Early Victorian hairstyling research

To get a more in depth idea of how women and men used to style their hair at the beginning of the Victorian Era I decided to research the web but also some books I found in the library. I will post here a few women hairstyles and focus more on men hairstyles because the character I'm going to recreate is a man.

Early Victorian hairstyles for women

The loop

"During the first part of the Victorian era and before the Civil war, it was popular among women to arrange their hair in an updo at the back of their head. The hair from the front to the back was arranged in long, sash-like loops that covered the ears. Sometimes the hair was braided and then looped at the back of the head." (Solanki 2014)

(La Rapunzel Resource no date)

(Solanki 2014)

To get this style:

• Part your hair in the middle, using a pin-tail comb. The pointed end of this comb gives you precise partition. Draw a line from the center of the bridge of your nose to get symmetrical parting.
• Part your hair into two sections, a front section and a back.
• Twist or braid the front section of the hair and loop it around the sides so that it goes around the ears. Pin it at the back.
• Take the back section of hair and put it in a low ponytail. Twist the hair, and tie it into a low bun.

Side-braided bun

"Along with low twist buns, braided buns were also very popular during this era. Usually the hair was tied into a ponytail, and divided into three sections. These sections were braided and then pinned up under the ponytail, or shaped into a neat bun at the back or side of the head." (Solanki 2014)

(Solanki 2014)

To get this style:

• Use a hair wax to slick your hair, and tie it into a side ponytail.
• Braid the ponytail.
• Wrap it around for an elegant low side bun.

Fringes

"Bangs or "fringe", were worn by women during the Victorian Era. They tended to be short and wavy or curled and usually covered only part of the forehead. Short, frizzy bangs were popular for women during the early to mid-1880s. The style caught on after Alexandra, Princess of Wales (later Queen of England as the wife of King Edward VII), wore her hair this way" (Sherrow 2006)

(Tennyson 2016)

Other early and mid-Victorian hairstyles for women:

(Corson 1965)

Early Victorian hairstyles for men

"From the 1840s to about 1865, many men wore their hair in a crest shape achieved by brushing their hair either forward or to the back, forming a cowlick or curled lock at the front. This style was worn with either a side or center part.

Most men also wore sideburns, which became fuller as the century went on." (Sherrow 2006)

"Young men wore their own hair, sometimes clipped very short, sometimes longer and brushed forward, falling in natural or artificial curls over the forehead, sometimes both at once, and ocasionally arranged in a curious style involving short hair, long hair, and a sort of topknot. [,,,]

Normally, the hair was brushed away from the crown in all directions and allowed to fall naturally over the forehead. Straight-haired men, often achieved fashionable curly locks with a crimping iron." (Corson 1965)

"A clean-shaven face was in fashion for men during the Victorian Era. In addition to razors and strops, men used soaps especially made for shaving, along with brushes and shaving cups. Some lathering agent - soap or a special "shaving cream" or foam - was used before shaving to minimize skin irritation. After shaving, men applied special shaving lotions, often homemade from plant substances." (Sherrow 2006)

"Straight steel razors became available during the early 1800s in England. They were made in Sheffield, a city known for its fine quality steel. Like previous razors, these required regular honing to keep a sharp edge. Men used a strop to maintain the razor's edge at home. At the turn of the century, razor blades were made from forged steel." (Sherrow 2006)

"Side-whiskers appeared early in the century. Usually they were wispy at first, ocasionally fuller, and by 1810 they were commonplace. Then, for a while, instead of being allowed to follow the beard line straight down along the jaw, they were shaved diagonally across the cheek. Gradually they became fuller and longer, and by the thirties some men were even letting their hair creep around under the chin." (Corson 1965)

Other early and mid-Victorian hairstyles for men:

References:

• Sherrow, V. (2006) Encyclopedia of hair: A cultural history. United States: Greenwood Press.
• Corson, R. (1965) Fashions in hair: The first five thousand years. 6th edn. London: Peter Owen Publishers.
• Tennyson, A. (2016) ‘Alexandra of Denmark’, in Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandra_of_Denmark (Accessed: 6 February 2016).
• Solanki, P. (2014) Instructions for Victorian Era Hairstyles. Available at: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/instructions-for-victorian-era-hairstyles.html (Accessed: 6 February 2016).
• La Rapunzel’s Resource, de (no date) Victoriana: Hair. Available at: https://ro.pinterest.com/purplepanpirate/victoriana-hair/ (Accessed: 6 February 2016).
• Chic Victorian Hairstyles for men (2012) Available at: http://www.stylisheve.com/chic-victorian-hairstyles-for-men/ (Accessed: 6 February 2016).