Elizabethan hairstyle

Elizabethan hair color

It was important for the Queen Elizabeth to maintain her image and the beauty of a "Virgin Queen". The Elizabethan view of ideal beauty was a woman with light hair and a snow white complexion complimented with red cheeks and red lips. Queen Elizabeth had a natural red color hair. This red hair look was emulated by many of the nobulity of Elizabethan era, as was the fair hair ideal of an ideal woman. An Upper Class Elizabethan woman followed this fashion further and might even dye their hair yellow with a mixture of saffron, cumin seed, celandine and oil. Wigs were also commonly used; Queen Elizabeth had a huge variety of wigs and hair pieces,

Elizabethan Hair Styles for Women

Elizabethan Hair Styles for woman were designed to compliment the upper class fashions of the day. Ruffs or ruffles were in high fashion and during the Elizabethan era these became more elaborate and were constructed on gauze wings which were raised at the back of the head. The ruffs, or collars, framed the face and dictated the hairstyles of the age which were generally short for men and swept up look was required for woman.A freezy hairstyle was also one of the required styles for women. Women kept their hair long.The long hair flowing hair of a young girl was a sign of a virgin and the favoured hairstyle foir a bride on her wedding day. An Elizabethan bride would adorn  her hair with fresh flowers. Ones a woman achieved the married status she wore her hair swept up.Long hair was generally dressed in a bun to which the variety of head coverings could be pinned. The front and sikdes of the hair received great attention as this was the area that was most displayed. 

Fringes were not in fashion-hairstyle fashion dictated that the hair was combed way from the forehead. This hairstyle was usually designed to compliment the style of the hat.Freezed hair was favoured by the Queen and therefore followed by ladies of the court although straight hair was favoured with a  center parting which especially complimented the french hood.

Head Coverings for Women

The Elizabethan fashion dictated that the head was adorned with a hat ,veil, coif, or caul.Thos fashion therefore ensured that much of the hair was hidden by some form of the head coverings. The style of the head covering dictated the hairstyle. Many of the hats were adorned with feathers, pearls, glass jewels, spangles,gold thread. embridery and lace.

• The Coif- worn by all children. The mterial was plain white linen, a close fitting cap tied under the chin. Coifs were often worn as caps to keep hair in place under more elaborate hats.

• The French Hood- introduced from the French court by Anne Boleyn, the mother of Queen Elizabeth I. A half moon, or crescent, style band or brim sloping away from the face. The edge were often adorned with pearls or glass jewels and a veil covered the back of the hair.

• The Atifet- dimilar to the french hood style but with a heart shaped crescent.Lce trimmningr were added.

• The Caul- were the Elizabethan hair net. A Caul covered the hair at the back of the head and was made of fabric, or fabric covered by netted cord which was sometimes adorned  with spangles.

•  The pillbox style of hat- often had a veil attached to the back.

I find it really interesting how creative and original were the people even so many years ago. One of the things that fascinates me is that the pillbox hats are still worn in the English culture, on special ocasions. It proves that the history of every people has left its mark that it carries with it up to the present and will surely last forever.

http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-hair-styles.htm