Late Victorian Hairstyling

Mid Victorian Hairstyles

 The late Victorian period is shown as being from about 1870 - 1901, the hair during this time was a lot more elaborate and less structured around the face, the curls have shifted from around the face to the back of the hair, fringes were often short and curled and women often wore hats and flowers in their hair.


Late Victorian Hairstyles showed a rapid change in how women would wear their hair, false hair spread like wildfire women often wore so many hairpieces that their hair underneath was often obscured, most of this hair came from Paris the prices ranged from fifteen to two hundred dollars (£71 in our terms). During the late Victorian times a brown hair dye was introduced by Mr. Condy of Battersea and it consisted of a solution of permanganate of potass, and stained the hair to a chestnut hue. The few women who had an abundance of hair of their own tended to wear it in "thick plaits, turned up and fastened at the top of the head, the arrangement completed with a bow of ribbon."

Late Victorian Hairstyles

Women gained extra padding to their hair by using pads, that were composed of long, large sausage like separate pieces that were only held together at the top, this enabled the hair to be dressed higher than ever and would tower high above the forehead.
The year 1872 found that ribbons were fashionable for head-dresses, the ribbons were made up into bows, which nestle in a fullness of white lace, and pins were worn in the hair, they sometimes had filigreed gold or silver heads or were enamelled with butterflies or flowers. In 1872 Marcell also created the first curling iron and the Marcell wave, this was created by holding the curling iron upside down and it imitated the natural curl of the hair, so it was less of a crimp more of a curl. Hair was sometimes seen to be a reflection of a girls character, curls indicated a sweeter temperament, whilst straight hair was seen as more reserved or even awkward, and hair was pinned up as a right of passage.

For men in the late Victorian Period beards gradually disappeared leaving only the moustaches, men used Olive Wax Pomatum 'for fixing and lying the hair, whiskers and mustaches.' and it was 'highly perfumed, each stick was wrapped in tin foil.'

Warner M . (Unknown). Victorian Hair. Available: http://www.hairarchives.com/private/victorian1new.htm. Last accessed 14th Feb 2016.

Corson R (1965). Fashions in Hair - The First Five Thousand Years. London: Peter Owen Publishers. p 398 - 463.

Courtas G (1973). Womens Headdress and Hairstyles in England From AD600 to the Present Day. Essex: The Anchor Press Ltd. p 112 - 144.