Elizabethan Hair

A brilliant example of some popular Elizabeth Hair styles

Elizabethan hair was big bold and extreme; intricate detailing was involved with renascence important women. Just look at some of Elizabeths hair styles within portrait this woman was seen as the ultimate idol; viewed as beautiful, people wanted to look like her so hairs were exactly the same people would copy the queen, women of nobility even dyed their hair a yellow colour to reflect the queens of course though hair dye back in those times to make ones hair yellow a concoction of saffron, cumin seeds and oil would make the desired look. Image the smell of there hair.

Hair down was seen as youthful and worn for most weddings as it represented virginity, due to women back then not cutting their hair regularly and keeping it long; flowers were also worn in a womens hair for weddings to show natural beauty; only married hair was swept back and styled like I will write into.

There were many different types of hair styles back then though all in common due to the fact they were 99% of the time some sort of updo past marriage; Elizabethans loved plaiting and curls.

Elizabeth herself ended up having over 80 wigs after losing her hair.

Elizabethans loved props from pearls to pieces such as ruffs and hats like french hoods.

A ruff was worn by both female and male Elizabethans, acting as a high frilled collar that framed the face as hair was also generally worn up. A ruff was made from gauze and lined with lace once in shape. Ruff's always amaze me the eccentric wardrobe of the Elizabethans theres something incredibly clown like about them, must of been extremely uncomfortable to being a weight around the next.

A French Hood which obviously had its origins in France was a decorative head piece that was wired and shaped around the head in a half crescent style band; most would be brimmed with jewels or pearls. Elizabeths mother Anne Boleyn is credited as introducing the hood to english style. The French's shape because more pronounced in its curve during Elizabethans reign; guess it was just a change in fashion like pastel.

The Coif was a linen hat that was actually worn by children always with the colouring of white, sometimes the coif was worn under larger hats because they were good for keeping the hair in place as they were close fitting to the chin.

The Caul I lovvvvveeeeeee this basically a hair net covered in pearls or other decretive pieces, women would wear at the back of their heads on a bun to spruce it up a bit. Find these extremely pretty and delicate.

The pillbox hat yes you are correct the pillbox hat was extremely popular in the sixties making a reappearance. Even back in the Elizabethan times these hats were worn with a veil; the fashionable Tutors.