You may have thought 1980s perms were huge but Georgian ladies* were the mistresses of big hair.
With no combing possible, lice were inevitable so a special scratching rod was invented for irritated ladies to poke into their piled up hair.
They piled their frizzed and curled locks over pads or wires to create show pieces for the drawing room. Often their own hair was not sufficient and had to be supplemented by horse hair and false pieces.
Styles from the 1760s were domed or egg-shaped, elongating into the pouf in the 1780s. But Georgiana, the infamous Duchess of Devonshire, had to take things a step further. She introduced the three-foot hair tower, ornamented with stuffed birds, waxed fruit and model ships. Following her example, women competed with one another to make the tallest headdress.
Since these styles were costly and took hours to arrange, they were worn for several weeks. Ladies had to sleep sitting up to avoid spoiling their creations.
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| Satirical caricature | 1780 "big hair" themed hairstyle, with objects placed in the hair to make a statement. | photo: Public Domain |
Another incredible creation that became an overnight success consisted of a ship sailing on a sea of thick, wavy hair. It was invented after the naval battle in which the frigate, La Belle Poule, was victorious. It should be noted, however, that to look like this your hairdo had to be supported with wired scaffolding and as such it was extremely heavy.
*The Georgian era of British history is a period which takes its name from, and is normally defined as spanning the reigns of, the first four Hanoverian kings of Great Britain who were all named 'George': George I, George II, George III and George IV. The era covers the period from 1714 to 1830.
