Gothic Beauty: Victorian Hairstyling

Lecturers Demonstration

Early Victorian Hairstyle

Equipment-

Hair curlers (small-medium size tongs)
Hair brush
comb
hairband
grips and large clip (to hold the hair out of the way)
hairspray (if needed)

Lecturers demonstration

In our first Hair practical lesson studying the Victorian era our lecturer Helen provided us with a slide show showing us a variety of hair styles throughout the Victorian era. Once a variety of photographs of the period was shown Helen got straight into demonstrating a hairstyle that we needed recreate ourselves.

Firstly the front of the hair was sectioned away from the back of the hair and was gripped up. Next was to create the bun at the back, it wasn't very popular to have a low bun so we had to make sure it was either right as the centre of the back of the head or a high bun on top of the head. The bun could be created how we wanted either gripped into places, twisted into a bun or plaited and then twisted. I chose to place it in a mid ponytail and then twist the hair loosely round and grip into place.

My kate head, I starting by
parting the front and creating
a bun

Once the bun was finished I started on the front part of the hair where our lecturer demonstration creating ringlet curls down the side of the head with tongs (which was very to have the curls at the side of the head, however later years on move slightly further to the back of the head). I then used the end of my pintail comb and sectioned the front first section of the hair which I wanted to curl. I pre heated my curling tongs (I used small tongs) and started from the bottom and rolling the hair up into the tongs to create a ringlet effect. I then loosely slid the tongs out and the ringlet was formed.

Once I created the first curl I started sectioning the rest of the hair and curling each section one after the other. This was quite a traditional hairstyle for an early Victorian woman as the mid-high bun was popular and the multiple ringlets on the side of the head was worn in this period. Overall I was very pleased with the outcome of my design I think it went really well and the time frame for completing it was efficient. The hair style is quite basic however in the early Victorians is was know the have simple neat hair styles as the elaborate ones came in later in the century. I think I do need some more practise on creating the ringlets as I think they could of been more neater and together. Unfortunately my Kate dolls hair is a little frizzy so its hard to create a smooth overall (ill have to buy her some hair serum).