HISTORY OF HAIRSTYLES

MINI PROJECT REPORT

by

DEVESH LAKHOTIA
(Roll Number: SC10B141)

SALIL BAGAI
(Roll Number: SC10B010)

AKSHAY JAIN
(Roll Number: SC10B014)

PIYUSH JOSHI
(Roll Number: SC10B077)

SHIKHA MAHARANA
(Roll Number: SC10B124)

SHASHANK MISHRA
(Roll Number: SC10B042)

CHETAN WANKAR
(Roll Number: SC10B048)

Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology

Thiruvananthapuram
November 2013
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Contents
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................................... 3
PRE-HISTORIC AGE ................................................................................................................................................... 4
ANCIENT EVIDENCES ............................................................................................................................................... 5
MESOPOTAMIA (3100 to 539 BC) ...................................................................................................................... 6
PRE - HISTORIC EGYPT (4000-3000 BC) .......................................................................................................... 8
EGYPT DYNASTIC PERIOD (3000-30 BC)......................................................................................................... 9
ANCIENT HEBREWS (1400 BC).......................................................................................................................... 11
ANCIENT GREECE .................................................................................................................................................... 11
ANCIENT ROME ........................................................................................................................................................ 14
RENAISSANCE (1300 1500) ............................................................................................................................. 15
END RENAISSANCE AND ELIZABETHAN ERA (1500 1700) ............................................................... 24
HAIR STYLES IN 18TH CENTURY ........................................................................................................................ 28
HAIR STYLES IN 19TH CENTURY ........................................................................................................................ 34
HISTORY OF INDIAN HAIRSTYLES ................................................................................................................... 37
HAIRSTYLES AFTER 1900s .................................................................................................................................. 43
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ........................................................................................................................................... 52

INTRODUCTION
A hairstyle, hairdo or haircut refers to the styling of hair on the human scalp. Hairstyling is an art of
arranging the hair or otherwise modifying its natural state. The fashioning of hair can be considered
an aspect of personal grooming, fashion, and cosmetics, although practical, cultural, and popular
considerations also influence some hairstyles.

Throughout history, people have worn their hair in a wide variety of styles, largely determined by
the fashions of the culture they live in. Hairstyles are markers and signifiers of social class, age,
marital status, racial identification, political beliefs and attitudes about gender. In many cultures,
often for religious reasons, women's hair is covered while in public, and in some, such as Haredi
Judaism & Islam or European Orthodox communities, women's hair is shaved or cut very short, and
covered with wigs. The religious significance of hair is seen in the shaved heads of Christian and
Buddhist monks, indicating renunciation of the world, and in the single long lock on the shaved
heads of Muslim men, by which, they believed, Allah would pull them up to heaven.

A hairstyle expresses what we are and what we wish to be. The ancient civilization used to say that
our thoughts dwell into the hair. Hair has message and sensuality. It has a biological function but
we ornament it, giving it a social meaning. It is the protection of our skin and contains the memory
throughout centuries of out body and our social message.

This report tells about the brief history of hairstyles. From the most ancient times to the present
modern world how hairstyles have changed and the reason for their change. We have covered
various parts of the world and mostly focused on the famous and widely spread civilizations.

PRE-HISTORIC AGE

The appearance of a homo erectus, predecessor of the actual Homo sapiens, 500,000 years ago, was
pretty different than what a man is today. They had their body almost completely covered with
thicker,

denser

and

longer

hair

than

ours.

It

is

precisely

in

this

period,

after

the Australopithecines and Homo habilis, when the biological change about body hair reduction is
emphasized; although, it had been occurring slowly from a million years ago.

Charles Darwin used to say that hair loss was an evolutionary advantage. Less amount of hair
reduced the possibility of parasites and helped to be healthier and cleaner. It also favored the body's
breath when migrated to higher altitudes with less oxygen. This was always the most accepted
theory: that when exposed to high temperature of the African savannah, the best response of the
organism was a dark skin with melanin and hair reduction. Other theories, such as those of
professors Mark Pagel and Walter Bodmer, from Oxford University, explain the decline of body
hair in human evolution as a direct result of genetic adaptation to the fireplace and the consequent
use of clothing.
From another approach, the Australian anthropologist and biologist Ian Gilligan, presupposes that
the hair was lost by a delay in the biological genetic code, as a consequence of wearing clothes to
keep the body warm, which in turn made increasingly less useful an excessive volume of body
hair. The hair of the head of primitive man was cut with stone tools or sharp silica, and remains
of animal teeth used as combs were found in several archaeological researches. Primitive men
fastened bones, feathers, and other objects in their hair to impress the lowly and frighten the
enemy with their rank and prowess.
Since the first moment the man began to abstract himself and to think about the past, the hair also
had a magical significance: it was believed that the soul of the people dwelt in the hair. Religious
rites, offering hair to the gods were frequently practiced. From there, interesting legends and
mythological tales began to spread everywhere.

Fig1. Pre-historic man

ANCIENT EVIDENCES
Venus of Brassempouy (25,000 BC) was found in Brassempouy, Landes, French Aquitaine, and it
was made with ivory from mammoth bones. It's called "Lady with the Hood ", though what it has
on the head could also be a representation of hair. Anyway it has a short cut hair and intentionally
groomed.

Fig2. Venus of Brassempouy

Fig3. Venus of Willendorf

Venus of Willendorf (24,000 BC), and it was found in that location in South West Austria. It
doesn't show a visible face, although it seems that the head is looking down. Its head, either
representing a hood or hair, it's also intentionally groomed and ornate.

Amongst the most ancient objects that archaeologists have found in their excavations, are combs.
Made of bone, wood, horns and antlers, of ivory or fish bones, from the most remote antiquity they
testify the interest of the people for grooming their hair. Here is an exhibition of ancient combs:
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Fig4. Ancient Combs

MESOPOTAMIA (3100 to 539 BC)

Mesopotamian civilization existed in the present day Iraq. It can be said that Sumerians, which
populated what is called Mesopotamia, between rivers Tigris and Euphrates, and actually is the
territory of Iraq, was the cradle of mankind's civilization. It's the most ancient known civilization. It
lasted from the year 6.000 BC until 2000 BC. The Akkadians followed by the Babylonians
succeeded them.

They didn't call themselves "Sumerians"; it was the name given later by the Akkadians; they named
themselves "ag-giga", which means "the black-headed people", that's why it's assumed that it was
the color of their hair. Black hair was always the appearance of Sumerians, even that of their
successors. In the first period men used to shave heads and beards, and women used long hair
bonded in chignons. Noble Sumerian women used to colorize their hair with golden dyes, using
silver or golden combs.

Fig5. Sumerian in 2500BC

Fig6. Chignon Hairstyle

The Assyrians are regarded as the first true hair stylists. Their prowess at cutting, curling, dying and
layering hair was admired by other civilizations on the Middle East. Hair and beards were oiled,
tinted and perfumed. The long hair of women and the long beards of men were cut in symmetrical
geometrical shapes and curling by slaves with curl bars (fire-hearted iron bars).
In Assyria, hairstyles often defined status, occupation and income level. During important
proceeding high-raking Assyrian women sometimes donned fake beards to show they commanded
the same authority as men.

It's in the Babylonian period, henna was started to use. Henna is an aromatic substance obtained
from a plant, Lawsonia Inermis, which was prepared drying and smashing the leaves of the shrub,
and mixed with water, until a paste is formed. The dye obtained in that way varies from orange to
deep red-brown shades. Henna was believed to have magical properties (to ward-off evil spirits)
and a medicinal use (as an anti-fungal treatment on the skin).

Fig7. Babylonian Hairstyle

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PRE - HISTORIC EGYPT (4000-3000 BC)

Due to the huge number of mummified bodies found in the dry sands close to the Nile Valley, a lot
of details about the physical appearance and the social life of ancient Egyptians could be known,
especially for the analysis of the bodies' hair. For ancient Egyptians, appearance was an important
issue. Appearance indicated a persons status, role in a society or political significance. Egyptian
hairstyles and our hairstyles today have many things in common. Like modern hairstyles Egyptian
hairstyles varied with age, gender and social status.

Based on grave finds we know that the Egyptians cared for their hair with knives, hairpins and
combs since 4000 B.C. Around 3000 B.C., they wore artistic wigs for important events. At that
time, the Egyptians even began to dye their own hair or wigs. Blue, green, blonde and sandy colors,
as well as gold dust were most frequently used.

Children had unique hairstyles in ancient Egypt. Their hair was shaved off or cut short except for a
long lock of hair left on the side of the head, the so-called side-lock of youth. This s-shaped lock
was depicted by the hieroglyphic symbol of a child or youth.

Fig8. Side-lock of youth

Fig9. Cone for perfuming the hair

The cones on top of the Egyptian's heads in some of the photos above are for perfume. They made
cones of animal fat mixed with perfume, then set them on top of their heads. The cones would
slowly melt and release the perfume.

Real Egyptians cropped their curls and even shaved their heads for the sake of hygiene: specifically,
to remove the habitat of lice. And quite clearly, they also loved elaborate hairstyles, and went to
great lengths to adorn themselves with wigs, false braids and hair extensions.

Egyptians used their hair in different ways: they could have, men and women - clean shaven heads,
or to use the hair shoulder-length, or cut short up to the nape. Hairstyles for them did not determine
the gender. However, it could be a sign of the age or the social group. Children were generally
shaved-off until the puberty, and after that age, they could decide whether to use short or long hair.
Old people used wigs to hide their baldness or their white hair. Workmen wore their hair cut short,
usually with a bang. Between the most powerful social classes, it was frequent the use of wigs and
elaborated extensions, with the assistance of personal hairdressers and wig makers.

Fig10. Egyptian men

Fig11. Egyptian women

EGYPT DYNASTIC PERIOD (3000-30 BC)

In this period heads were worn clean-shaven or cut short: it helped the capillary hygiene, but to
avoid the exposition to the sun, they covered their heads with wigs. Wigs were made of human hair
or the wool of black sheep. With exception of the Early Kingdom period (2705 to 2213 BC), men
used to shave-off their whole face. Only in this period could be found images depicting thin
moustaches.

During the Late Dynastic period, from 305 BC to 30 BC, when the Ptolemy ruled in Egypt, an
important change in hairstyle could be observed. The Ptolemaic Dynasty ended with their last
queen, Cleopatra VII, when Egypt was annexed to the Roman Empire. At this time the hairstyles
show the Greek style: short and wavy hair, in a natural way, with less use of wigs and extensions.
Wigs also had wavy hairs. They also wore laurels and bands. In this period Greek and Egyptian
styles are mixed, in all their possibilities.

Cleopatra VII, the last Ptolemaic queen, who ruled from 51 BC until 30 BC, wore different
hairstyles, according with different situations. She was of Greek blood, Macedonian, not having any
Egyptian appearance. In her visits to Rome, she used the classic Greek style, which was the one
which really matched with her Hellenistic look, with a headwear called "melon hairstyle", as seen in
many Greek sculptures; the hair pulled back in waves, tied in the nape with a chignon. When she
was in the court of Alexandria, she used an Egyptian-Ptolemaic hairstyle, a blend of Greek and
Egyptian features, being a characteristic style of this period. And when she gave speeches to her
people, her look and hairstyle were typically pure Egyptian: the hair is segmented in three sections
and an image of a cobra is used as a crown.

Fig12. Sculptures from Ptolemaic period

Fig13: Cleopatra with different hairstyles

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ANCIENT HEBREWS (1400 BC)

They wore long hair, thick and curly. The Mosaic law commanded nothing respecting the mode of
wearing the hair. Priests had theirs cut every fortnight. They were forbidden to shave their heads in
honor of the gods, as the ancient nations used to do, but they used to cut off the hair as a signal of
mourning, or as a way to demonstrate affliction or humiliation for sin. Among the Hebrews,
baldness was considered not only a defect, but also a curse.

In the time of King David, the hair was a valuable ornament, and the longer it was the more it was
esteemed. They used to powder their hair with dust of gold, which made it shine and sparkle by the
reflection of the rays of the sun upon it. Hebrews used to anoint their hair with several kinds of oils.
They also used perfumed oils, which they used to spill on the heads of their visitors, as a welcome
signal.

Fig14. Hebrews with long, thick and curly hair

ANCIENT GREECE
It was the extraordinary Greek civilization, which with its natural and simple hairstyles moving in
harmonious waves marked the hairstyle of the Ancient world. All the neighbor countries and the
others conquered by them, will adopt, in one or another moment, its particular style, which later will
be inherited by the Roman Empire.

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The most ancient Greek civilization was the Minoic civilization of the Island of Crete, which
existed from the year 7.000 BC until the year 1600 BC. Through the testimonies of vases and mural
paintings we know that the people of these periods were of white skin, with black hair in the Minoic
civilization and blond hair in the Micenic civilization.
Micenic were called Achaeans by Homer in The Iliad. Men used natural hair, wavy and beards.
The Trojans, who inhabited what today is Anatolia en Turkey, had black hair, and their womens
hairstyles were carefully elaborated. Married women used long hair with long braids, as a sign of
their marital status. In this mural painting, "The Blue Ladies", from 1.600 BC are notorious these
hairstyles. Hairstyle with long hair and braids is also found in all the representations of goddesses,
like Athena, Artemisia, Aphrodite o Cassandra.

Fig15. Knossos fresco showing three queens

Fig16. Fresco showing Mycenaean Women

The cut and style was also a sign of social status: slaves used shorn heads, and people of higher
classes elaborated hair dressings, perfumed with olive oil and scented with fragrances; though, in
general, the Greeks hairstyles were pretty natural.

Near the 5th century BC, in the Classic Greece period, women already used quite different
hairstyles than those of their ancestors of the Minoic civilization. Their hair was long, shoulderlength or over the back, and usually held by a diadem or a band. In this period, women stop to use
braids as a symbol of marital status. The bands, which adorned their heads, were called estefanias
and some of them were made of gold.

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Fig17. A Tiara

Fig18. A diadem

Fig19. Bartlett hairstyle

The next splendorous period in Ancient Greece was the Hellenistic Age, which begins at the death
of Alexander the Great, in 323 BC. Since that moment may be observed in well conserved images
hair artificially waved or curled. In this epoch were used a lot of types of hairstyles, including
chignons, braids, bangs, hair tied with tiaras or diadems, and other styles, like the melon
hairstyle", which consisted in to pull the hair backward with a chignon at the back of the head

Bartlett (Fig. 18), dating from the year 330 BC, which shows the hair, tied with two knots in the top
of the head. This sculpture was named The Bartlett Head", and reveals a hairstyle in fashion at the
beginning of the Hellenistic period.
Mens style was also of wavy hair and beards, which were meticulously cut, curled and combed. To
that task were barbers dedicated to. The art of cut and grooming beards became an important
profession in the Ancient Greece. It was there where the first barbershops were born. Ancient
Roman and Greek women of status wore their long hair in ornate braids close to their heads, and
use powdered gold to add highlights to their hair. The richer they were, the more complicated their
hair styles were because they had slaves who braided and curled ittheir hair was a status symbol

13

Fig20. Some known people of Greece and their hairstyles

ANCIENT ROME
Since the most ancient times, Romans gave special importance to their physical appearance and
their hair, and, as they became a highly organized society, with a very specific social structure, their
dresses and hairstyles marked social status, age, and political and religious beliefs.

At the Early Kingdom and at the times of the Republic was common in men the use of beards and
long hair. At the end of the Republic, approximately in the 3rd century BC, the conquest of Greece
brought to Rome a deep influence of all the Greek culture, and even the costume of being cleanshaven with the assistance of barbers.

According with Plinius the Elder, the first Roman who showed up clean-shaven was the general and
consul Scipio Africanus. Thats the way his image is depicted in a coin of the 3rd century. Since
that day, it will be the hairstyle of all the Roman men, until the fall of the Empire, when the beards
and long hair started to be worn again.

Baldness was bad seen between Romans, it was considered a sign of physical diminution. Caligula
was bald, and he wore wigs, crowns of laurels and diadems to hide his condition. Julius Caesar, at
contrary, didnt hide his baldness.

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Nevertheless, two centuries later, a trend to a philosophic look of the Emperors put in fashion again
the use of beards. Marcus Aurelius, at his turn, brought up the fashion of long hair, curly and
beards. At the end of the Empire, shaven faces and short hair were the style back again, like it used
to be in the best times of Cesar and Augustus.

Women hairstyles were changing throughout the years; the "tutulus" hairstyle, inherited from the
Etruscans, was the most usual, used by the materfamiliae (mothers of family), and it was used
almost all the time in the Ancient Rome. The "nodus" hairstyle was the hair parted in three, with the
hair from the sides of the head tied in a bun at the back while the middle section is tied in a knot at
the top of the head. The "sine crine" hairstyle was made with six locks independently braided and
was only worn by brides or Vestal virgins.

Fig21. Sine Crine hairstyle

Fig22. Nodus hairstyle

Fig23. Tutulus Hairstyle

RENAISSANCE (1300 1500)

The Renaissance lasted from about 1400 into the early 1600s.Styles in dress and hair grew in
decorative complexity at this time. Italian Renaissance women displayed their hair with braids and
ribbons. Women elsewhere in Europe hid their hair under elaborate coverings. Headdresses became
smaller after 1500 and ladies displayed more hair along with different hairstyles.

15

During the Renaissance, women again began to show their hair. Renaissance hairstyles essentially
revived Roman and Greek hairstyles, and added more imagination. Women decorated their hair
with precious stones, pearls, ribbons and even shimmering veils. They also braided their hair,
sometimes to form crowns around the tops of the heads. Again, hair was often dyed light colors
such as blonde and gold. Some women used elements like alum, sulfur, soda, and rhubarb mixed
together into a substance to dye their hair. In France, ladies pulverized flowers into a powder and
then used a gluey mixture to apply the powder into their hair. Toward the end of the Renaissance,
the general trend in fashion toward elaborate and whimsical styles extended to hairstyles. Women
began wearing headdresses, at first a simple hood which then became peaked. Men wore broad hats
that were sometimes trimmed with gemstones.

Fig24: Emphasis on Hair styling during Renaissance.

Women's hair has long been associated with sinfulness and temptation, and with medieval life
centering heavily around the church, it was the general opinion that the less it was displayed, the
better. Any decent, God-fearing woman in England, France and some of Europe for the most part,
went to great pains to conceal her hair in public. Even the upper classes and royalty restrained their
hair. At right above is a detail from the Luttrell Psalter from 14th century England which shows
women dressing their hair.

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Flowing tresses can be seen in some illuminations with some styles of costume, although it is more
usual for only unmarried, young women to have hair loose. Italian women abandoned the veil
considerably earlier than her other counterparts and during the 14th and 15th centuries chose to
adorn the hair with elaborate plaits, beads and wound ribbons. Generally, during the bulk of the
medieval period, a married woman would have covered her head with veils, wimples, cloths,
barbettes, hairnets, veils, hats, hoods or a combination of them to avoid her hair showing. The
notable exception on this hair-covering trend is Italy, where women usually tied their braids
crisscrossed over the top of the head.

Fig25: A way of hairdressing

Elaborate hair dressing also gave a woman the opportunity to show off her taste in hair accessories.
The images shown above are dated to 1365-1380 and show Jeanne Burbonne who has a ribbonencased hairstyle. It is interesting to note in this case the entire fold of hair is not encased, only the
front section is tied before the remainder of the hair is brought up behind and then upwards again.
Broadly speaking, only a woman of very poor breeding or a prostitute did nothing with her hair and
even peasant women made an effort to appear modest and decent. Only in some circumstances, like
the marriage of a royal couple, can the bride be seen depicted with her hair out.

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There were different kinds of hair styles that came into existence during the renaissance.

Braids
Plaited and braided hairstyles were extremely popular during the medieval period for women of all
ages and all classes. Shown at right is a detail from a painting The Nativity dated around the 1400s.
It shows a young girl with a popular medieval hair style for workers- two plaits brought from the
nape of the neck and crossed over the top of her head and tied together.

Not only was this style easy to dress at home oneself without assistance, it looked pleasing to the
eye, was considered modest and kept the hair tied up and clean when performing manual chores.
Often these plaits were inter-wound with ribbon for decoration and also for securing purposes. Very
often, these ribbon-encased plaits are mistaken for a padded roll of some kind with ribbon woven
around it, which was not the case. Later in the later 15th century, some padded rolls attached to
heart shaped hennin did have decorative features, but they are entirely different.

By the early decades of the 14th century, fashionable women in England discarded the barbette and
fillet combination in favor of plaits worn in front of the ear on each side of the face. The hairstyle
originated in France before the end of the 13th century. The bust at left is dated between 1327 and
1341 is of Marie de France and shows this hairstyle although worn with a fillet. This style was
adopted by both the lower classes and the upper classes and can be seen in many illuminations of
the period.

Fig26: The Nativity (young girl with a braid).

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Fig27: Braid with a fillet.

Cornettes
In 1350, Bishop Gilles li Muisis was greatly displeased by the vanilty of women who adopted these
hairstyles, which he called cornes and headdresses of a similar style known as hauchettes, and
repeatedly sermonised against them.

The Van Eyck painting known as the Aldolphini Wedding dated at 1434 shows the young woman
with her fashionable cow-like cornettes under a veil with rows of pleats at the edges.

Fig28: The Aldolphini Wedding (hair with a cornette)

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Ramshorns
Around the end of the 13th century, a very popular form of hairstyle was the ramshorn, which was
created by parting the hair down the centre and coiling the hair over the ears around into a scroll
like that of a ram's horn.

This style became popular again in Europe in the later 15th century with the addition of silks,
ribbons and veils interwoven into the side horns. Jewelled brooches were often included as part of
the dressing at the top of the head. Shown at left, a detail from the Portrait of Battista Sforza from
1465-1466 by Francesca showing the later ramshorn as it was worn by fashionable noble ladies.
This style of hairstyle was not suited ot the working classes, who would have found it most
impractical.

Fig29: Ramshorn hairstyle

European hairstyles
Shown at right is a detail from a painting from 1465, Pollaiulo'sPortrait of a
Young Woman, showing a transparent veil containing some of the hair,
wrapped over the ears and secured with both cords and beads with a
decorative jewelled brooch at the top. Marian Campbell, in her
publication Medieval Jewellery in Europe 1100-1500, discusses the number
of 15th century paintings in Europe showing young girls without veils and
with elaborately-dressed hair20

In Italy, by contrast, numbers of 15th century portraits survive showing women with their heads
barely covered and their hair artfully plaited and dressed, and adorned with strings of pearls, coral,
beads and jewels. However many of these portraits, of sitters now unknown, may have been painted
specifically to show a bride in her special finery and uncovered hair.
While hair tended to be covered with veils and elaborate head-dresses throughout France and
England, veils seem to be discarded in Italy in favour of hair dressed with pearls, ribbons, beading
and brooches. As with the later ramshorn style, these hairstyles would have been worn by the upper
classes only as the time and effort required to dress and finish off these hairstyles would not have
suited the lifestyles of the working classes.

Hairnets

Hairnets were known and extensively used in medieval times as the way of restraining a woman's
hair. A hairnet could be used in conjunction with many of the beautiful and strange medieval
headpieces. Hairnets were almost always worn under a veil of some kind during the medieval
period. During the renaissance, the hairnet known as the snood was worn alone. The snood tended
to be less fine and often set with jewels.
Shown at right is a hairnet found at a London dig, dated in the 1300s, which looks like the type that
is available today. Four examples of hairnets have been discovered in London excavations- one
made of silk from the late 13th century and three knotted silk ones from the 14th century. These are
all the finer kind, hand knotted and with fingerloop braid around the edges which were popularly
worn before the heavier mesh cauls became sturdier and jewels were attached.

Fig30: Hairnets
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Italian Hair Tapping

Italian hair taping was a popular and beautiful way to twist your hair into an updo. Start by splitting
your hair down the middle. Take a clump of hair from the left temple and pull it back, twisting
along the way. Slowly twist your hair together, taking on more strands, until it reaches the ends.
Repeat the process with the other side of your head.
Cross the two twisted lengths and wrap them around your head. Secure the ends of the twists with a
pin or barrette. Decorate the style with a looped ribbon tied in a bow around the twists at the base of
the neck.

Fig31: Italian hair tapping

Head dresses
The church ruled that married women were not allowed to show their hair in public. Therefore, in
this period, women wore hats and bonnets that covered their heads partly with veils.Renaissance
hairstyles were usually as much about the hair covering as they were about the hair. During the
renaissance, or 14th to 16th centuries, women's hairstyles were usually covered. During the later
part of the Renaissance, though, women did begin to show a little more hair. It's important to
remember that almost all women had long hair during the Renaissance.

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Fig32: Head dresses during 1300s

Fig33: Head dresses during 1400s

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END RENAISSANCE AND ELIZABETHAN ERA (1500 1700)

The era of 1500-1700 can be better described in many ways. The era marks the beginning of the
European colonial period when several European powers established colonies in Asia, Africa,
and the Americas. The year 1492 marks a watershed in modern world history. Columbus's voyage
of discovery inaugurated a series of developments that would have vast consequences for both the
Old World and the New. It transformed the diets of both the eastern and western hemispheres,
helped initiate the Atlantic slave trade, spread diseases that had a devastating impact on Indian
populations, and led to the establishment of European colonies across the Western Hemisphere.
The period can also be described as the period of great learned men, as William Shakespeare,
Michelangelo, Titian, Galileo, Van Dyke, Descartes, Rembrandt and Isaac Newton, whose works
had an astounding effect on all eras to come?
The period is also mentioned in one of the most gruesome epidemic in the world history: great
plague of London 1665-1666.
The same period is often depicted as the golden age in English history. The Elizabethan era was the
epoch in English history of Queen Elizabeth I's reign (15581603). This "golden age represented
the apogee of the English Renaissance and saw the flowering of poetry, music and literature. The
era is most famous for theatre, as William Shakespeare and many others composed plays that broke
free of England's past style of theatre. It was an age of exploration and expansion abroad, while
back at home, the Protestant Reformation became more acceptable to the people. The Elizabethan
period had the greatest and longest lasting effect on the hairstyles through the world.

Elizabethan hair style

At the end of the 16th Century in England, the hairstyles of the middle and upper classes had
become quite elaborate. Led by their fashion-conscious queen, the ladies of England padded,
curled, dyed, and ornamented their hair. Queen Elizabeth led Elizabethan Hair Styles for the
court. Upper class fashion, which included hairstyles, was highly elaborate - and necessary to
achieve attention and success at court. It was referred to as the Peacock age as the Upper class
Elizabethan men were often more elaborately dressed than the women and their hair and beards
received a similar amount of attention.
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Hairstyles becoming more elaborate, and with hairstyles beginning to include ornamentation such
as flowers, ostrich plumes, ropes of pearls, jewels, ribbons and small crafted objects such as replicas
of ships and windmills. Bound hair was felt to be symbolic of propriety: loosening one's hair was
considered immodest and sexual, and sometimes was felt to have supernatural connotations.
The Elizabethan society considered a long forehead to be beautiful. Ladies plucked all the hair from
the front of their heads to make the hairline recede. They scraped their hair back from the face to
expose the forehead. Ladies braided and then coiled it -- encircling the head, coiling over the ears or
forming 'horns' either side of the head. They covered these coils with increasingly elaborate head
coverings that developed from simpler medieval forms.
The Elizabethan fashion dictated that the head was adorned with a hat, veil, coif or caul. This
fashion therefore ensured that much of the hair was hidden by some form of 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, embroidery and lace.

Fig34: Elizabeth 1 demonstrating the high plucked forehead and hair coiled backwards
25

Fig35: The picture above depicts the basic Elizabethan (head covering is emphasized).

26

Elizabethan Hair Color

It was important for 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 achieved this picture of ideal beauty
by using white make-up. This explains the odd white face make-up seen in many of her portraits.
Queen Elizabeth had a natural red color hair. This red hair look was emulated by many of the
nobility of the 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 her hair yellow with a mixture
of saffron, cumin seed, celandine and oil! Wigs were also commonly used - Queen Elizabeth had a
wide variety of wigs and hair pieces - believed to number over eighty! These were often referred to
as Periwig.

Red colored hair became popular among women and aristocratic men. They used borax, saltpeter,
saffron and sulfur to dye their hair red, making themselves nauseated and giving themselves
headaches and nosebleeds. Red wigs became more popular as they were easy to manage.

Fig36: Elizabeth 1: Red hairs

Fig37: King Louis XIV: Long curly hairs

27

Elizabethan Hair Styles for men were just as important as they were for women. The length of hair
varied during the Elizabethan era. It started as short closely cropped hairstyles and increased in
length during the period. Considerable time was spent grooming the hair, especially when it was
fashionable to sport a longer length. Long hair was required to be curly! Men had their hair curled
with hot irons. To keep the hair in place wax or gum was applied to the hair!

HAIR STYLES IN 18TH CENTURY

The eighteenth century was an age of elegance. Never in European history do we see men and
women so elaborately artificial, so far removed from natural appearance. What could not be done
with the natural hair was made with wigs. This epoch was an extravagant explosion of amazing
hairstyles, a reaction completely opposed to the modesty and shyness of former centuries. The hair
was in synchrony with the "Rococo" style, which was the most important one until the end of the
century. It was an artistic style in which curves "s" shaped predominated, with asymmetries,
emphasizing the contrast; a dynamic and brilliant style, where the forms played integrating a
harmonious and elegant movement. A style according with an age of new philosophic ideas, like the
Enlightenment, and according with the affluence of a powerful economic wealth arrived to Europe
from the travels to the new continent, America.

Fig38: Men hairstyle in 18th Century

28

New social orders started to born; besides of the clergy and the nobility, a strong bourgeoisie of
nouveau riche people appeared, who make fortune and was positioned into the best of the social and
political spheres, imitating in all their costumes to the nobles. A style according with a time when
the science was more independent of the religion, reaching spectacular achievements and
developing, in consequence, a technology which would open the doors to the Industrial Revolution.
People at that time believed that they were living in the best of all possible worlds. At the end of the
century, artistic and cultural styles changed; it appeared the "neo-classic" style, much more sober
and conservative, with a return to the classic Greek and Roman esthetic. The wear of wigs in men
started to be very popular at the end of the 17th century, while the reign in France of Louis XIV, the
Sun King. All his court began to use wigs, and as France was the pattern of the fashion for all
Europe at that age, the use of wigs was spread to the rest of the courts of the continent. In 1680 Luis
XIV had 40 wigmakers designing his wigs at the court of Versailles. From 1770, wigs were also
extended to women. And, as the years were going on, women wigs were being made taller and more
sophisticated, especially in France. Men's wigs were generally white, and women's wigs of pastel
colors, like pink, light violet or blue. Depending on how wigs were ornamented, they could reveal a
person's profession or social status. Wealthier people could cost expensive wig designers and better
materials. They were made in general with human hair, but also with hair from horses or goats. The
countess of Matignon, in France, paid to the famous hairdresser Baulard 24,000 livres a year to
make her new headdresses every day of the week.

Fig39: Showing men getting their wigs powdered by barbers

Near 1715, wigs started to be powdered. Families had special rooms for "toilette", where they
arranged and powdered their artificial hair. Wigs were powdered with starch or Cyprus powder. To
powder wigs, people used special dressing gowns, and covered their faces with a cone of thick
paper.
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Barbers became wigmakers

Barbers, besides of cutting and arranging the hair and the beards, used since many years ago to
practice surgical operations and dental extractions. In 1745 a law in England banned them of these
practices and only allowed them to deal with hair services. It provoked the ruin of many
barbershops and the lack of jobs for many barbers in Europe, because similar laws were
promulgated in France and other countries. But the success of wigs required a demand of new
professionals; wig makers and designers also cleaned and repaired wigs, refreshing the curls with
powder and fragrances

.
Fig40: Barbers become wigmakers
Since the end of the former century guilds of wig makers were organized, and they required to pay
a fee and to give an exam of aptitude to work in the profession. In this century the wig-making
industry grew and became important, generating new jobs and sources of income to many people.
On the other hand, it affected the millinery industry; men stopped wearing hats in order to exhibit
their wigs, and new kind of hats was required for large and heavy wigs. However, the mass of the
people -an 80% of the population- did not wear wigs (which cost a great deal of money); they wore
their own hair, un-powdered. But only the small minority living on the superb scale mobilized and
fed an important wig industry.

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Robbery of periwigs in the street

William Andrews, an English writer from the 19th century, tells us that stealing wigs in the street in
the 18th century was not uncommon. And, in the glory days of wigs, a full-wig was very expensive.
Too much care had to be exercised that wigs were not lost. Although precautions were taken to
prevent wigs being stolen, we are told that robberies were frequently committed. It was famous this
mode of operation: a tall man carried a boy covered over in a butchers tray, and the boy grabbed
the wig in a second. When the astonished owner started to look all around, an accomplice stopped
him, pretending to give him assistance, while the thief run away.

Fig41: Explaining the technique used by wig thieves

Changes in the hair styles

At the beginning of the century, men's hairstyles were more elaborated than women's. Still was in
fashion the "Louis XIV style", with great curls and the hair shoulder-length. At the end of the
century, the trend is reversed: women used towering masses of hair, rising 1 or more feet above the
head. These wigs had some inconveniences: door frames should be elevated for they could pass
through, and sometimes the pressure of heavy wigs on their heads caused serious inflammations on
their temples. At the middle of the century, the new king of France, Louis XV, imposed a smaller
wig's style for men and the strictly white or grayish powdered hair. Men also wore since the middle
of the century a single ponytail on the nape, tied with a bow, a very popular style in every European
court at that time. Women continued with their extravagant styles until the French Revolution, when
all the luxury and exuberance were eliminated by the new republican ideas. Since then, hairstyles
were more classic and simples.
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Fig42: Hairstyle of King 'Louis XV'

About the women's hairstyle, at the beginning of the century still was in fashion a particular style
since the former century, the "Fontange" hairstyle. It was nicknamed that way because it was
created by the Duchess of Fontange, who, during a hunting journey with the king Louis XIV of
France, tangled up her hair in a tree branch, and to arrange the hair messed up by the accident, she
piled it up on the top head. The king was fascinated with the look obtained from that accidental
hairstyle, and he begged her that it will be kept forever. This style was in fashion more or less until
1720.
Under the reign of Louis XV costumes changed and women's hairstyles became simpler. It was in
fashion a hairstyle called "tte de mouton" (sheep head), with short curls and some locks on the
nape. Women didn't wear wigs until 1770. Since then, hairstyles became more elaborated.

New hairstyles after French Revolution

Near the end of the century the grandiose and exuberant style of the European nobility was
criticized by the Enlightenment's philosophers. Not only hairstyles and dresses, but the same artistic
style, the "rococo", was strongly criticized. In the very moment that the bourgeoisie -the class
without "noblesse"- became powerful and influential, the whole system, the political, economical,
social and cultural system was questioned by the most important thinkers. At the beginning,
bourgeoises tried to imitate the nobles costumes, they wanted to look like them. But when they
became strong and self-sufficient, questioning the entire Old Regime system, they rejected all their
social structure, and of course, their costumes. Luxury and ostentation, at the arrival of the French
Revolution, are bad seen by everybody. The new society adopted a more sober style and turned to
the simplicity; from the "rococo" style they went to the "neo-classic", an artistic style which
32

recovers the ancient classic Greek esthetic. And this will be the style in tune with the Romanticism,
which started at the end of the century and will remain along almost all the nineteenth century.
Philosophic changes, changes of the way of thinking, changed also the hairstyles. Little by little,
people stopped to wear wigs, and the hair started to be natural, with no powder. The Revolution and
the transformation of the whole system happened suddenly -although it was, in many ways,
expected- by a legislative coup of the deputies of the bourgeoisie with the back up of part of the
clergy and the nobility, but it was not that fast.

Fig43: Showing different kinds of hair style after French revolution

All the images we can see today of Robespierre and Danton, chief leaders of the Revolution, show
them with powdered wigs, until their death in the guillotine. Jean Paul Marat, however, the other
revolutionary leader, already wore the new esthetic. And one of the principal men of the
Revolution, the painter Jacques Louis David, was already absolutely inserted in the neo-classic
style, in his works and in his personal appearance. As the neo-classicism became more popular,
hairstyles changed. At the arrival of Napoleon Bonaparte, very few people wore wigs; the Empire
style shows all the politicians with their natural hair, combed in an informal way, symbol of a new
age of independent thought. Military delayed more time in abandoning the old hairstyles, but in the
Napoleon army all of them looked a natural hair. Women, at the end of the Revolution, stopped to
use high and complicated hairstyles and wore their hair natural, with no powder, held with tortoise
shell combs, pins, or ribbons, instead of elaborate ornaments.

33

HAIR STYLES IN 19TH CENTURY

In nineteenth century, hair were demonstrated to be the outward expression of our thoughts. In the
first half of the century, the literary movement, which later would become a way of thinking, was
the Romanticism. This word is more related with a philosophical tendency than with a love feeling.
It was the complete opposition to the ideas of the Age of Enlightenment; the other extreme of the
logical rationalism of the 18th century. Romantic literature is fantastic, ideal, far from the everyday
reality. The eighteenth century's rationalism believed in a world driven by mechanical laws into a
universe what they thought was a smooth running machine; in an artificial life concentrated in
cities; they felt that they were living in the best of all possible worlds. Romanticism discovers
mystery everywhere; is irrational, conflicted and dubitative; it prefers the solitude, the melancholy
of nostalgic feelings; it prefers the Nature and the release of social structures. The supreme
authority will not more be the Reason, but, instead, the individual imagination. And the hair, in the
first half of the century, was that way: disordered, dry, natural, with no artificial products, with no
ostentation; an expression of the sense of individual freedom and a suggestion of "not-belonging" to
anything previously uniformed. From the classical models of the Greek aesthetic, at the end of the
18th century, they jumped to an encounter with the medieval aesthetic. Romanticism accepts with
more pleasure the mysteries of the obscurantism than the rationalist explanations of the
Enlightenment. In the first years of the 19th century men wore this kind of "open-mind" hairstyle,
and beards and moustaches were rarely seen.

Fig44: Showing different hairstyles in 19th century

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Bryan Brummell
George Bryan Brummell was a real "dandy" of the 19th century. He was born in London in
1778 and died at his 61 years of age in Caen, France. He was the dictator of men's fashion in
the British Regency court and for all the English society. He established the use of men's
tailored suits with W collar and ties, worn by everybody today. His complete style, his hair, his
clothes, manners and behavior were copied by every Englishmen at that time. It was also
copied his habit of bathing, cleaning his teeth and shaving every day. He used to bath his body
in milk, like the Egyptian queen Cleopatra. He broke with all the eccentricity inherited from
the former century and favorite a style of plain, sober and elegant colors. He used to say that he
had the art of being "conspicuously inconspicuous".

Fig45: A Photograph of Beau Brummell

He delayed five hours dressing before leaving outside. He was a personal friend of the Prince
of Wales, who later was the king George IV. Brummell made of his "dandyism" the profession
of his life. Unfortunately he threw away a fortune, spending and gambling. Ruined, and leaving
England with his creditors behind, he immigrated to France in 1837, where he was living until
his death in 1840, impoverished and helped by a modest annual salary provided by his friends
from England.

Women hairstyle was, at the times of the Napoleonic Empire, which coincided with the
Georgian and the Regency in Great Britain, -the first decade of the century-, a neo-classic style
inspired in the Ancient Greece hairstyles. This style was characterized by using curls on the
forehead and above the ears, and the hair held with a knot or a chignon at the back of the neck;
35

hairstyles were usually adorned with ribbons, head bands or diadems. Near 1820 they started to
wear the hair parted in the center and pulled back smoothly toward the back. At this time every
woman wore a hat or a bonnet in public places. Those hairstyles were also called "Jane
Austen's hairstyles", because of the diffusion that her stories have had, like the famous "Pride
and Prejudice" from 1813.

THE VICTORIAN AGE

The Queen Victoria of England ruled from 1837 to 1901. This period was called "Victorian
Age" because of the particular characteristics it have had. It was an age of energy, with a huge
industrial and economic expansion, in which Britain held the position of world leadership, with
the biggest colonial Empire. The Victorian moral was of straight and solid principles.
Hairstyles were successively changing during different moments of this period.
Men since 1840 until approximately 1865, wore their hair more or less long, and became in
fashion big moustaches, sideburns, and beards. Also was " la mode" the puritan hairstyle of
the 19th century, with no moustaches, with sideburns attached to a short beard, like Abraham
Lincoln.
After 1860, and until the end of the century, hair was used shorter, but beards and moustaches were
constantly used. Gentlemen used different kinds of waxes and oils to keep their hair in shape,
including wood frames used at the night time to preserve the form of their moustaches. At the end
of the century many decided to use a clean shaven face and short hair. Amongst all the products
used to conditioning or fix the hair, the most popular was the Macassar oil. Made with a mix of
coconut oil, palm oil and oil from flowers called "ylang-ylang", advertisements promised "to
strength and stimulate hair growth". Because of the popularity of this unguent, housewives began to
cover the arms and backs of their chairs with an "anti-macassar" protection, which was a cloth
designed to prevent soiling in the fabric.

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HISTORY OF INDIAN HAIRSTYLES

Ethnic groups in India
According with Indian hair types, it's possible to classify several ethnic groups in India. This
classification is not conclusive, but basic, because they were mixing with each other along the
History. The first people who arrived to India were Negroids, from Africa, of black skin and curly
hair, of melanoderma or African type. Later arrived the Australoids, of brown skin and more
elongated heads, with a similar hair type. Mongoloids settled in the North East, near Nepal, and had
yellow skin, slanting eyes and xantoderm type of hair (of black color, straight and stiff). The
Dravidians, came from Asia Minor, and populated South India; they were of low stature and
bronzed skin; the last group to arrive, in 1500 BC, were the Aryans, of Caucasoid type, who in
successive ethnic blends formed the Indo-Aryans.

Indus Valley Civilization

In 1922, when Sir John Marshall, a British archaeologist who worked in India, unearthed in
Pakistan the city of Mohenjo-Daro, were known the remains of the Indus Valley civilization, a
culture more than 25 centuries older than the Christian era. Between the archaeological finds,
statues and pottery made of clay and terra-cotta, they found figures splendidly ornamented with
gold, silver, ivory and gem stones, and with a huge variation of hairstyles. In general, hair care was
a common practice and hair dressing, in both men and women, was elaborated with elegance and
dedication. This civilization was founded by the Dravidians, people coming from Asia Minor, and
who arrived to the sub-continent before the Indo-Aryans.

Fig46: remains of the Indus Valley civilisation

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Vedic Period
With the arrival of the Aryans, in the 15th century BC, the Indus Valley civilization comes to the
end and starts the Vedic Period, when the first sacred texts written in Sanskrit appear. It's into this
period when the caste-system is installed. Costumes change, and also the ways of grooming the
hair, even by difference between castes. The Vedas prescribed that every Indian should use the hair
cut in form of sikha, which is equivalent to shave the whole head, leaving a lock of hair at the back
or at the side. The sacred texts say that "Sikha allows God to pull people to Heaven ". Over time,
this kind of haircut will be worn only by the Brahmins, the priests' caste. The rest of the people will
use long hair, and upper caste women will use ornaments with jewels and gem stones in the
forehead. The Buddhism flourishes in the Late Vedic Period; circa 537 BC, Gautama Buddha gives
its revelation. This is the golden age of the Indian thought. The Vedic Period, from where many
costumes and sacred precepts were inherited, ends approximately in the 6th century BC, with the
invasion in wide sections of India of Darius the Great of Persia and the conquest of Alexander the
Great and the Macedonian-Greeks in 326 BC.

Fig47: Sikha

Period of Greco-Bhuddist Culture

All the aesthetic style of India undergoes a transformation with the arrival of the Greeks in their
territory and the formation of Hellenistic kingdoms. Alexander the Great conquered the Punjab, and
in the year 205 BC Demetrious the Invincible founded the Indo-Greek kingdom in parts of
Afghanistan, Pakistan and Northern India. The period of Greco-Buddhist culture ranged from the V
38

century BC to the 7th century of the Christian Era. This culture shined especially in the Gandhara
area, in which today is Pakistan, and spread throughout India. Transformations in costumes,
dressing, hairstyles, painting and sculpture, were very important at that time. Classical Greek style
prevailed in all aesthetic manifestations. In this period, approximately in the 1st century of the
Christian Age, were produced the first anthropomorphic representations of Buddha. Before this
period, Buddha was shown only through sacred symbols: the empty throne, the wheel, or the
footprints. Figures of Buddha, in sculptures and reliefs, show a classical Greek figure, which is
prevalent today, with wavy hair and a bun in the head crown, at the style of Apollo of the
Belvedere. All this stylistic form, profoundly influenced by the Greek culture, will decrease in
successive centuries: shapes will be less realistic and more symbolic, but the printing and the stamp
of the style will remain by centuries until today. In the right image we can see one of the figures of
Buddha, from Gandhara, of the 1st century. In the left image, a statue from Gandhara of the same
age clearly shows the Indo-Greek syncretism.

Fig48: sculptures of Buddha

Within this period, there were different kingdoms with their own characteristics, like the GUPTA
EMPIRE, in which the aesthetic was less Greek-classic, showing more personal and symbolic
forms. This period was called The Indian Golden Age; arts and sciences flourished, they introduced
the Decimal Numeral System and the number zero. This period extended from the year 320 until
550.

39

Even in the top of Indo-Greek culture, hairstyles were worn with simple braids or curly hair. In this
period both men and women heads became opulently ornamented. Men in general used long hair
shoulders-length, also wearing hair bands.

Fig49: mithuna

The most remarkable aspect in women hairstyles in this period was that, as much the women of
high class as those of low social condition were using the same haircuts and hair dresses. In general
the hair was cut short, and if they used long hair, it was tied in a bun at the side of the head or on the
nape. They also used hair bands, embroided or ornamented according with the social condition.

Fig50: Women in the Greco- Buddha Period

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Chudakaran
It's the ceremony in which the babies' hair is almost totally removed, leaving a tuft in the crown of
the head, when they are three years old. It's a sacred precept of Hinduism, a Samskram, one of the
16 sacred rites of Vedas. Its signification is that the baby's hair is dragging undesirable traits from
former lives and must be removed for it may grow clean and purified. It's also considered the
freedom of the total dependence of his mother, and the beginning of a new age in which the baby
starts to feed by himself. Father, mother and son take a sit around the fireplace and while the baby's
head is shaved, the father prays mantras, offering the shorn hair to the Gods. This rite has more than
4,000 years of practice and is absolutely respected in India still today.

Fig51: Chudakaran ceremony

Sultanate of Delhi
Since the 7th century, several sultans proceeding from Damascus, Turkey, Persia and Afghanistan
started to invade wide territories in India. The Muslim domination lasted for 8 centuries, and the
most important bastion of their domains was the Sultanate of Delhi. Although they couldn't change
the Indian's religion, a new cultural syncretism was produced, blending Muslim and Indian
costumes. They were mostly tolerant with the local costumes; only in the governing classes a
generalized use of veils and turbans was seen; yet was extended between men the costume of
wearing beards, long sideburns and moustaches. The Islamic Sultanates ended in 1526 with the
invasion and conquest of the country by those who founded in 1550.

41

Fig52: the veils and turbans in sultanate period

The Mughal Empire

A Mongol grown in Persia, Babur, descendant of Genghis Khan, founded the Mughal Empire in
India in 1526. One of his first rules was to send his soldiers to cut the women braids with scissors,
taking out the henna dye from their hair and covering it with dust. Along the years the costumes
were evolving to a fusion with the Indian ancestral traditions, and the rulers were changing their
behavior from a former repression to a generalized tolerance of all the Indian costumes. During this
period it was built the famous palace Taj Mahal, which shows the synthesis of the Indo-Saracen
architecture. India lived at that time a very important economic and political expansion. In 1857 the
whole country was incorporated to the British Crown as a colony, finishing with the Mughal
Empire. Great Britain ruled on India until 1949. During the Mughal period, hairstyles were
changing according with the times, although they always conserved their traditional characteristics:
mainly black hair, long, with braids, or adorned with bands or tied in chignons at a side or at the
nape.

Fig53: The Mughal Period

42

HAIRSTYLES AFTER 1900s

The 20th century has been a time of great change, greater than in any previous century. The First
World War (1914-1918) and the Second World War (1939-1945) brought about immense economic
and social restructuring both in Britain and overseas. Women have acquired improved economic
status and the vote. Advances in medicine have helped to lengthen our life-span, communication
and travel have broadened our cultural understanding, and science has heightened our awareness
and understanding of our existence on our planet. The invention of the mass media and the ability to
manufacture clothing cheaply has made the world of fashion accessible to everyone. This, in
turn, has stimulated faster change and a greater variety of fashions than ever before.

1900 1910 (The Edwardian period)

King Edward VII was very fashion-conscious and set the pace for men's fashions in this
period. His influence also dominated female fashions as he particularly favored the sh ape of
the 'mature woman'. Pads and frames of false hair helped the hairstyle of this era appear full and
soft with the promise of being luxurious caught up tresses. The Pompadour style continued in the
early Edwardian years and was achieved not only by supports, but by back combing.
Pompadour refers to a hairstyle, which is named for Madame de Pompadour (1721-1764), mistress
of King Louis XV.

Fig54: The shape of a pompadour is high, rounded and curved away from the head.

A pompadour could be dressed in all manner of styles. Hair could be either straight or have a
wave/curl to it. The style could be simply swept up with a bun, or feature soft coils and fuzzy curled
fringes.
43

Fig55: Characteristic Edwardian 'Pompadour' hair style.

1910 1920
By 1911 hairstyling began to follow the natural head shape much more and finally the ears began to
be covered. New styles followed the trends for Mediterranean and near eastern influence. This all
led to the Grecian styling, which took the hair to the back of the head. This style was usual by 1913
and remained a popular and unfussy way of drawing the hair back during war years.

Fig56: Grecian Influence 1913

The 1910s saw a near abandonment of facial hair for young men. Their hair was now loose and
tousled, no longer trapped by the macassar oil and brilliantine pomade of former years.

44

1920 1930
When fashion did pick up after the war it reflected the mood of the times. The desire to
escape from the depression of the war years spurred fashion. The styles dictated a straighter,
shorter silhouette, which seemed to simulate boyish charm. The new 'androgynous look' of
the emancipated woman had arrived.

The new emancipated woman was completed when the long, feminine tresses were shorn to
shorter, boyish hairstyles, such as the short 'French bob', and the more dramatic 'shingle' and
'Eton crop'. Most fashionable women would go to barber shops to have their hair cut,
sometimes even shorter than the men themselves. The short hair styles seemed to be the
subject of many domestic rows and many married women would compromise by cutting the
front hair short, but leaving the hair at the back long so it could be wound up into a bun or a
coil. Fringes were extremely popular.

Fig57: Showing different hairstyles a) Eton crop b) Shingle cut c) Compromise style

Fashions for men also changed after the war years. Men's hair was worn short and
combed straight back. Most men were clean-shaven.

Fig58: Men Hairstyle in 1920s

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1930 1940

Men

Starting in the 1930's the natural wave was popular, rather than the slicked down. Also, the
biggest trend was the no- part hairstyle. Next, moustaches, on the conservative side were still
popular among older men. Beards, especially in America were out-dated.
Men too enjoyed the influence of Hollywood. Slick good looks, a pencil moustache and
short, neat hair seemed to echo the American gangster image.

Women

By the 1930s hairstyles were becoming more feminine again and the start of the decade marked the
beginning of the 'Hollywood Golden Age'. 1930's Hairstyles were more soft and glamorous than the
previous decade.

At the start of the 1930's women had quickly decided that they were no longer content with fighting
against their female form and didn't want to continue the trend of waif like physiques and boyish
looks. New icons were becoming popular such as actresses Jean Harlow and Mae West.
She encouraged the trend of bleaching women hair to almost a white blonde and many fans copied
her style. Other actresses tinted and colored their hair in various shades.

Fig59: Jean Harlow

Fig60: Popular hairstyle in 1930

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1940 1950
Fashions during the Second World War did not change very much. Women who went to work
in factories for the war effort wore turbans and snoods for safety. Practicality suddenly
became more important. The lack of fashion interest meant that more attention was paid to
the hair in these war years.

Women
Most women grew their hair longer and the long page-boy favoured b y Holl ywood star
Veronica Lake was popular.

Fi g61: Showing popular hairst yles

After the war rationing and austerity prevailed. It was not until 1947 that a new mood
emerged. The new image also revitalized interest in hair styles, and shorter styles became
popular, in parti cul ar the 'urchin' cut, shaggy and shingl ed. Pon ytails becam e
popular for the younger fem ales as a di rect influence from America, also bleached
streaks became the rage.

Men
The World War II influenced the mens hairstyles in the 1940s era. At that time, many men
had the very short or the shaved hairstyles because either they were serving the military or
they were just mimicking the styles of the Cinema stars. Whatever the reason, 1940s men
hairstyles tended to be very practical and low maintained. The famous mens hairstyles in
1940s era were: the crew cut hairstyles, the flattop hairstyle, the slicked back hairstyles and
the side part hairstyles.

47

1950 1960

Men

During this time youths started demanding their own identity. They were no longer content
with the hairstyles that their parents or grandparents used to keep. Hence they started
experimenting with different types of hairstyles, changing the shape, length etc. of hairs.
Though there was much experimentation, among men the James Dean hairstyle was a rage.

Fig62: James Dean

Women
During 1950s mature women wore shorter, neater hair styles. Younger generation
experimented with backcombing. During this time rollers were invented and became popular.
The 1960s saw a breakdown in classic fashion rules. There was also an important advance in
black fashion. Black fashion generally refers to the fashion of African countries. Owing to
these changes Afro-cut became popular. Also blow-drying the hair into style became popular.
Twiggy look was the most desirable one.

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Fig63: Showing Twiggy and Afro cut

1960 1970
Elvis Presley hairstyle was popular in early 60s.The Shag hairstyle was made popular by the
Beatles bands during this time.

Fig64: The Shag and Elvis Presley hairstyles

1960s saw a Progression in Street fashion. Street fashion is basically refers to the phase
when all the people tried on their own fashion.

Even though Street Fashion was progressing, there were still some hairstyles that were
popular everywhere. African Bo-Derek look was one of them. This hairstyle also indicated
that the western countries had stated following African fashion.

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Fig65: Bo Derek hairstyle

The punk movement was the most important fashion innovation of the late 1960s. The
Punks were the people who rebelled the society in all the matters. They showed this in
every manner. Their hairstyles were also the reflection of this opposition towards the society.

Fig66: Showing Punk Hairstyle

1970 1980
Most of the previous hairstyles were still popular during the 70s. The Punk hairstyle was evolved
to a more sophisticated one known as Gothic Punk.
No major development happened during this time.

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Fig67: Gothic Punk

AFTER 1980s
After 1980s all the previous hairstyles lost their true meaning. This hairstyles were now just
a style statement and nothing else. Also there was no more any unique hairstyle that could
define the era. All the hairstyles were equally popular. Everyone had his or her own taste and
preference. The main change could be said due to globalization all around the world.

Fig68: Variety of hairstyles after 1980s

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We take this opportunity to express my profound gratitude and deep regards to our Visual
Communication course professor, Mrs. Babitha Justin (Humanities Department, IIST) for her
exemplary guidance, monitoring and constant encouragement throughout the course of this report.

We would also like to thank our friends for their constant encouragement and help without which
this report would not be possible.

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