Contemporary Plaits, braids, twists

Elizabethan hair was extremely inticate, with masses of detail. Styles included multiple plaits, braids and buns enhanced with jewels and ribbon.

Today we see many contemporary versions of these elizabthan influenced styles. Here are some examples that I particularly like:

Elizabethan Quote + Interpretation

"Then followeth the trimming and tricking of their heds in laying out their hair to the show, which of force must be curled, frizled and crisped, laid out on wreathes & borders from one eare to an other. And lest it should fall down, it is underpropped with forks, wyres, & I can not tel what, rather like grim stern monsters, than chaste christian matrones. Then on the edges of their bolstered heir (for it standeth crested round about their frontiers, & hanging over their faces like pendices or vails with glasse windows on every side) there is layd great wreathes of gold and silver, curiously wrought & cunningly applied to the temples of their heads. And for feare of lacking any thing to set foorth their pride withal, at their heyre, thus wreathed and crested, are hanged bugles, ouches, rings, gold, silver, glasses , & such other gewgawes and trinckets besides, which, for that they be innumerable, and I unskilfull in wemens terms, I cannot easily recount."

Based upon this quote, I chose a few words that stood out to me the most to define a hairstyle. These sections of the quote included: 
"curled, frizled and crisped"
"laid out...one eare to an other"
"gold and silver...applied to the temples of their heads"

I then drew out roughly what i expected the hair to look like before creating it out of various materials.

Contemporary Elizabethan Hair

Hair by Michael Albor, Makeup by Susan Donoghue, Photos by Bob Packert.

I find these hairstyles so fascinating. The hair has been formed into a texture allowing it to be almost sculpted into the desired shapes. I feel that these styles have a real sense of royalty to them. The contemporary Elizabethan look has been achieved perfectly by following the trends of fair, short, intricate hair. 

The hair has been swept off the face and pinned back with great detail. This style is not quite as extreme as in the Elizabethan period but still captures and essence of Elizabeth I with the colour, volume and detail.

Progression of Elizabeth I Hair

Elizabeth’s hair went through a progression of changes as she matured in age. The looks became stronger and more empowering as she defined her own personality.

Early years:

·      Long in length

·      Very pale red

·      Loosely styled

·      Very youthful and feminine

Mid years:

·      Worn in a half up-do

·      Tightly curled at the top

·      Detailed in structure

·      Loose curls extended from up-do

·      Slightly deeper in colour

Later years

·      Cut very short

·      Often wore head pieces or wigs

·      Deeper red to emphasise pale skin

·      Powerful structures

·      Tight, short curls

Hair Trends Quote

Elizabethan hair trends became very extreme and women went to great lengths to achieve such styles. I found a paragraph written on a blog to describe what Elizabethan women would go through, and it explains some graphic facts of what 'products' they would use.

"Not only was pale skin fashionable, so was fair hair. Women would use different substances to dye or bleach their hair, like urine! An another way to get blonde hair was to use cumin seeds, saffron, oil and celadine. It was also during this period that people began dying their hair red, which was the hair color of Queen Elizabeth I. Young women would wear their long hair down, and sweep it up once married, usually in a bun so that head coverings could easily be pinned to it. Wigs were also popular. They were used by women whose hair was growing thinner or by those that wanted their hair to be of a certain color. Some women were so desperate to have fashionable hair that they decided to completely shave their hair off and only wear wigs! Both real and fake hair was often adorned with jewels and hair pieces. These were very expensive and so only rich women could afford them."

http://beautifulwithbrains.com/2010/05/20/beauty-history-the-elizabethan-era/

Hair Consultation and Washing

Hair Consultation:

Assess the condition of the hair to see if it badly damaged or not. This determines the heat settings.

Assess whether the hair has been dyed or not as colour damage can vary the condition or the hair at the roots and the tips.

Is the hair straight, wavy, curly, afro, thick, thin?

Ask client is they have any allergies or are on medication.

Whilst asking questions, this is a good time to subtly check for headlice (behind ears).

Washing:

Place gown around client and secure a towel round the back of the neck.

Make sure client is comfortably seated.

Check temperature of water on wrist and ask client if they would like it warmer or colder.

Cup forehead whilst washing to avoid water going onto clients face and ears (keep a spare towel handy to dry hands before cupping forehead next time).

Shampoo the hair (first with a small amount) and massage into scalp to create foam. Check with client if pressure is ok. Then rinse.

Shampoo second time around and rinse until hair ‘squeaks’.

Condition hair starting at the ends of the hair and work up to the mid length of the hair.

Leaving the conditioner in, comb hair in sections using a large toothe comb.

Rinse conditioner out of hair thoroughly.

Squeeze majority of water out of the hair and wrap hair in a towel.

Blow Drying:

Using a wide tooth comb, comb hair through in sections.

Using hair dryer, blast majority of the water out of the hair. (make sure you check temperature with client first!)

Make sure heat is adjusted to suit hair type.

Section the hair using clips.

Starting from the lowest section, using a round brush, lift roots and alternate drying from below and on top.

When roots are dry, follow the brush through to the tips of the hair.

Repeat on each section until hair is dry.

Smart and Wild Hair

Smart Hair

Definitions of smart:

·      Clean, tidy, and well dressed.

·      Attractively neat and stylish.

·      Bright and fresh in appearance.

This hair perfectly defines the word smart with this stylish, classic look. The hair looks sleek and extremely tidy, without a hair out of place. The hair has been smoothly swept off the face and been tied back into a slick and heavily straightened ponytail. The straightness of the ponytail creates a very well finished look and the side parting adds a hint of androgynism, emphasising the idea of a working female.  This style paired with fresh faced make up creates a professional and stylish look.

Wild Hair

Definitions of wild:

• Occurring, growing, or living in a natural state; not domesticated, cultivated, or tamed.

• A natural or undomesticated state.

For me, this hair perfectly captures the definition of wild because of its untamed appearance, natural volume and resemblance of a lion’s mane. The colour is a shade of red, which is often associated with a firey personality and dangerous, wild behaviour. The curls appear out of control, shooting out from every direction and create a large mass of hair to surround the face. There is definitely very little control over this style and the hair almost has a life of its own!