by Denise Weimer
In my
last post, I confessed to a long-standing curiosity about the high court women’s
hairstyles of the 1770s and shared some of my findings about maintenance and
style. But we could not rightfully conclude any discussion of this quirky topic
without exploring the icing on the cake, so to speak … the bounty of
decorations with which courtiers of the period topped their tresses.
“The
number of ladies' hair-dressers increased so much, that there were no less than
1200 of them in Paris in 1769” (The
Eighteenth Century: Its Institutions, Customs, and Costumes, by Paul La
Croix, 1876, New York and London). French court hair-dressers like Rose Bertin
(marchandes des modes to Queen Marie
Antoinette, who became head of the Fashion-Makers Guild in 1776) and Léonard
set fashions other copied. “Léonard was the inventor of the wonderful modes of
wearing the hair which were in vogue for more than ten years” (La Croix).
Bertin
created the pouf a la circonstance, a
little bonnet or round fabric on which various decorations like flowers,
feathers, jewels, fruit or even landscapes or bird cages could be placed. Consider
the pouf a charm bracelet for the
head. Its decorations could reflect the attachments of the wearer, the season
or national events. Yes, la belle poule
really included the recreation of a ship as part of a headdress worn at the
court of Louis XVI. And a hot air balloon style celebrated scientific experiments
along the same lines.
Regular
citizens without need to imitate the eccentricity of courtiers still attempted
to heighten their hair. Sketches from the period show even bar maids with small
caps crowning heaps of tresses. Formal portraits most often depict height with
a string of pearls.
Before
we become too judgmental about 1770s hair, how many of us sported a 1960s
beehive or hair sprayed our locks to heaven in the ‘80s? We had to balance out
those shoulder pads just like the 1770s ladies did with their paniers, right?
Some
online sources consulted: Démodé: Historical Costume Projects
& Research Sources, Specializing in the 18th Century, “Women’s
Hairstyles & Cosmetics of the 18th Century: France &
England, 1750-1790. Two Nerdy History Girls Blog, “The Truth about the Big Hair
of the 1770s,” August 18, 2015. On Pins and Needles Blog, “Le Pouf: Fashion and
Social Satire in the 1770s-1780s,” by Landis Lee, February 1, 2012.
Oh my, I cannot imagine wearing something like that on top of my head. Interesting post Desise.
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Tina
Thank you, Tina! I can imagine walking around with books on one's head would be good training.
ReplyDeleteThink of all the ducking through doorways. Whew!
ReplyDeleteLooking at these photos makes my neck hurt. :-)
ReplyDeleteBet they did create some headaches!
ReplyDeleteOw all that hair I can't even imagine! I think My Chiropractor would love me that is for sure!
ReplyDeleteBe Blessed!
Justina