Long Hair In History
- Long hair dates back at least to ancient Greeks and Romans.
- Women in that society had longer hair than men.
- Only healthy, well-nourished people have long hair.
- Long hair was considered a status symbol since it meant the woman had maids to help her dress, bathe and comb her hair.
- Throughout history, long hair became a synonym for women who needed care.
- In 1920, once women started not wanting to be taken care of, they cut their hair, and bob haircut appeared for the first time.
- Highborn men also wore their hair long because they had helpers to care for their long hair.
- Gothic warriors in Italy at the beginning of the last millennium were known as capillati or long-haired men.
Historical Hair
- Social class, age, ethnicity, race, and genetics determined hairstyles throughout history up to the late 20th century.
- In ancient Egypt, 4000-300BC, males and females wore long straight hair and braids with elaborate headdresses.
- Wigs were common in ancient Egypt in the years 4000-300BC.
- In ancient Greece, during the years1500-150BC, long knotted long hair and updos were hairstyles for females.
- In ancient Greece, males and females decorated their hair with crowns made of leaves, such as laurel wreaths.
- In ancient Greece, women decorated their updos with jewels.
- In ancient Rome, 500 BC–500AD, males and females wore blonde hair dyed with gold powder.
- In ancient Rome, during the same period, males and females curled their hair with the help of ancient curling tongs.
- In the Dark Ages, noblewomen wore headdresses and covered hair.
- Unmarried women in the Dark Aged wore a fillet, a narrow headband over a wimple.
- During the Romantic era, noblewomen’s preferred hairstyle was loose curls.
- Lower-class women of the Romantic era wore their hair in a page boy style, short or mid-length.
- Women in the Gothic period covered their headdresses, bonnets, hats, or hoods.
- In the Renaissance era, women decorated their hair with ribbons, pearls, and precious stones.
- During the Baroque period, women wore their hair with voluminous updos.
- Wigs make an appearance in the 1700s for men and women.
- In the Victorian era, 1837-1860, women covered their ears with curls or braids.
- In the Art Nouveau period, 1890-1910, women wore more relaxed updos decorated with ribbons and delicate headdresses.
- In the 1920s, short hairstyles for women became popular.
- During the 1920s, the rave was about simple and sleek hairstyles.
- The cloche hat became a must-hair accessory for women of the 1920s.
- The iconic 1920s finger waves were embellished with bejeweled combs and delicate headdresses.
- Side-swept, thick wavy hair and pencil-thin eyebrows were the hairstyle of choice for women of the 1930s.
- Victory rolls and headscarves became the hairstyle of choice of women of the 1940s.
- Structured hairstyles with volume became the staple for women of the 1950s.
- In the 1950s, headscarves, and bands became fashion accessories rather than a necessity.
- In the 1960s, asymmetric, bouffant, bobs, beehives, and long, straight hairstyles adorned with flowers became popular.
- 1970s hair was voluminous with layers and a center parting.
- Punk hair with spikes and multicolored mohawks make an appearance in the 1970s.
- The 1980s hairstyles were about volume, bangs, fringes, and textures.
- The 1990s were all about simple hairstyles celebrating all hair textures.
- In the 2000s, hair has become a symbol of identity and self-expression without rules and norms.
Historical Samurai Hair
- Chonmage, is the name of the Samurai topknot Hairstyle.
- Other classes of old Japan also wore Chonmage.
- The Samuraigathered their hair and threaded through the tehen, the hole in the top of a kabuto (helmet) to hold the kabuto in place.
- The Samurai shaved the tops of their heads to make wearing the kabuto helmet more comfortable.
- The way Chonmage worked was to shave the top of the head. Then wear the remaining long and oiled with Tsubaki (camellia oil) and gather it high at the back in a ponytail. Lastly, they tied it with a string of tightly wound washi paper. The oiled hair was then folded forwards; another tie would hold this in place so it could be worn sitting over the top of the shaved pate.
- In 1873, the Meiji Emperor had his topknot removed, and a more western styled haircut was adopted.
- In 1876, the chonmage topknot was abolished once the Samurai and the Samurai law was banned.
- The banned on the chonmage Samurai hairstyle is still in place today, and wearing it in Japan means breaking the law.
- Only sumo wrestlers were allowed to maintain the chonmage.
Chopsticks In Hair History
- The first wear of chopsticks or hairpins in the hair date back to the Bronze Age between 4000 and 3000 B.C.
- The Ancient Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Germanic women wore hairpins.
- The first ancient hairpins were made of bone and wood.
- As hairpins or chopsticks evolved, they were made of precious metals and decorated with gemstones, engraving, filigree, and granulation techniques.
- Hair clips made of wire and flexible metals date to the Etruscan civilization.
- In China, chopsticks date back first to the Shang dynasty, 1600 to 1050 BC, and the chopsticks were made of bone.
- Chopsticks and hairpins as adornment reached their peak popularity during the Tang 618–907AD.
- Chopsticks and hairpins became mainstream during the Song dynasty 960–1279AD.
- By the Song dynasty, chopsticks and hairpins were made in luxurious materials such as gold, silver, jade, and other gemstones.
- In China, strict rules surrounded who could and couldn’t wear hair chopsticks.
- Chinese women were allowed to wear hair chopsticks after reaching 15 to 20 years of age.
- Royal Chinese concubines who committed grave errors had their rights to wearing hair chopsticks revoked.
- Hair sticks were common gifts from the Chinese emperor to his officials.
- Wearing chopsticks in hair is tied to Asian and African cultures.
Sources: All Womens Talk, History, The Economist, Samurai World, NIH, Bellatory, Tidal, fashionologia, Yun.
