Sunday, 5 October 2014

The Elizabethan continue.

People of high social rank often built the hair into towering masses on the crown of the head; but as a rule the hair was dressed plain, though frequently covered with jewels. The Elizabethan women, as well as the men, dyed their hair, not to conceal the fact that it was turning grey, but to please a passing fancy. There was no attempt to conceal the practice, nor was the same colour always used. In fact, the colour of the hair was made to harmonise with the garments worn upon any particular occasion. Those who did not care to dye their hair wore wigs. The Elizabethans revelled in wigs. The Records of the Wardrobe show that Elizabeth possessed eighty at one time. Mary Stuart, during a part of her captivity in England, changed her hair every day. So usual was this habit, and so great the demand for hair, that children with handsome locks were never allowed to walk alone in the London streets for fear they should be temporarily kidnapped and their tresses cut off. The upper part of a woman's body was cased in a neat, tightly-laced bodice that followed the contour of the body with a fair resemblance to nature. This, however, was the only part of the figure that retained any of its native semblances. The bodice frequently projected downward in a long sharp point over the abdomen; and was often open towards the top to show the breast, or the stomacher of brightly coloured silk beneath crossed laces. It wasn’t a healthy life style, they didn’t know about the dangerous consequences of hair dye, no wonder people died of illnesses it was probably because of lack of health.




https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=elizabethan+make+up+women

No comments:

Post a Comment