Fashionable Head Covering: The Wig

Wigs entered England fashion by way of the French in the late 1630s. The first wigs were highly stylized. Wigs were tightly curled and reached the shoulders. From the period of 1680 through 1700, the length got longer, reaching the middle of the back.

Styles would change by 1710, the length shortening. Wigs also got smaller and less complicated in their design. Curls only existed on the sides, the balance of the hair falling straight back and tied into a short ponytail.

How did a man take care of his wig? Wigs were maintained with fat mixed with cinnamon and cloves. The wigs were also powdered with perfumed flour.

As the wig was an important item of the fashionable, the size, material and style evidenced the position of its wearer. Wigs that were made from human hair were the most expensive and finest made. Wigs were also made from yak, goat or horse mane hair. These, of course, were of a lesser grade. For the man who did not go bald, he would have slips of his own hair peek from beneath the wig.

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