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11:58 pm
April 9, 2011
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I’ve recently watched Sophia Coppola’s wonderful film on Marie-Antoinette but throughout my viewing I kept sitting there wondering why did the men wear those wigs – something I think appeared in the Hanover courts of Britain – and why did women throw what I can only imagine was talcum powder into their hair. Was there something wrong with having coloured hair? Or was it deemed fashionable to have the appearance of greying/white hair? Any ideas?
And while I have your attention – what was the purpose of covering your face in white powder. I know Elizabeth I did this late in her reign so I’m assuming it was a way of hiding the wrinkles and appear younger even though by throwing the powder on you were admitting you were old.
PS I hope I got the century right, otherwise don’t I look like a fool.
12:08 am
May 7, 2010
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I would guess that the white faced thingie was basically a fashion statement – a bit like the tango’ed look so sought after today (yuck!)
The wigs and hair well not so much fashion as lack of what we consider basic hygiene today. These people hardly ever bathed and certainly didn’t wash their hair much. Men tended to have pretty much shaven heads covered by the wigs and women used wigs and hairpeices to get their look. In the mens case the wigs would have been to help keep warm as much as anything as their heads were more or less bald and we do lose a lot of heat through the head.
I think the white powder contained a fair amount of arsenic and would maybe have killed off lice and other wee nasties. As with most things that start out with a practical purpose, individuality and all thatplayed a part and the look became more and more extreme. The ladies even having live birds in their creations.
Let us show them that they are hares and foxes trying to rule over dogs and wolves - Boudica addressing the tribes Circa AD60
12:46 am
April 9, 2011
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Thanks Maggyanne, that makes a lot of sense. Especially the arsenic in the powder.
I just read that the wigs on males also came in when one of the Louis’ became bald and wore wigs, so obviously the men around him wore wigs as well to hide the fact their king had fake hair I suppose.
Wow to the live birds in the hair, in the movie Marie-Antoinette wore fake birds in her hair in one scene, I never imagined that they would use live birds. No wonder people had lice and other diseases in their hair, its bad enough not washing your hair but willingly putting live creatures in there is just asking for disease.
12:54 am
June 7, 2011
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…..oQ_5TcaS5Y LOL!
They wore powdered wigs to make them look angelic but not everyone wore them powdered white. Women’s wigs became so ridiculously huge they became wildlife habitats! There was all sorts living in them – mice, lice, highwaymen! I find the mice fur eyebrows far more disturbing!
"It is however but Justice, & my Duty to declre that this amiable Woman was entirely innocent of the Crimes with which she was accused, of which her Beauty, her Elegance, & her Sprightliness were sufficient proofs..." Jane Austen.
1:16 am
April 9, 2011
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LOL at that song. And ewww at the mice eyebrows.
9:19 am
May 16, 2011
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Oh gosh, the hair! Finally this is brought up and i’m glad i’m not the only one wondering this. I don’t know how or why that ever became such a big fashion statement for men, I don’t know how they could get dressed in the mourning and not laugh at themselves with their big curly hair.
• Grumble all you like, this is how it’s going to be.
1:06 pm
January 9, 2010
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The ridiculous fashions and hair would have been a status thing too. The more outrageous, the wealthier you were as you could afford to spend all that time getting dressed in the morning. It’s not like these people had proper jobs or anything!
