The Victorian era (1837-1901) was quite an austere time period. Queen Victoria reigned for 64 years and was hugely influential on fashions during that time. From a young age, Victoria favoured a plaited bun at the rear of the head, and some kind of additional detail at the ears. This would later be comprised of plaits, but curls were used in her early years, as can be seen in this self portrait of the, then, Princess Victoria of Kent (fig. 1).
Figure 1
This look was copied across the Empire, it was deemed to be flattering in the way it added volume to the side of the hair, which then gave balance to the large skirts that where popular in the era. The hair should also look shiny, and therefore healthy. This was achieved through using oils and pomades. Recipes for such pomades could be found in books such as the Godey’s Ladies book. This was a popular ladies periodical that showcased fashions, hairstyles and tips for around the home (fig 2).
Figure 2
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In figures 3 to 5 we can see examples of aristocrats and upper class society. Everybody is well groomed and has put a lot of effort into their hair, and has probably had help with this. Figure 3 shows a group of women with the iconic Victorian hairstyle, which is the volume around the ears, with the rest of the hair pulled back. There are a few different takes in this style in this image, some have loose curls, some have the curls pinned up around the ears, while others have the tight curls seen on Queen Victoria. Figure 4 shows a more restrained look, from earlier in the century. The volume around the ears is not visible and the majority of the hair is pulled back, with centre partings and some plaiting detail. As well as being an earlier style, these women do not appear to be as well-off as those in figure 3, so may not have had as much help with their hair, or access to the tools need to achieve the curls. Men of the Victorian period had a love of facial hair (fig. 5). Big sideburns and moustaches were very fashionable, along with side partings and slightly longer hair than would be seen in the lower classes.
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At the other end of the class scale, were the working classes. These people did not have the luxury of having someone else style their hair, unless they were unfortunate enough to have been admitted to the workhouse, where hair was kept short to prevent cross-infection and cross-contamination (fig. 7). Figure 6 shows a group of young women who all have their hair pulled back off their face, except for small fringes. The fashions of the time will have had some effect on this, but it was also down to practicality and safety. These women worked with looms and other machinery so it was safer to have hair tied back. As previously mentioned, women in the workhouse (fig. 7) had their hair kept short, or ‘bobbed’. This was down to workhouse regulations and them wanting to keep infestations at bay. A lot of women were kept in very close proximity to one and other so lice, scabies and other infestations would have been rife. Bathing was not high on the list of priorities for women in the workhouse so short hair was easier to maintain. Working class children (fig. 8) had their hair short for the same reason as working women, practicality. Many of these children were working in dangerous situations, often with dangerous machinery, so long hair was more of a health hazard. Workhouse men (fig. 9) still had a penchant for facial hair but it was more restrained and easier to look after. Gone are the ‘mutton-chops’ or side-burns, replaced with clean shaven cheeks but the moustaches remain.
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There have been countless takes on the Victorian era on film, and these three examples (fig. 10-12) show a a range of different interpretations. Figure 10 shows a very dark, gothic version of the Victorian period, one which is instantly recognisable as a Tim Burton film. The Victorian influences can be seen but they have been given a more modern twist, with the makeup and the overall dishevelled appearance. The 2016 series of Victoria (fig. 11) is very authentic and extremely accurate to many of Queen Victoria’s portraits. The makeup is natural and the hairstyle is simple but very well done. Figure 12 shows an image from the 1951 version of Scrooge, which shows an older gentleman with very accurate hair. It is parted to the side and has a wave to it. The woman’s hair has the volume around the ears which is typically Victorian, but there appears to be some volume at the very front of the hair line, which is perhaps not quite so authentic.
The first step in creating this style is to create a centre parting in the wig, using tape to pin it down. Then, 6 small rollers are placed onto the side of the head, vertically. These will form those iconic curls in front of the ears. The majority of the rest of the hair is pulled into a ponytail, and then set onto rollers going away from the centre to create the curl needed for the bun. The small amount of hair left underneath the ponytail are set onto smaller rollers and will form ringlets underneath the bun, see figures 13-16.
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To dress this set the rollers are removed, which will not hang nice and neatly to begin with, they will curl in on themselves. The remedy for this is a piece of dowel, part of a broom handle, or even a wooden spoon! As the curls are wrapped around the dowel, the curl will be formed again, leaving a nice smooth curl once the dowel is removed (fig.17).
The instructions that were followed for the ponytail section actually made these curls into rolls, rather than a nice, sleek bun. This is quite a contrast between the severe parting and uniform curls at the front of the head, and looked slightly more relaxed and decorative. The final images of this look can be seen in figures 18-21.
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Figure 21
Another simple look from this era was another one that Queen Victoria favoured, but using plaits instead of curls. The entire front section of the hair is pulled forward and plaited on each side. The back of the hair is then put into a ponytail, plaited and formed into a bun. The front plaits are brought back, looping under the ears, and pinned into the bun. A hairnet is used to keep the bun in place, this will not show up on camera. This is a quick and easy look that could be used on a background character as it does not require any setting of any kind (fig. 22-25).
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In figures 26-30, a third Victorian style can be seen. This one incorporates the bun at the back of the head, rather than the curls, which looks more appropriate. This time, the curls were far too loose and so were pinned up to give the volume around the ears that was so popular with Victorian ladies. A hairnet was added to secure the hair in the bun. This would not show up on camera.
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Reflection
The setting of the first look was quite simple to do, the most difficult part was making sure the curls were equal distance away from the parting on either side. The curls on each side could have been tighter, and more sausage-like but, after having looked at portraits from the time, they would have been acceptable. The wooden spoon used to help style the curls was also quite thin, which may have contributed to their looser appearance. As this was styled without the supervision of a lecturer, a wig styling book was used for reference. This instructed the making of rolls at the back of the head, which did not match the austerity and seriousness of the rest of the hairstyle. If this look was to be re-done, which it will, a thicker dowel will be used to style the curls and the section of hair will put into a sleek bun at the back of the head. The more simple, plaited look was very quick and easy to complete and would not look out of place in the background of a period drama set in the Victorian era. The third look was a second attempt at the original style, but with the bun in place of the curls. The bun was made without any form of padding, and it shows. It is quite irregularly shaped, and the hair does not flow smoothly around it. The curls on this attempt were even looser than the first attempt, which shows some kind of fault in the setting, whether that be the wrong sized rollers for the length of hair, or maybe even that the hair is too long and heavy, which pulls down on the curl. One positive note in this final look is that the hair around the ponytail is a lot smoother which was one point that was picked up on about the Flavian style.
References
Godeys Ladys Book-Jan.-June1877 Vol. 94 [internet] Available from http://www.godeysladysbook.com/January1877.htm [accessed 30th September 2020]
Haruko Smith, S. (2019) Beautiful Victorian Hairstyles [internet] Available from https://bellatory.com/fashion-industry/Beautiful-Victorian-Hairstyles [accessed 30th September 2020]
Lowery, A. (2013) Historical Wig Styling: Victorian to the Present. Burlington, Focal Press.
Queen Victoria (2020) [internet] Available from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Victoria [accessed 30th September 2020]
Sneathen Mattox, B (no date) Fashion and Queen Victoria [internet] Available from http://vintageconnection.net/QueenVictoria.htm [accessed 30th September 2020]
Timms. E.J (2019) Victoria on Victoria: The Self-portrait of 1835 [internet] Available from https://royalcentral.co.uk/features/victoria-on-victoria-the-self-portrait-sketch-of-1835-119498/ [accessed 30th September 2020]
Figures References
Figure 1- Timms. E.J (2019) Victoria on Victoria: The Self-portrait of 1835 [internet] Available from https://royalcentral.co.uk/features/victoria-on-victoria-the-self-portrait-sketch-of-1835-119498/ [accessed 30th September 2020]
Figure 2- Godeys Ladys Book-Jan.-June1877 Vol. 94 [internet] Available from http://www.godeysladysbook.com/January1877.htm [accessed 30th September 2020]
Figure 3- Laver, J. (1988) Costume and Fashion: A Concise History. London, Thames and Hudson Ltd. (p.185)
Figure 4- Laver, J. (1988) Costume and Fashion: A Concise History. London, Thames and Hudson Ltd. (p.167)
Figure 5- Laver, J. (1988) Costume and Fashion: A Concise History. London, Thames and Hudson Ltd. (p.170)
Figure 6- Calton Women (no date) [internet] Available from TheGlasgowStory: Calton women [accessed 4th January 2021]
Figure 7- Workhouse Women (2005) [internet] Available from The working woman (devonheritage.org) [accessed 4th January 2021]
Figure 8- Working Children (2017) [internet] Available from The Good Old Days – denelecampbell [accessed 4th January 2021]
Figure 9- Workhouse Men (2013) [internet] Available from Reframing the Victorians: The Victorian Workhouse [accessed 4th January 2021]
Figure 10- Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) [internet] Available from Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) – IMDb [accessed 4th January 2021]
Figure 11- Top 12 autumn TV shows you just can’t afford to miss as serial killers, Cornish drama and sexy queens hit our screens (2016) [internet] Available from Top 12 autumn TV shows you just can’t afford to miss as serial killers, Cornish drama and sexy queens hit our screens – Irish Mirror Online [accessed 4th January 2021]
Figure 12- Scrooge (1951) [internet] Available from Scrooge (1951) – IMDb [accessed 4th January 2021]
Figure 13-30 Entwistle, L (2020) York College
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