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                                                              "Women in Wigs" Project


                                                               Copyrighted by Atelier Bassi



              Atelier Bassi - Wigs And Hairfashion Through The Centuries

    Wearing wigs is not just a trend in the world of fashion. On the contrary, when we
    look at history we learn that different styles of wigs have always played a significant
    role in fashion. Depending on the epoch, wigs were either used to demonstrate wealth
    or to stress the importance of the wearer. The more splendid era,  the more eccentric
    and pompous hairstyles were created. Wigs also served as a protection against cold  
    and rain. In many wars wigs were also used to impress the enemy.         
          










     Female Egyptian Hairstyle          
    In the time of the Egyptians [about 4000 to 300 B.C.] not only women but also men
    wore wigs. Page-boy like hairstyles in block form together with small braids were the
    look of this era.
          
           








      Roman Hairstyle At Court
    During the Roman Empire [500 B.C. to 500 A.D.] wigs became especially popular
    among women. Hairpieces, sometimes colored, were added to increase the volume
    and therefore the effect of the hairstyle.         
          



      






      Female Greek Hairstyle                 
    In addition to that, ideas for hairstyling were often taken from Greek tradition and
    wigs with braids were worn.         
          





                  




       Young Woman Around 1250
    In the Middle Ages [1200 to 1400] wigs lost their importance. It was custom that  
    young women wore their hair long whereas married women covered it with a scarf
    or a cap. This was with reference to the Apostle Paul [First Letter to the Corinthians]
    a command and also a sign of a woman’s dependence to her husband. Only he had
    the right to see her head uncovered.         
          



       


       



       Female Spanish Hairstyle
    It was from the beginning of the Renaissance [1400 to 1600] that the female hair-
    style gained again in importance and the hair was no longer completely hidden. It
    was often put up and arranged with the help of hairpieces, braids and golden taps.         
          



          


                   


         Louis Xlll Allonge Wig -
    The French King Louis XIII lost his hair already as a young man. During his reign,
    the Allonge wig for men was invented and became an important part of every garment.
    At this time, wigs were mainly made of human or animal hair. Under Louis XIV, the
    French Royal House employ-ed 48 wig makers at court.         
          



         



        

         Hairstyle A La Fontan
       An enrichment to the world of hair fashion after 1670 was the famous hairstyle
       à la Fontange, named after a mistress of King Louis XIV countless variations
       based on the original were created with the help of hairpieces and false locks.         
          



         





            Rococo - 1720 to 1789
            The eighteenth century, better known as Rococo, was the flowering period of
           wigs. Wigs gained enormously in importance and were adopted as a status
           symbol by both men and women. During this epoch, wigs were mainly made of
           Yak hair. The original hair color was natural white and with the help of rice powder
            it was colored white, blue or pink.         
          


       




             

             Rococo - 1750 to 1780           ( Backview )
              Especially from 1750 to 1780 hairstylists had a hard job to do arranging some
             of the female wigs up to a height of 90 cm/35".         
          





             
          

                   
               Male Hairstyle Siderolls
             Rococo
         Men used to wear so-called bag or braid wigs. This were wigs with two hairrolls
         at both sides . With the outbreak of the French Revolution [1789 to 1795]
         fashion and therefore wigs lost their importance.         
          



      




                 Biedermeier
           Hairpieces were once again worn around 1820 [Biedermeier] and enjoyed
           great popularity.The own hair was tightly arranged around the head and
           artistic hairstyles were created with side locks and flower like hair  loops.         
          

               
    At the beginning of the twentieth century more and more freely arranged hairpieces
    were used. With the introduction of short hair cuts around 1920 this trpe literally
    disappeared over night. In the Sixties hairpieces gained again in importance and
    the wearing of wigs became almost a must. Wigs were not only sold in specialized
    shops but in every department store. This strong demand led especially in Asia
    [South Korea] to an industrialization of the wig production. In this boom days of the
    wig, intensive research was done in the field of synthetic hair production. Research
    departments were successful and in relatively short time good quality synthetic hair
    was available on the market. Since then, the wearing of  wigs and hair pieces has
    lost it’s importance. Just in the same way as in today’s fashion the motto is simple
    and comfortable. In everyday life, wigs are hardly ever used except for fashion shows,
    parties or after a chemotherapy.Through the centuries the production of wigs has
    not changed in it’s principles.The only difference today is the employment of modern
    technology and material. However, the production of wigs for theatres and the film  
    industry still takes place in exactly the same way as in former times: through artistic   
    handicraft.


               Atelier Bassi