Last month, on Bastille Day (July 14), we started a feature about French (Hair) Revolutions since the 18th Century.
Our first article explained the impact the French Revolution had on hairstyles. The main change beginning with the Revolution, was that the French gave up wigs and started to style their natural hair. This trends carries on during most of the 19th Century, which sees hairstyle trends now being influenced by philosophers, artists and world rulers.
The Influence of the Romantics
During the first half of the 19th Century, the age of individualism begins with Romanticism. This art and philosophical movement strongly impacts hair styles. There's a break from etiquette. Hairstyles become a means to express one’s personal identity and thoughts. The trend becomes “wild”, “natural’, “simple”, “authentic” - without any chemicals or artificial components.
The Napoleonic Empire and Neo-Classic Style
Romanticism was just one influence in the early 1800's, however. During Napoleon's reign (1804 - 1815), Napoleon himself rocks his hair like a Roman emperor, short and combed forward. He was inspired and certainly trying to emulate past rulers of the Greco-Roman era. Women also style in a neo-classic manner, inspired by the Ancient Greece hair styles. Hair locks trail down along the forehead and above the ears, with the rest of the hair tucked into a knot or chignon at the back of the neck. Adornment, such as ribbons, headbands, strips or diadems are often used. By the 1820's, women start separating the hair at the center of the head and wear curls on the ears. During this period, a proper woman always wears a hat in public places.
The Victorian Era and the British Influence
Over in England, Queen Victoria reigned from 1837 to 1901. That we still know this period as the Victorian era shows the influence she had across the world: it is a period of industrial and economical development. At this time, the United Kingdom is a powerful nation at the height of its empire. Its fashions certainly reach across the channel to France.
Around 1835, men start wearing mustaches and beards. From the 1840's until about 1865, there is no standard to the length that a man might wear his hair, but a long mustache, sideburns or beard is always present. The puritan style of the 19th Century without mustache but with sideburns plugged to a short beard is also very popular. After the 1860's, and until the end of the century, men's hair is kept shorter. Mustaches and beards continue to be popular. At this period, they start using products such as bear or Massacar oil to style their hair.
During the same period from the 1840's to 1860's, women hair always finds a twist, either at the top of the head or at the neck, a part down the middle, and curls around the contours of the face. Combs, flowers, leafs, pearls, hairbands and jewellery serve as embellishments.
Around the 1860’s, curls and waves become even more popular: they start using hair curlers during the night to maintain a stronger curl. In 1872, Marcel Grateau patents his curling iron and crimping enters hairstyling. Crimping allows for a "turned up hairstyle" in which the hair is pulled over a hot iron, resulting in an attractive wave. L'ondulation Marcel" (the "Marcel wave") is a new style created by the hot iron, and consists of loose waves arranged around the head.
By the end of the 1880’s, the Pompadour style becomes extremely popular. This style was actually launched a century ago by Madame de Pompadour, member of the French court and the official chief mistress of King Louis XV from 1745. This is a style in which the hair is swept up high from the forehead.
Around the 1890's until the beginning the 20th Century, the “Gibson Girl” style becomes the new trend: women add fake hair pieces to the front part of their head to add height and depth. These pieces are usually made with their own hair trapped in their brush and collected.
Despite the use of 'hair prosthetics', the look of the Gibson Girl is much more natural than the previous styles such as the Pompadour. A bun swept loosely on the head becomes the crowning feature of young Victorian girls. The psyche knot is especially prominent. This was basically hair pulled back from the forehead and knotted on the top of the head. Small coiffures, relaxed pompadours, and French twists were also worn, along with hair ornaments.
It is also in 1890 that, in a beauty salon in Paris, Alexandre Godefroy, invents the first hair dryer. It looked... well, much different from now:
Next month: Hair styles in 20th Century hair styles
