A Gentleman’s Wig.
Text and Illustrations: GERI WALTON
Besides the Tie-Wig, the Bob-Wig (Minor and Major) also became popular in the 1700s. It arrived on the scene during King George II’s reign.
What made this Wig popular was it “was a direct imitation of the natural hair, and was used chiefly by the commonalty [Editor: The common folk].
“The ’prentice Minor Bob was close and short; the citizen’s Bob Major, or Sunday Buckle, had several rows of curls.”[4]
In France, Bag Wigs were called “Peruqes à la Regencé”. They came into fashion when the Duke of Orléans was serving as Regent (1715-1723) to King Louis XV.
Bag Wigs came into vogue in England a little later, around 1730. When they first appeared, they were not as popular as other style of Wigs, because these Wigs were claimed to have originated with French servants, “who tied up their hair in a black leather bag as a speedy way of dressing it, and keep it out of the way, flowing curls being thought out of place for a man waiting at table.”[6]
Bag Wigs got their name because they were exactly that, a Bagged Wig. In England, the long hair at the back of the Wig was placed in a black silk bag. Then, the ribbons attached to the bag, were pulled to the front and tied in a bow, known as a “Solitaire.”
Those who wore Wigs also powdered them. In fact, at universities, there were rooms set aside to accomplish this powdering. Powdering was applied fresh each morning by a gentleman’s valet. Powder was initially created from beanmeal, cornflour, wheat flour, “starch, alabaster, or plaster of Paris.”[7]
Eventually, just starch was used. Powders came in a variety of colours, too, with coal dust being used to create black hair powder. Additionally, perfumers quickly became experts in colouring the hair, and, for a time, it was quite fashionable to shade the hair to match the degree of mourning a person was undergoing. To learn more about powdering, click here.
Scents were also added to the hair. For instance, pomade or pomatum was a greasy substance, or ointment, that was scented or perfumed and used to give hair a shiny, slick appearance, as well as keep the hairstyle in place, and even women like Marie Antoinette or the Princesse de Lamballe used this product.
What made this Wig popular was it “was a direct imitation of the natural hair, and was used chiefly by the commonalty [Editor: The common folk].
“The ’prentice Minor Bob was close and short; the citizen’s Bob Major, or Sunday Buckle, had several rows of curls.”[4]
Lord Bolingbroke in a full Dress Wig.
Courtesy of Wikipedia.
The Macaronis [Editor: A pejorative term used to describe a fashionable fellow of Mid-18th-Century England. Stereotypically, men in the macaroni subculture dressed, spoke, and behaved, in an unusually sentimental and androgynous manner] similarly introduced a toupee that was supposed to be natural.
It had a large “Queue”, which required the hair to be very long to be fashionable. The Wig, having been made to imitate natural hair, became, in its turn, the model, and the natural hair was [soon] arranged to imitate the Wig.”[5]
It had a large “Queue”, which required the hair to be very long to be fashionable. The Wig, having been made to imitate natural hair, became, in its turn, the model, and the natural hair was [soon] arranged to imitate the Wig.”[5]
Philippe Coypel in a Bag Wig in 1732.
Courtesy of Wikipedia.
Bag Wigs came into vogue in England a little later, around 1730. When they first appeared, they were not as popular as other style of Wigs, because these Wigs were claimed to have originated with French servants, “who tied up their hair in a black leather bag as a speedy way of dressing it, and keep it out of the way, flowing curls being thought out of place for a man waiting at table.”[6]
Bag Wigs got their name because they were exactly that, a Bagged Wig. In England, the long hair at the back of the Wig was placed in a black silk bag. Then, the ribbons attached to the bag, were pulled to the front and tied in a bow, known as a “Solitaire.”
Eventually, just starch was used. Powders came in a variety of colours, too, with coal dust being used to create black hair powder. Additionally, perfumers quickly became experts in colouring the hair, and, for a time, it was quite fashionable to shade the hair to match the degree of mourning a person was undergoing. To learn more about powdering, click here.
Scents were also added to the hair. For instance, pomade or pomatum was a greasy substance, or ointment, that was scented or perfumed and used to give hair a shiny, slick appearance, as well as keep the hairstyle in place, and even women like Marie Antoinette or the Princesse de Lamballe used this product.
PART THREE FOLLOWS.
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