For Bastille Day 2011, we thought that it would be fun to do a little overview of French hair trends beginning with this seminal period in French history and moving forward to the present. We'll give a little historical background, and then present the hair trends of each era.
Part 1 - The 18th Century
Bastille Day and the French Revolution - Some Background
Bastille Day is the French equivalent of our 4th of July, except it is celebrated on the 14th of July.
It refers to the storming of the Bastille that occurred in Paris on the morning of July 14, 1789. This day marks the beginning of the French Revolution (Révolution française) which lasted 10 years, from 1789 to 1799.
It is a milestone in French History: the radical social and political upheaval that took place in France during this period led to the collapse of the absolute monarchy which had ruled for centuries and to the First French Republique. So the storming of the Bastille fortress-prison is seen as a symbol of the uprising of the modern nation.
The 18th Century Hairstyles - Before and During The French Revolution: The Milestones
This day played an important role in both our political and social history, changing fashion trends dramatically. The images below illustrate the evolution of the styles across the 18th Century.
Before the French Revolution:
At the beginning of the 1700s, hairstyles for men are more sophisticated than for women. The main style is the “Louis XIV style”, with wigs, big curls and shoulder (or waaay past) length . Women, from the beginning of the 1700s until 1720s, wear the “Fontange style”, named after the Duchess Fontange. The big styles reflects the standing of Louis XIV, who was both a highly successful monarch and a big personality.
In the mid 1700s King Louis XV imposes a style with smaller men’s wigs. Men start wearing a pony tail, fixed with a ribbon. Under his reign, women also adopt a new and simpler style called “tete de Mouton” (sheep’s head) with big curls and a few locks of the nape of the neck.
Styles usually changed along with rulers. It was a way to establish the authority of the new leader. In this case, Louis XV could not compete with the grandeur of his predecessor; and so he reined the style in and took a more reserved tact.
However towards the end of the 18th century (around 1770) but before the French Revolution, the trend changes completely: women start wearing exuberant and high wigs, (of 2" to 3' height) for special events. This perhaps was linked to the transition from Louis XV to his successor Louis XVI?
During the French Revolution
During the French Revolution, the luxury and exuberance of the Monarchy are eradicated with the new republican ideas. Hair styles become simpler and more classical. The French drop the wigs and style their natural hair.
What's interesting is that until the Revolution, the dominant style followed the insular world of the Royal Court, a setting cut off from the rest of France. This bubble reality bursts, and fashions are brought down to a more egalitarian level.
Up next: French Hair Trends in the 19th Century!
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