Mirrors of the Past: The Art of Victorian Hairstyles

Lots of pretty pictures today! Be sure to read all the way to the end!

Creating Victorian hairstyles

This beautiful art demanded a significant amount of time spent in front of the mirror. Although some 19th century women wore their hair very simply, the iconic hairstyles of that era featured elaborate updos. In some ways, they remind me of the 1980s, which some remember as the Era of Big Hair. (Don’t you love our aviator glasses?)

Defying Victorian custom, Susan B. Anthony and her reformer friends cut their hair short to wear with bloomers in the early 1850s. They adopted these changes, which they called “rational dress,” in reaction to the restrictive corsets and some twenty pounds of skirts and petticoats that dragged in mud and had to be laundered. Short hair also made their lives simpler because it was easy to wash and did not have to be carefully arranged every day.

Unfortunately, society was not ready for such a big change. Here’s what Susan said:

The outcry against [the costume] extended from one end of the country to the other; the press howled in derision, the pulpit hurled its anathemas and the rabble took up the refrain. On the streets of the larger cities the women were followed by mobs of men and boys, who jeered and yelled and did not hesitate to express their disapproval by throwing sticks and stones . . . .     113 Harper.

After that brief period, Susan’s hairstyle hardly changed throughout the rest of her life.

 

This lovely full-color image above shows a more glamorous (and time-consuming!) Victorian hairdo.  As the century passed, styles became fuller and more elaborate, ending with the voluminous Gibson Girl style, my favorote. Here’s how it’s done, although there were many variations. I’m working on it because when I portray Annie in costume, I will do it at the end of her life (and of the Victorian era). My first event is next month!

Seeking a more romantic look

Aside from spending a lot of time dressing and fixing their hair, those 19th century women also did a lot of things that we practical 21st century women have forgotten. (For example, they often dosed their families with herbal medicine and made their own bread, soap, etc.) Most of us today enjoy the simpler hairstyles and comfort of unrestricted clothing that Susan promoted. But now and then I get the hankering for a more romantic look. With this in mind, I started growing my hair several years ago in order to put it up the way Annie would have.

Here you see one of my first attempts, which looked okay from the front, but I couldn’t get the fullness on the sides despite following the directions. Clearly, I need another tutorial on big hair. And I’m quite sure that I could more easily achieve the look if I had a lady’s maid to do it for me!

 

Letting your hair down

Today I’d like to share a vignette about letting your hair down that didn’t make it into Secrets to the Wind.  Annie and Daniel are walking on a Martha’s Vineyard beach on a gusty day when her hair comes down. Lucky for them, their chaperones don’t want to get sand on their shoes, or they would have prevented this moment from happening:

When the chaperones’ carriage could no longer be seen behind the dunes, Daniel turned Annie toward him and gazed deeply into her eyes. He smoothed her hair, held it back at both temples, and brought her face slowly forward to meet his kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck, savoring the moment. Being this near to Daniel was like nothing she had ever dreamed of. Behind her the tide rushed in, heightening her sense that something new was entering her life.

<Sigh.>Nothing like romance!

Although Secrets to the Wind is part of a historical trilogy about the Anthonys, it’s also their romantic courtship story. If you love hearts-and-flowers, happily-ever-after books set in the past (when women had big hair!), be sure to get a copy. And here is a collection of romances for you to explore:      Sweet January Romance Reads

Sending pre-Valentine’s Day love

As we kick off the new year, I want to extend my heartfelt appreciation to all the “early adopters” of Secrets to the Wind. Your kind words and enthusiastic feedback mean the world to me and inspire me to keep pushing forward with Book Two. (Next week I’m sending my new baby off  for its second edit!)

I have two humble requests:

1. If you’ve added the book to your e-reader’s “to be read” list, I encourage you to dive in and start reading it! This helps Amazon track how many pages are being read, which is vital for visibility.

2. If you’ve already finished reading Secrets to the Wind, please leave a review on Amazon. Even a few words can guide potential readers and signal to Amazon that this novel deserves more attention.

Bonus pictures!

Wanting to cheer those inundated with snow this week, I took a picture of sun streaming through my red vases. And then I noticed, to the left of center, the first sign of growth on my amaryllis bulb. I love to grow this amazing flower in the dead of winter as a reminder of hope for spring. Stay warm!