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 Ancient Egypt. In the hot climate of Egypt it was acceptable for both men and women to cut their hair as short as possible. Nevertheless, heavy and curly wigs were made for special occasions. You could imagine how torturing it was to wear such an oddity in the heat! Women's wigs were often decorated with fanciful braids, gold ornament and ivory hairpins. Men shaved bare their faces, though they could occasionally wear thick false beard.
Ancient Greece
A classical women's haircut of that time was the
long hair packed at the back of the head in chignon. Many women
preferred to dye their hair with henna and powder their haircut with
gold powder. Fashion women often decorated their heads with natural
flowers or precious diadems. Men were not that specially interested
with haircuts. They preferred logic, rhetoric and sports events.
Therefore, they cut their hair short, never wore wigs, and from time to
time shaved bare with pleasure.
Ancient Rome
Spartans and
stern Romans, as is known, tried to imitate the ancient Greeks in many
respects. High society women used curling tongs for curling their hair
and sprinkled in abundance their haircut with golden hair powder. The
"blond" color was then very popular: the Romans not only redyed their
hair with blond color, but also wore wigs made of slaves' hair. Later,
haircuts became more fanciful: very curled hairs were fixed high on the
head with wire frame. Hairdressers were in high demand during the
ancient Roman period.
The eighteenth century was a century of
elegant wigs, very long haircuts and long curls. Pomaded twisted wigs
with curls were an indispensable attribute to the fashion of those
days. Voluminous long haircuts were made though extreme methods: hairs
were combed with frame made with twigs. Typically, their hair was
insufficient and so, they used hair borrowed from people and horses.
Heads were covered with hats, mini-gardens, caravels and with cages
containing birds. The imagination had no limit. It could take the
entire day to make such a hair and the poor hairdresser had to stand on
special stilts so that his hands could reach the head of the fashion
woman. Such expenses require a complete self-denial. A complex styling
would not allow one to move or sleep normally, thereby creating a great
strain at the spine. However, this is not yet all. Heads of ladies were
an ideal breeding ground for lice and other parasites because haircuts
were worn for weeks and months. The court etiquette allowed scratching
the heads but with an appropiate elegance. For this purpose, ladies and
cavaliers wore a dainty stick at the waist. It was usually made of
species of tree or ivory. Besides, there was the trap for parasites, a
tiny carved box containing a rag soaked with blood. However, the
parasites were smarter, preferring fresh and natural things.
Victorian era
This
is the Queen Victoria's era. This period was opposed to the idea of any
kind of excessiveness. Fashion during this era was characterized with
the return to natural beauty, healthy appearance, tidy looks, modesty
and dignity. However, the Victorian era was also considered
sanctimonious and hypocritical. Hairdoes looked neat: hair was smoothly
combed and packed in knot or twisted into curls, intercepted at the
base. Ornaments on the head were the least. Hair grids, ivory hair
combs, black bows and lace capes were popular. The hair was also
braided and twisted into tight plaits that were densely pinned up with
hairpins at the back of the head. Neatness and tidiness was the motto
of those times, and therefore, carrying a loose hair was considered a
sign of vulgarity. Men mainly had short haircuts, wore moustache,
beards and whiskers.
The golden Twenties of the past century.
The
society fairly got a bit tired of puritan standards and all sorts of
bans. The turbulent twenties declared fashion for short hair and
playfully packed by waves, which symbolizes an independent, free and
active woman. Stars of the silent film set the tone: make-up once again
became a fashion, although powder, blush and lipstick were misused
lesser, let's say, in the eighteenth century. Men wore hair parted at
the centre of the head and greased with perfume oils and brilliantine.
The Forties
Women
still aspired not to lag behind from their screen idols. Romanticism
was in fashion. Hair with soft long curls was dropping down the
shoulders. Sunbathing was becoming popular at this time. The great
fashion designer, Christian Dior was dictating the tone. His ideal was
a slender, elegant woman - a real lady. However, because of the war
that gripped Europe, the choice of a haircut was dictated again by
practicality. Women had to be contented with a simple piece of soap.
Shampoos became an unprecedented luxury. The practicality of haircut
had great significance: a carefully packed hair in knot and covered
with headscarf did not so easily get soiled and never disturbed work.
The Fifties. Deprivations of war years behind
Women
were happy returning to their usual duties. This is an era of "glamour
housewives", who are ready to show the world it is possible to look
like a goddess even working at home. Women start to visit the
hairdressing salons every week, to make ideal haircut for themselves.
The thick black eyelashes, eyebrow pencil, dark lines of eyes and
blazing lips, coupled with attractive pale face were in fashion.
Haircuts often resemble a helmet. Coco Chanel is making a stake on
"natural look": laconism and restraint in fashion. The symbols of this
era are the luxurious Sophia Loren and the shining and slightly cold
beauty of Grace Kelly.
The Seventies
A thin waist combined
with luxurious voluminous haircut and glaring make-up was the women's
look of those days. Watch the "Charlie Angels" TV cult series in order
to know the style of that time. A call arises approximately at the same
time with the punk culture. Everyone embraced the punk hairdos
indifferently: hair dyed with fluorescent colors, half-shaved heads,
scalps decorated with tattoos, mohawk haircut.
"Era of extremity" or the Eighties
Confrontation
of two styles: the "disco" style such as attached shoulders, "banana"
jeans and type of "explosion at macaroni factory" hairdos and the
perfect classical style. This period abolished some restrictions, gave
more freedom of choice in fashion tendencies. People no longer had to
strictly abide by an established image. There were many options. On the
other hand, powerful couturiers made a woman perfect in clothes with
rigorous visible lines and haircuts with carefully packed hair. The
"long bean" haircut was very popular then. It is packed in a certain
way and smoothly twisted down. This hairstyle personified an image of a
woman occupied with social life. A good hairdresser became an important
part of a woman's look. The revolutionarily configured part, on the
other hand, dropped out in pursuit of the ever-changing Madonna's style
so as to show off unusual provocative haircuts, combined with
untraditional, eccentric clothing.
Within the Nineties, beauty
standards were so conditional that every style seemed acceptable.
Jennifer Aniston's haircut in the Friends TV series became extremely
popular. It is a haircut of long sleek hair, cut by a "cascade", and
bearing streaks. The Meg Ryan's short stylish haircut and its
variations were also very popular. It seemed the whole world has redyed
with the blond colour. Scattered golden curls, capriciously pouting
sensual lips and a passionate look all remind us of Brigitte Bardot's
style. Men remained minimalists: they willingly shaved off their manes.
Hair more than an inch were already considered as being long. New
trends in fashion promoted the development and emergence of new
cosmetic products for men: before, men were satisfied with only one
shampoo, but now they are being offered a complete set of hair care
products. Modern stylish hairdos are mainly built on the principles of
natural beauty, that is, a healthy and well-groomed hair only,
regardless of their length and nothing else.
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