My Project And Current Understanding of Elizabethan Hair

This first project is called 'Red Heads and Royalty' and I have to research, explore and experiment with Elizabethan hairstyles. This exploration will lead up to a final look, that I will be designing for myself, which incorporates Elizabethan style and techniques with a contemporary twist.  My understanding of Elizabethan hair is currently limited as I have never closely studied this time period before. Any knowledge I have gained is mostly through watching films and briefly looking at portraiture. I am however looking forward to learning new skills and more about hair from this interesting period in history. I do however know that light coloured hair such as blondes and reds was popular as it resembled youth as well as wealth. Many of these trends were set by Queen Elizabeth I who, during this time, became a style icon. Plaits and buns were also highly abundant. On the website 'sixwives.info', hair dye is described as becoming popular amongst rich tudor women. The main choices of colour were blondes and reds. Yellow hair dye was made from saffron, cumin seed, celandine and oil. Therefore this was an important era for change and style revolution, making it an even more exciting time to learn about.