Contemporary Plaited Updo's

From brides to catwalk models, plaits and updo's are a staple and beautiful combination. In regards to Elizabethans, plaits were discreet and neat and interpreting this into a modern design will be aided by the influence of modern styles.



The loose plaits shown in the first and third photos are a recent modern trend. They can take many forms using different types of plaits like french, dutch and fishtail as well as being plaited across the hair line or down the centre of the hair. I used these types of styles as an influence for my Bridal Hair in a less technical lesson, however, I do not feel it would be suitable for on of my final New Elizabethan designs as the techniques to create the plaits are all very modern. 

Having the hair completely up, like the second and fourth images, results in a neat and polished final outcome. Plaits can be used within the updo, across the hair, in the bun or wrapped around other designs within the updo. One of my final designs will incorporate an updo style so I am able to create a polished outcome with multiple techniques included, for example a plait, bun, padding or crimping!

This Elizabethan portrait demonstrates an updo in action, including adornments and intricate curls. The back of the hair is covered so it is not certain how the hair is kept, however, the style sustains the need to keep the hair off the face. The tight curling technique could be one to use within the modern plaits and updos. My modern attempts can be found here.

Chanel Heart-Shaped Hair


In 2010, Chanel designed 'heart hair' for their S/S collection. The style was influenced by Marie Antoinette through the height of the hair, decoration and colours in the hair. However, the actual shape and outline of the hair is very Elizabethan-esque with the centre parting and raised, rounded and backcombed hair. It seems the hair stylists would've used similar frizzing and padding techniques we have explored so far and the simplicity of the shape may be one to take into account with my hair designs. Also, the smoothness of the rounded hair is a finish I would like to incorporate into my New Elizabethan hairstyle. The large adornments complete the look, leaving the focus directly in the middle of the hair and above the face. The light hair colour and pale extensions combined within the look do not detract from the show-stopping clothes and so the actual colour of the hair will be important to also take into account through my designs.

The heart shape in the hair can be seen in this Elizabethan portrait. Although it is more subtle, the shape is prominently symmetrical and appears to also have been shaped with padding like a hair rat. The hair colour is dramatically different to the modern interpretation and  adds a more solemn tone to the portrait, demonstrating the dramatic affect the colour has. 

My attempt at creating a similar shape can be found here

Modern Interpretations of Elizabethan Hair

In the past 50 years, the Elizabethans have been an inspiration for styles in films, fashion and modern beauty. Our modern takes on Elizabeth Tudor's influential style is interesting research to take into account when I am designing my own New Elizabethan hairstyle. 

The first image shown above is a still taken from the 2007 film 'Elizabeth: The Golden Age'. Jenny Shircore, the hair designer, decided to heavily base her interpretation of Elizabeth's hair on portraits of her. The heart-shaped hair is widely known as a trend set by Queen Elizabeth I. In this modern interpretation, a large metal adornment is incorporated to resemble a crown and is an interesting modern technique. It also seems that the tecnique of frizzing is used around the hairline to emphasis it further. Shircore's design is a striking and polished one that will be good to use as an influence for a neat and more obvious design for a New Elizabethan.

Jill Elaina Haley is an American-based wig technician and makeup artist. The second image shows her Elizabethan Era project where she created the elaborate wig including tight curls, frizz and adornments. Jill blocked out her hairline to create a historically accurate interpretation of Queen Elizabeth's famous hairstyle. It is an interesting and precise look that will be a useful inspiration for creating a new look as it contains modern techniques to create a historical hairdo. Also, the half-up half-down style is an engaging idea as this is very popular in recent years and incorporating that into a New Elizabethan style will show this contemporary idea.

The final contemporary look demonstrated in the imagery above was found on Pinterest. I have included this design in my research as I admire the way the heart-shape style is subtley included underneath curls instead of frizz. This idea may be one to take into account when styling my New Elizabethan design to make the idea more contemporary.

Reference: Jill Elaina Haley. 2015. Elizabethan Era Project. [viewed on 27th October] Available at: http://jillelainahaley.com/elizabethan-era/

The Use of Padding in the Elizabethan Era

At the end of the 16th century, following their Queen Elizabeth I, middle and upper class hairstyles became very elaborate. The women of the Elizabethan era would pad, frizz and decorate their hair. To create the styles shown above, the technique of padding would've been used. Women's hair would've be pulled back from behind the hairline and ears into a neat coil and secured with threaded ribbon or thread against the head. Sometimes it could've been braided or padded underneath to make a larger, more secure shape. 

Hair adornment would then be useful to decorate the hair. Coif's would be used to hide the back of the head and emphasis the style of the padded front of the hair. Pearls may have been added to the outline of the hair to decorate. Examples of these are shown on my 'Elizabethan Hair Adornments' post. 

Reference: L. Mellin. 2008. Extreme Costuming [viewed on 26th October] Avaliable at: http://www.extremecostuming.com/articles/twoelizabethanhairstyles.html

Modern Bridal Hair

Compared to Queen Elizabeth I's abstance with marriage, being a bride has almost become a fashion trend in itself. Bridal hair is a massive business in the 21st Century and often incorporates curls, plaits and buns - trends seen in Elizabethan society. In today's lesson we were given a brief to create a bridal hairstyle where at least some of the hair was up (and if partly up, the rest must incorporate curls) and plaits were used as a technique in the look.


My initial design included a loose french plait going across the top of the models head and round to the back that turns into a plaited bun. Following from the bun, I wanted to then produce a very loose and boho fish tail plait (with loose curls around the head). My inspiration for my sketch was a 'boho' bride and I did not want the style to be slick or polished.


The images above demonstrate my attempt to translate my design onto a models head. Luckily, Charlie's hair was lovely and long so I had plenty to work with! However, I do feel my final images show that it is not very 'bridal'. I really loved the loose, large french plait on the top of Charlie's head as it was the exact style I wanted but the fishtail was too narrow and was difficult to make looser without looking un-styled and too messy or frizzy. I do like the incorporation of the plaited bun as it separated the two styles of plait at the back of her head. As I was not happy having all the hair up in the unsuccessfully styled fishtail plait, I made another attempt at a bridal hairstyle with just the french braid.


This is my second attempt at creating a bridal look. I am much happier with this style as the curls and piece at the back of the head portray more of a bridal hairstyle. I used a pintail comb to tease the hair from the french plait, making it looser and larger. This teased plait would definitely be one I would like to incorporate in a New Elizabethan look amongst crimping or curls. For the back of the hair, I wanted to still keep it as interesting as the bun but less precise so I gripped pieces of curled hair up and away from the direction of Charlie's hair so it would fall back on itself and create volume and more of a shape (than if it were to be pinned in the same direction). The shape of the back piece almost looks like the bottom of a heart shape and I want to try and develop this further into my final design.

Curling, Frizzing and Shaping the Hair

Our week 4 lessons with Lottie and Helen consisted of using each other as models to create an Elizabethan hairstyle using traditional techniques. As I missed week 3's lesson, I had to experiment and produce a style on the spot without a plan.


I had not learned the technique of crimping and frizzing before starting on Beth, so to begin with I started with a spiral curl technique that I was familiar with to incorporate a style of curl into the Elizabethan style. Looking back on my choice, I feel I should've perhaps used a roller curl to create more volume. Once these curls were released, I started to backcomb the front section of her to start shaping it into a heart shape. 

I feel the shape was reasonably successful in creating a high hair-line and a divided, volumized heart shape. However, I feel it could've been much bigger if I had used a hair rat or crimping. This look I created is a simple and toned down version of how I would've wanted it to look. Also, the parting could've been clearer when you are looking above Beth's head. As I knew we had to incorporate a bun shape at the back
of the head, I simply created some rolls at the back to finish the look. I do not feel this could've been my best attempt but as I had missed a previous lesson learning the techniques I realised I have to practise more to create a better look. My finished attempt on Beth was not large enough to compare to an Elizabethan look, and I feel I could've incorporated more techniques (crimping and padding). I really struggled to get to grips with creating a look on the spot, so after the lesson I practised on my model head to perfect crimping and shaping this hairstyle. 



On the Kate model head, I crimped the hair all over and brushed it out to create the 'frizz' used so often in Elizabethan hairstyles. Following that, I divided the hair into a centre parting and backcombed the sides to make the sections sturdy enough to hold itself in the desired heart shape. The first image shows my attempt at this. I feel this second attempt is a more successful shape compared to the one in class as it is much more structured and solid (leaving the heart shape clear), as well as having more of an Elizabethan feel having the crimped texture. I finished the look off with a simple twist bun. The result of incorporated all the hair into this left an unintentional heart shape from the back of the head too. Once I noticed this, I used a pintail comb to tease the heart into the heart shape further. The attempt became much more effective with the shape as well as the frizzing technique. I also developed an idea to incorporate tiny plaits over the backcombed hair to add another dimension to the hair - almost create a cage or adornment on the hair.


In our Elizabethan Adornments lesson, I created a heart shaped plait (shown on this blog post) and developed a successful technique to re-create the look. I wanted to include my new skills into this look to develop it further. The crimping and frizzing technique allowed me to create a raised heart shape within the plait. It also allowed me to have a higher and more rounded front of the hair.


Elizabethan and Modern Curls, Frizz and Shapes

Throughout Elizabethan times, Queen Elizabeth's periwigs had certain attributes that were influential to women across the country. Aside from the fiery red colour, Elizabeth often sported tight ringlets or frizzy curls. These styles could be seen in heart-shaped updo's or, like demonstrated in the portrait, are sections left loose to rest of the shoulders. The wigs were always rounded and soft and usually with an angled centre parting creating the iconic heart-shaped hair line. The ringlets also left a wavy silhouette to periwigs. 
Modern interpretations vary to a degree as the shapes are less defined and are literally more frizzy! The more contemporary craze for backcombing is seen often and is the technique that removes a harsh shape to the hair. Demonstrated in these images I found online, the shapes are loose, large and wispy. Any curls and crimping are roughened up with this technique leaving the model with an identifiable modern Elizabethan look.


Elizabethan Society - Who Wore The Curls?


The Elizabethan era is associated with Queen Elizabeth I's reign through 1558–1603 and is considered to be the Golden Age in England. 

Elizabethan attitudes towards women were shaped often by the tales and ideals drawn from the bible, however, it was becoming a time daughters were inheriting estates and a woman could be queen - although parliament named Elizabeth supreme governor, not supreme head, of the English church (Doran and Jones, 2014). Women of this time were still expected to marry to increase the wealth of their family. Careers were almost non-existent for women and in homes they were seen as inferior to men (Alchin, 2012). Ideal female behaviour suggested that women would be chaste, quiet and obedient. Marriage was expected of all women to be dependant on their male relatives and produce children (preferably males). Some women did manage to negotiate these terms to exercise degrees of independence through passing on successful wills demonstrating their wealth they have collected from the family and distributed it to their heirs. The icon of the era Queen Elizabeth herself, however, made it clear in a public announcement that she was exceptional and did not consider herself a model for other women (Doran and Jones, 2014). Looking back on this historically, it is very ironic how she was the model for makeup and hair throughout her reign and afterwards.

Family life for men in the 1500's was a life of power. They made decisions and orders, expected to be followed by their wives, but also were expected to support their families. A man's earnings would go towards making their children wealthier and improving their social positions for them when they were older. (Alchin, 2012). If a man were to become a widow in this era, he would indefinitely look to remarry (especially if he has children). In a sense, this hastiness removes any importance or love for the previous mother, wife and woman. This reflects the nature of the society between 1550 and 1600.

References



New Elizabethan Plaits and Adornments

Elizabethans are famous for their elaborate accessories and adornments that are incorporated within their fiery red curls. In Helen's lesson this week, we explored various ideas to include ribbons, beads and jewellery into a modern elizabethan design.


Hearts are shown in multiple illustrations and references to the Elizabethans - whether it be there heart-shaped hair line, crimped hair or hair decorations. Therefore, to start an idea I wanted to include the heart shape in a plait at the back of the head. I started by dividing the hair down the middle and moving the bottom part of the hair to one side (to create a half up, half down look). To begin the heart shaped, I faced the model towards me and started a small french plait at the back of the head and plaited it slightly towards me. I slowly curved the plait by bringing in more hair, in each section of the french plait, from the left of the plait and underneath. Once the curve was created, I continued to form a classic french plait towards the nape of the neck. The looser end of the plait allowed the hair to be more relaxed and created a thicker style. 


The difficult part began when I needed to make the shape symmetrical. The first image shown on the left is my first attempt at the second half of the heart. The shape was lost and less defined than my first half. Beginning with the top, it is not tight enough to the scalp so I did not have enough tension and contact to begin with. This then developed into the plait not being controlled and the shape was completely lost. I attempted it again as I found it frustrating how hard it was to complete symmetrically. The second image shows my further attempt that was more successful. The point of the heart shape at the top of the head is more pronounced and defined and the plait becomes looser towards the end. Ideally, this attempt would've defined the heart more all around the back of the head but I practised the skill further at home and developed a technique to produce the shape every time. 


Final attempt in class.
Showing heart shaped front of hair
and adornments in plaits
Practise at home.
The three images on the left show my stages I practised to produce a reliable technique to recreate the style every time. To start with, I separated the hair into a heart shape using a comb to produce the clear line in the hair. Once I achieved the desired shape, I could plait around the shape leaving the definition there. I plaited both sides around the shape to neatly create a heart shaped plait around the sectioned hair. The develop this further I could raised the hair in the heart shape, or pad the front of the hair and curl the hair underneath the design with Elizabethan inspiration. 

After the lesson I wanted to create a second design including more plaits. Again, I divided the hair to allow for different styles and the photos demonstrate the two main plaits. on the left hand side I produced a standard french plait and the opposite plait is a reversed french plait (or a dutch braid). I decided to practise the two different plaits and incorporate them into this look to demonstrate my skills to produce both. I personally prefer the reversed braid as it produced a sleeker and more modern hairstyle. If I continue to develop this idea in the future I would most likely use that plait on both sides. I also added some small basic plaits throughout to add more layers and depth to the hairstyle. Once I develop more Elizabeth techniques, I would like to raise the plaits or crimp and curl the bun at the nape of the neck.


Spiral and Roller Curls

Technical #2 with Lottie Davies

In this lesson, we were looking at two different types of curls: roller curls and spiral curls. We needed to know how to achieve them and the difference in the final results.

Spiral Curls


Setting the curls
To start with, I sectioned the hair into half and then divided the one side again to make it easier to curl all the bits of hair equally. I then took the curling tong and wrapped the hair around the barrel vertically until it reached the head. To prevent burning the scalp, I practised using my plastic comb in between the head and the tong the protect the model. Each piece of hair should be curled the opposite way to the piece before - for example the first piece will be curled away from the way so the next should be curled towards the face. This is so the curls are not uniform as when they drop, otherwise they will all fall the same way and look unflattering. Once the hair had heated up, I released the clip and let the hair out. To set the curls, I used a hair grip to pin the curl together while it cools down. At this point, we were advised not to use any hairspray to keep the hair as natural as possible but to also prevent any whiteness appearing from a combination of mixing heat, hairspray and brushing. 

I continued this technique of curling, releasing and setting all around the half I was working on until it was all curled and cooling down. Once the hair was completely cool, I removed the pins and let the hair drop. The first image below is the hair when it first was released. The curls are loose and layered but are reasonably flat on the top of the hair (as a result of the way it is curled, without the emphasis being on the volume). The other images show the hair once it was shaken and had my fingers run through. The curls have more volume and have merged more. 



I feel with more practise I would be able to complete this task a lot quicker as it took me 30-50 minutes to complete one side of the head. The challenging part was releasing the hair from the heat and pinning it into place before the hair drops and I know the only way to make this easier for myself is the practise! This way of curling is new to me, as I use a curling wand usually, so using a barrel wand has allowed me to gain a new skill in curling and I now understand the most common way to curl so I will be able to confidently use this throughout my career. 

Roller Curls


To start the roller curls, I separated the hair once again and this time the curling barrel is turned sideways and the hair must be curled underneath itself so I creates volume once it has cooled. I pinned each piece again to set it horizontally and continued to curl each piece in the same direction, as this technique is purely about creating the volume and there is less focus on the direction of the curl. Each section of the hair is curled in uniform lines and the sections above and below should be in a bricklaying pattern - the curls should not be in a uniform line going up the head, they should be overlapping. This is so, again, the curls are more flattering but also create more volume. 

The first photo below shows all the layers roller curled and set with hair grips. The middle photograph demonstrates the hair once the pins are taken out - because of the technique of rolling the curl underneath itself, it holds it up and keeps the volume on its own. The final image is the head after it has been shaken and brushed out. Compared the the spiral curls, this hair is extremely volumised with defined ringlets in the hair. This technique would be excellent for Elizabethan hair as it will aid the method of creating buns or high hairstyles, as well as creating the tight curls that are very reminiscent of the 1500's.

As I completed this curling technique after the spiral curls, I had gotten to grips with working with a curling tong and managed to create tighter curls in a quicker time. As well as that, setting these curls were a lot easier and they held themselves up in the time I had to set them. I will continue to use and practise this hairstyle as it is another great technique to curl hair whilst having a lot of volume to work with in future - for example my final New Elizabethan look, an avant garde creation or a runway design.

The 21st Century Take on Elizabethan Plaits

Within the trend of the Elizabethan hairstyles, plaits and twists were often used to create raised and textured updo's. From the Elizabethan portraiture it seems as though the plaits are used to keep the hair out of the face, to hold pearls and jewels within the hair and help the creation of buns. 

With this in mind, in the 21st century plaits are seen in all shapes and sizes. Below are some images showing variations of plaits that have been created in the recent years.  The first image is a bridal look that includes wide, pin-like curls and pearl adornments. The incorporation of pearl-like items in the style is very Elizabethan yet the curls are much more modern than the tight, frizzy Elizabethan curls. The next image is of Rihanna wearing a large braid with her 'Rihanna Red' colour. Compared to the Elizabethan plaits, the length of Rihanna's plait is a contemporary trend as the Elizabethans are rarely known to have had their hair down past their ears. The fiery red tone of her hair, however, is a good relation back to the Elizabethans. The next image in an avant garde type hairstyle including plaits and buns. The two seperate buns on top of the head look like attachments or wigs, much like the historical hairstyles. However, the plaiting technique and hair colour is very different to our Elizabethan ancestors. Perrie Edwards is pictured next with a plait halo - much like a headband. In relation to Elizabethan adornments, this type of plait could be used in place of a French Hood for a New Elizabethan look. The final image is another bridal image but in this photo, the plaits create an updo. This updo is a good medium between an Elizabethan updo and contemporary style plaits.











Some contemporary advertising hair styles also incorporate the signature hair adornments of the Elizabethans. For example, this image of Beyonce in her O2 advert shows various Elizabeth hair techniques (frizzing and crimping) finished off with a crown, much like the portraits of Queen Elizabeth I. 

All these images will be great inspiration for creating a New Elizabethan hairstyle as they all incorporate and advance on historical techniques in a fashionable, contemporary way.

Elizabethan Hair Adornments


Throughout Queen Elizabeth I's reign in England, her hairstyles transformed the trends of the era. Towards the end of her time between 1585 and 1605 periwigs had become popular. Periwigs were made of up curls or frizzed hair styled into tiny wave. They were built into an array of shapes, often symmetrical with a pronounced peak in the centre of the forehead. (Keyes, 1967, Chpt 1585-1605) These precious wigs were often decorated with various adornments: pearls, jewels, feathers and lace. As well as these decorations, the periwigs also held bonnet sized hairs to compliment the heart-shaped hair shape. The hair details often reflected materials and decor in the outfits - for example, the three images on the right above of Elizabeth show pearls in her fiery red hair whilst also being on her elaborate dresses. Also, in the image of the Elizabethan girl on the left her pillbox hat has a complimentary material to go with her formal attire.


A Caul
Hair nets were often incorporated with the elaborate curls. Also known as 'cauls', they were used to cover the back of the hair that could be held up as they often did not cut their hair and this became a useful way to keep the hair out of the face. Caul's were made out of fabric and covered by netting which was often adorned with beads or pearls.


French Hood
Variations of headbands and hats were very common in this era. Elizabeth's mother Anne Boleyn introduced the 'French Hood' which became popular throughout the Elizabethan era. The French Hood is a crescent-shaped head band that rests on on the back on the head with the half-moon shape sloping away from the face. Adornments such as pearls, lace or glass jewels with a veil sometimes covering the back of the hair. An 'Atifet' is a heart-shaped variation of a French Hood. Lace trimmings were more common on atifet's and they often matched the ruffs around the wearer's neck. Pillbox hats were another style of adornment that was worn on the head. It is a small hat that would be worn either to the side or at the back of the head. For the poorer community, a 'Coif' was the most common hat made out of plain white linen and were tied up under the chin. Coif's could also be used as a cap to keep the hair in place for more elaborate headpieces. 
An Atifet                               Elizabethan Pill Box Hat                                 A Coif
References

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