Late and mid-Victorian hairstyling research

As the century went on, hairstyles became more and more ellaborated for women and stylish for men. Here are some informations that I found really interesting in my "research journey". Once again, I'm going to focus on men's hairstyles, especially because my character, Dorian Gray, was a late-Victorian man.

Late and mid-Victorian hairstyling for women

"In the Victorian era, a woman’s hair was often thought to be one of her most valuable assets. Styles varied quite a bit throughout the nearly 7 decades of Queen Victoria’s reign, with everything from simple middle parts to elaborate pieces made from human hair being in fashion. Accessories such as combs, pearls, hats and bonnets each had their time in the spotlight throughout the 1800s. Victorians weren’t as serious as people think they were, but they sure took their hair seriously." (Harris 2015)

Other late and mid-Victorian hairstyles for women:

Late and mid-Victorian hairstyling for men

 (Chic Victorian Hairstyles for men 2012)

"The Victorian era, from its start till its end, is considered as one of the most productive eras concerning the fashion and beauty industry for the men as well as the women. The Victorian era had presented a plenty of hairstyles for the men. Despite that, those Victorian men hairstyles had very chic, elegant and classy looks. In fact, those Victorian hairstyles had made the men looking in their best suits. Even the word “best suit” isn’t enough to describe how gentle and classy the men looked wearing hairstyles. Before getting deeper to discover those men’s Victorian hairstyles, there’s a thing that you must know. That thing is that most of the men back in the Victorian eras; whether the early part or the late part, had either the short or the medium haircuts. So, you can say that the men in the Victorian eras were very conservative concerning their hairstyles and maybe concerning their whole looks. All they had cared about is to keep on their gentle, elegant and classy image in front of each others and the whole society." (Chic Victorian Hairstyles for men 2012)

 (Chic Victorian Hairstyles for men 2012)

"After 1865, men began wearing their hair shorter, a trend that persisted around 1890. Hair still was usually parted on the side or the middle but the part extended further from the forehead toward the back of the head. Some men chose to wear a pompadour, which required more maintenance than simpler styles. Styles in facial hair favoured longer beards along with mutton-chop sideburns. The long and drooping handlebar moustache became popular during the late 1870s and was worn either alone or with a beard.
In contrast, as the nineteenth century came to an end, most fashionable men preferred a clean-shaved face, and sideburns also became smaller. Men who wore beards and moustaches usually kept them small and carefully trimmed [...]. Wax was used to groom moustaches. [...]
During the late 1800s, Victorian men parted their hair either in the center or slightly to the left, and the pompadour remained a favourite style for those who had enough money and leisure to maintain it." (Sherrow 2006)

Middle years hairstyles

(Corson 1965)

"According to Lewis Ganett, the Harvard classes in the 1870s were thoroughly bewhiskered. Gradually the beards disappeared, leaving only the moustaches. In the class of 1900 there were no beards. [...] Beards, though, still worn by older men, were no longer fashionable." (Corson 1965)

Late years hairstyles

Other late 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.
• Chic Victorian Hairstyles for men (2012) Available at: http://www.stylisheve.com/chic-victorian-hairstyles-for-men/ (Accessed: 6 February 2016).
• Posted (2275) Late Victorian era clothing. Available at: http://late-victorian-clothing.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/late-victorian-era-ladies-headwear-and.html (Accessed: 10 February 2016).
• Harris, K. (2015) Victorian Hairstyles: A short history, in photos. Available at: http://www.whizzpast.com/victorian-hairstyles-a-short-history-in-photos/ (Accessed: 10 February 2016).