Hairstyles of the 18th century: who are they suitable for and how to do them?

Hairstyles from the 18th century are a separate topic in history. If today hair decoration is given a few minutes in front of a mirror, then in the 18th century it became a special occupation that required the participation of a specialist. That was the era of women who attached great importance to the creation of luxurious hairstyles and were ready to make great sacrifices for them. Today, with the usual styling products at hand, you can do your own rococo and Marie Antoinette hairstyle.

Throughout the 18th century, women's hairstyles evolved rapidly. In the 1700s, the so-called fountain was used in European countries - an original styling with a cap made of lace.

The appearance of the fountain is associated with the name of the favorite of the French king Angelica de Roussil-Fontage. Back in 1680, while hunting, her hair was disheveled. So that they did not interfere with her movement in pursuit of the game, she tied them with a piece of lace. History is silent whether it was a garter from the leg or lace from the sleeve. One way or another, the resulting hairstyle was to the taste of the king. With his submission, styling with lace began to be used by almost all ladies.

There were more than a hundred fountain options. Hair tightly curled in curls was placed horizontally over the forehead in several tiers. Part of the curled hair fell loosely over the shoulders.

The cap itself could be very high, up to 50 centimeters in height. It was worn upright or sideways.

Since 1713, modest styling with curls has come into fashion. Once, at a reception with the French king Louis XIV, the subject of England, the Duchess of Shrewsbury, appeared without a fountain, simply combing her hair back. This was the reason for a change in priorities in hair styling.Since then, ladies have styled their curled hair in baskets and wreaths. They were decorated with ribbons, tiaras, flowers. This is how the early Rococo style came into force.

In Russia, fountains were made until the mid-1920s. Mostly older ladies remained faithful to him.

The fashion for elegant styling with curls was also in the second half of the 18th century, lasting until the 70s. Then, at the suggestion of the French queen Marie Antoinette, who had thick hair, they began to make hairstyles of immense sizes. France itself has become a trendsetter in hairdressing throughout Europe.

To erect an impressive size of the structure, frames with pillows were used. They used overhead strands purchased from commoners, and even hair from horse manes.

The hairstyle sometimes reached half a meter in height. It was impossible to create such a creation without the participation of a real master.

It took hours to form integral artistic compositions, so that later the owner of this beauty would not touch her head for at least a week. And then on condition that she was well provided in material terms.

To securely fix the hair, lipstick based on tallow and flour powder were used. It was silver, white, or pink. Her weight in her hair sometimes reached a kilogram.

To apply it, women had to wear a special peignoir so as not to stain the dress. To prevent flour dust from falling on the face, it was necessary to hold a mask over it while the hairdresser applied the powder. You could also use a special wardrobe. Powder fell from the ceiling onto the lady who entered it.

The unpleasant smell of food products, which were used to create beauty and remained on the hair for a long time, had to be “muffled” with a large number of pungent perfumes. But this did not discourage insect and mouse interest in such "nests".

It is no coincidence that canes with a hard tassel appeared in the everyday life of women during this period. On the one hand, they made it possible to keep balance under the weight of the structures on the head, on the other hand, they acted as a tool with which one could scratch the head itchy from parasites (brush).

Headdresses became an addition to the pompous styling. Some put stuffed birds on their heads. There you could see bird cages and fruit baskets.

Moreover, the fashion came for one thing or another.

For example, in 1773 over Paris, its inhabitants saw a comet. This is reflected in the hairstyle with the corresponding name - the comet. Part of the styling was an ornament in the form of a piece of gaseous fabric, depicting the tail of a celestial body.

In 1778, the hairstyle a la Belle Poole became a hit for several weeks., in honor of the French frigate, which won a victory in one and conflicts at sea. Several hairdressers did the hairstyle for this occasion with a "model" of the ship on the head of Marie-Antoinette for 10 hours. The design turned out to be 70 centimeters high, and in order to create it, ladders were required, standing on which it was convenient to style the hair of the royal person.

If today decorations in the form of fresh flowers were in vogue for hairstyles, then tomorrow it will be vegetables. Then fruits from the garden appeared in the hairstyles: carrots, radishes, cabbage. When feathers were at the peak of popularity, many peacocks and swans were sacrificed to female beauty.

Numerous gold jewelry with precious stones also became part of the hairdressing salons. The mass of the creation on the head sometimes exceeded the weight of the beauty herself.

If it was difficult to maintain a proud posture and a friendly facial expression with this "architecture", then even more so to sleep.

In order not to wrinkle the styling, it was necessary to rely on special headrests made of wood, covered with fabric, or even sleep in an armchair. So that at night the sufferer was not overcome by mice, she used a special wire cap.

With the hairstyles of that time, it was difficult to travel in a carriage. Even the queen was once forced to ride on her knees in order not to ruin the creation of several hairdressers who worked on decorating her head.

The hairdressing madness subsided after Marie Antoinette gave birth to an heir. Then her luxurious hair thinned noticeably. There was a fashion for a wig with curls.

After the French Revolution, the previous approach to styling became a source of ridicule. He was replaced by much simpler hairstyles. Hair was laid in curls and worn loose, knots were made of them in the Greek way.

Neat styling of the early Rococo can be found for girls with almost any face shape. Tall pompous structures are suitable for ladies with square faces, but the owner of the "triangle" will not be able to look advantageous in this form.

You also need to consider the appropriateness of such styling. Masterpieces on the head are good when a girl walks the catwalk, comes to a masquerade ball, theme party or wedding, comic-con. In the middle of the street and in modern everyday clothes with a cap on his head, or even a still life, any will look strange.

Despite the savagery of the 18th century hairdressing fashion, our time echoes that century with the use of artificial strands. Modern styling products open up space for immersion in a bygone era. You can make tall and simply lush styling in the appropriate style.

Create this hairstyle not so difficult with such a modern tool as an electric curling iron:

• separating the strands, sprinkle them with varnish and curl, not reaching the root of 10 centimeters;
• comb the hair at the root;
• comb your hair back so that the temples are open;
• if there is a bang, remove it back;
• fix the curls on the top of the head with hairpins;
• decorate with a ribbon or hairpin.

The bride's hairstyle can also be decorated in this style. You should not build a real "house" on your head, as was done in the "crazy" period, but you can keep the spirit:

• comb a thick strand of hair at forehead level;
• fix with varnish and stab at the crown;
• collect the rest of the hair in a tail (higher);
• curl hair with large-diameter curlers or curling iron during the formation of styling;
• lay in a row around the base of the tail;
• leave part of the hair from it free;
• strengthen with varnish;
• decorate your hair with ribbons and flowers.

To make this pretentious styling, in addition to the comb, you need to have at hand:

• special frame;
• cotton wool or other filler for the frame;
• curlers;
• hairpins;
• hair fixation spray.

The procedure is as follows:

• comb the strands well;
• “Reserve” part of the hair at the back of the head and at the temples - they will be used at the last stage;
• install a frame on the head by placing cotton wool in it;
• disguise it with hair, in a row lifting them up, starting from the forehead;
• use pins to fix it on the frame;
• wind the back hair and at the temples on a curling iron, forming curls;
• fix the hairstyle with varnish;
• decorate with beads.

With a hairstyle in the spirit of the 18th century, you can recreate the image of the queen.

Heavily combed hair in front and curls on the shoulder suggest balls at the royal court.

Hairstyle in the spirit of Marie Antoinette looks very impressive.

A master class on creating an 18th century hairstyle in the video below.