likely cut off about five inches to start with, I figured I could sacrifice the few extra inches needed for a hair donation's minimum requirement. I took the plunge and had my cousin, who is a hairstylist, chop off my golden fine locks, which ended up being close to a foot in length when all was said and done.

Unlike the 21st century woman, Victorian era women rarely cut their hair. I have read about mothers keeping their daughters' hair at shoulder length up until they would reach the age of twelve or thirteen, after which the girls would let their hair grow for the rest of their lives for the most part. On rare occasion, a woman would cut her hair but usually only if she were sick, entering the convent, or in need of money. Hair from convents and women desperate to earn coin was then turned into false hair pieces for purchase. So in the same fashion as the 21st century woman, wearing fake hair was not something out of the ordinary.

 When you look at old photographs and tintypes from the Victorian era, try to keep any feelings of jealousy or envy over the copious amounts of hair in check because it is very likely that the woman with a ridiculously large coiffure is actually wearing a false hairpiece or a padded hair device. Hair switches came in many styles and colors, and a very stylish woman could blend these pieces into her own locks so as to make it look natural, while others were not as successful.

An obvious false hair piece as the woman's hair is blonde
while the wig is darker.

Any woman could stay up on the latest trends by reading the women's domestic magazines of the day, such as Godey's Lady's Book, Harper's Magazine, and The Metropolitan Monthly (later known as The Delineator). As a result, even a woman living in remote, rural areas would have knowledge of the up and coming fashion trends, which she could happily copy to the best of her abilities. While clothing in rural areas may sometimes have been seen as not up to date on the latest fashion plates by some, hair was a commodity that could easily be adapted to the latest styles and trends so as to not look too old-fashioned.

At the beginning of the Victorian era, the dominant style of the 1840s was a center part with the front hair arranged in such a way so as to cover the ears. Braids twisted into a coiffure at the back of the head were quite popular thanks to the newly crowned Queen Victoria. Ringlets were often worn at the sides of the head in the early half of the decade, which would be visible while wearing a bonnet. This soon gave way to smooth bands of hair worn over the ears in the later half of the decade. Small cushions were sometimes used for added fullness under the chignons on the back of the head.

A perfect example of ringlets worn at the sides of the the head.

Moving into the 1850s, hair remained the fairly similar in style with an exception of an increase in width of hair shaped over the ears so as to keep in proportion with the increasing widths of the dresses. Hair puffs that were attached to combs were placed under the hair folded over the ears to help hold the shape. It was also during this decade that hair started to be brushed back and secured with a net better known as a snood. These nets were always placed over a style coiffure in order to help hold the shape; loose hair was never simply thrown into a net. The snood was worn well into the next decade and is iconic of the Civil War era in America.

A variety of hair puffs over the ears at the side of the head.

An 1857 advertisement for hair goods of many varieties.

Hair is styled underneath the net, not just hanging loose; 1859.

As Queen Victoria aged, Empress Eugenie of France influenced much more of women's fashion trends. She made the Parisian chignon quite popular among women. Instead of braids, hair was pulled back in cascading curls. A horsehair frame was often used at the back of the head to give oomph while a net was used to help hold the shape, after the hair had been styled of course. Fashion magazines often mocked the ever increasing sizes of these chignons. Combs were frequently used to hold the hair in place and came in a variety of shapes. For those not using padding to add volume, false hair was often worn instead. A ready to wear chignon could be simply fastened to a woman's head with a comb, and these chignons increased in size as the decade went on. At the end of this decade, the trend of wearing soft fringe, or short frizzed curls, over the forehead started to be seen.

Although barely visible, netting sits at the top of the head.

Godey's Lady's Book, 1863.

Soft fringe is seen on foreheads of ladies by the late 1860s.

By the 1870s the center part had all but disappeared thanks to the increasing use of fringe not only at the forehead but stretching back towards the crown of the head as well. This fashion was a way of adding fullness to a hairstyle when pulling hair into a fashionable chignon at the back. Many women used false hair for their fringe after having burned their own hair completely off but wanted to keep the appearance of following the latest of trends. Long curls at the back of the head in half-up styles were increasingly popular, and false hair was all the rage until it fell out of favor at the end of the decade.

A late 19th century example of what is likely false fringe on the
forehead.

Younger women can be seen with half up hairstyles
in the 1870s.

Curls sticking out from what is likely a false braid in the back.

False hair ridiculously increased in size during the 1870s.

Believe it or not, the French twist dates back to the 1880s. Women were wearing their hair in loose curls down their backs as well as coiled high on their heads, but the newest fashion trends of this decade were the French twist and the return of the Grecian coil, which was popular in the earlier part of the 19th century. Recycled fashion trends, anybody? Even the famous pompadour, which was also a recycled fashion trend from earlier times, was worn at the end of this decade. While false hair could still be found, it was certainly out of fashion for many this decade, which made hairstyles often much simpler in appearance.

Hair arrangements from 1881, before false hair fell out of favor with many adult women.

The much simpler appearance of what looks like a French twist.

Soft fringe is paired with a simple coiffure at crown of the head.

A beauty advertisement from the late 19th century.

The 1890s kept up with the trend of varying twist and coils but with added ornamentation as seen in the 1870s. This was when the term bun came into common use, and it was a predominant style throughout the decade. It was also during this decade that the pompadour style became increasingly popular, and soon became the predominant style of the decade. The look became known as the Gibson Girl.

An 1890s bun is usually adorned with a hair ornament.

Combs are used to hold the twisted coiffures of the 1890s.

The Gibson Girl look is popular from the 1890s well into the early 1900s.

Hair in first few decades of the 1900s was a hodge-podge of recycled looks going back to the 1870s. The Gibson Girl look remained a prevalent style throughout the early 20th century. The size of these coiffures increased as the size of women's hats increased; women did not want their heads to look out of proportion with their hats. While women did have extremely long hair, they often used hair frames to help add volume and hold the shape, similar to the hair donuts one can buy today.

Large hats require large hair in the early 1900s.

The bigger the hat the bigger the hair is a popular mindset.

Hair switches and foundations are still available for purchase;1912.

Then came the decade that shocked the world, at least when concerning hair fashions. The 1920s are synonymous with the bob haircut. Men were appalled by it. Many women, however, embraced it, and various bob styles could be seen on the streets of America. There remained some women who were not quite ready to shed their luscious locks, and for these women long curls and chignons remained a trend. Manipulation of hair in the form of permanent waves and hair dye also became popular during this decade. Movie-screen stars set the fashion trends of this decade, and the modern, anything-goes era of hairstyles began.

One variation of the bobbed haircuts of the 1920s.

A bob with either finger waves or a permanent wave.

1921 advertisement for home hair dye.

Chopping off one's hair continues to be a common trend well into the 21st century, but it is done now more for altruistic purposes rather than monetary gain or social statements as seen in the past. There are various non-profit organizations that accept hair donations in order to make wigs, which are then donated to men, women, and children who have lost their hair due to illness. A donor has many things to consider before making the big cut. Of the two largest non-profits, Pantene Beautiful Lengths seems to be more credible with its funding and usage of donations than the more renown Locks of Love according to an article written in Forbes Magazine this past year. Wigs for Kids, the oldest hair donation non-profit, requires a minimum donation of 12 inches, and they, along with Beautiful Lengths, donate their wigs to the American Cancer Society, which in turn donates wigs to people who lose hair due to cancer treatments. Children with Hair Loss appears to be one of the few non-profit organizations that donates 100 percent of its wigs directly to individuals in need. There are many things to consider, but the choice is ultimately a personal decision.

My chopped off locks, barely over 11 inches but long enough to donate.

Half of me misses my long hair, but the other half of me knows it is just hair; it will grow back. My hair grows rather quickly, so I am sure it will be long again in no time. Plus, I have become a master of manipulating my hair around my handy hair donut, so at least I can fake long hair when desired. It is all for a good cause and worth the sacrifice.