Showing posts with label Research. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Research. Show all posts
Saturday, 28 November 2015

Bibliography

Books
  • Jean Keyes. 1967. A History of Women's Hairstyles 1500-1965. Published by Methuen & Co (London) Chapters: 1550-1565, 1565-1585, 1585-1605.
  • Susan Doran and Norman Jones. 2014. The Elizabethan World. Published by Routledge (Oxfordshire) Chapter: Society – Women. Pages 335-349


Websites


Films
  • Elizabeth 1998 (Film) Directed by Shekhar Kapur


Visits/Exhibitions

  • Tudor and Elizabethan Portraits – National Portrait Gallery (15th October)
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Monday, 9 November 2015

Modern Bridal Half Updo's - New Elizabethan Design Inspiration

Following my final hair design process and the trials of achieving this look on my hair, I wanted to further research modern bridal updo's to refer back to. I want to make sure I am able to incorporate these ideas with Elizabethan techniques. I used pinterest and google to find some images that reflect my ideas of a New Elizabethan bridal updo.

 Each look has the hair carried back and away from the face into a small quiff or raised area at the back of the head. This will be to keep the attention on the bride and emphasis their beauty, not to detract from it. On my design, I feel this has been included through the crimped, backcombed hair pulled back into a circle shape to demonstrate the Elizabethan high hairline and frizzing technique combined with modern shaping and styling ideas. These images often also have a focal area to break up the gap between the quiff and curls underneath. Some have a bunch of curls, wrapped round hair or buns. For mine, I have the plait and modern bun as two more sections to add a modern twist on top of the Elizabethan techniques shown at the front and top of the hair design. Finally, the curls complete the look. I wanted to include ringlet style curls to reflect back to typically modern bridal hair styles. Having researched historical and modern looks, I have to achieve my final style including an array of ideals from each era. 
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Tuesday, 3 November 2015

Anne of Denmark - National Portrait Gallery

On our trip to London, we visited the National Portrait Gallery. Specifically, we looked around the Tudor and Elizabethan section. The Tudor section was overwhelmed with royalty and many portraits of Queen Elizabeth I herself, however, one image caught my eye through her angelic ora. 'Anne of Denmark' was painted at the end of the Elizabethan era, between 1605 and 1610, and demonstrates the wife of King James VI in an elegant silvery-blue gown and simply elegant makeup. This portrait reminded me instantly of a bride through the pale colours used in the material of her dress, the pearls wrapped around her chest representing virginity and her polished, pale complexion and neat hair to show royalty and wealth. The reason I have chosen to include this particular portrait in my research is to show a style of hair and makeup that symbolises to me an Elizabethan bride to tie in with my final New Elizabethan bridal design. 
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Thursday, 29 October 2015

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.

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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. 
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Tuesday, 27 October 2015

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/
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Monday, 26 October 2015

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

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Monday, 19 October 2015

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.
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Monday, 5 October 2015

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.
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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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Wednesday, 30 September 2015

Historic and Contemporary Elizabethan Comparisons


Historic

  • Colour: ginger/auburn/strawberry-blonde. The portraits show variations of red hair demonstrating the trade of the colour but also the importance and popularity of wigs.
  • Texture: structured/curly/set. It seems as those the hairstyles were similar in the way they are held and styled as the curls remain sleek and shaped purposely to reflect Queen Elizabeth's iconic look.
  • Shape: tight curls/updo's/rounded/tall. All the women have very high hair-lines following the trend of plucking the front hairs to create a bigger forehead. Most of the imagery visualises the trend of tight ringlets taken up in a either a heart shaped up-do or a rounded style. The hair almost becomes crown-like and symmetrical. 
  • Decoration: jewels/pearls/crowns. The jewellery is used to show the decadence of the era and reflect royalty.



Modern
  • Colour: red/vibrant/orange. These women model an enhanced style influenced by the Elizabethans as their hair is an amplified red. As opposed to the historic images, the hair is more vibrant. 
  • Texture: volume/fluffy/layered. Instead of tight, ringlet curlys the hairstyles demonstrated above are brushed out curls - making it volumized and intensely layered. The catwalk look incorporates the heart-shaped trend from the Elizabethan era through backcombing.
  • Shape: large/wavy/loosely styled. The shapes within Modern Elizabethan styles are much less styled and are more free and messy.
  • Decorations: barely any. Either the face will be decorated or a headpiece may be incorporated within the hairstyle.
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Introduction to Elizabethan Hair

The first thing I think of with the word 'Elizabethan' is red hair. All portraiture and modern interpretations have a variation of the red colour in their hairstyles. This stems from Queen Elizabeth's iconic royal updo's. 'By 1550 the fashion of frizzing the hair had arrived from France. This was done in a similar way to modern backcombing, the hair then being brushed over pads and wires frames to hold out the style on the temples' (Keyes, 1967, pg 7). A trend Queen Elizabeth also started was the use of wigs. It is suggested by historians she is known to have more than 80 wigs throughout her reign. These popular wigs that would be re-created following Elizabeth were mostly made up of curls or frizzy hair. They were built up into a variety of shapes, usually symmetrical or heart-shaped with the peak in the centre of the forehead. (Keyes, 1967, pg 11). The photo from the book 'A History of Women's Hairstyles 1500-1965' demonstrates the evolution of the heart-shaped updo's. As well as the common tight and frizzy curls, bonnet size hats became a massive part of the style. They add various shapes and textures into the look. 

 In the Elizabethan Era, men's style was also transformed. The Elizabethan man 'was more inclined to 'feminine ways' due to the atmosphere of court life which was orientated to the whims and desires of a woman' (Gunn, 1973, pgs 70-88) following Elizabeth I's reign. Masculine hair trends for the English man became moderately long and curled with groomed and pointed beards and moustaches. Men also had their own ways, like wigs, to keep their hairs in place - gum! 

The updos, textures and colours throughout Elizabethan hairstyles will be a great place to start with my personal evolution to create my own 'Modern Elizabethan' hair style. 

Book used for reference:
Jean Keyes, 1967, A History of Women's Hairstyles 1500-1965, London, Methuen & Co

Fenja Gunn. 1973. The Artifical Face, A History of Cosmetics. Published by David & Charles (London). Chapter: Late Fifteeth and Sixteeth Centuries
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