Elizabethan Hairstyles- Plaits and Buns

Plaits and buns were a popular way to keep the hair up during the 16th century and still are today. 

The below image is a close up of the painting The Way To Calvary by Jacopo Bassano which hands in The National Portrait Gallery in london. Painted during the 16th century it depicts an image of a woman wearing her hair in a plait around the head. This would have been a very common way for women to wear their hair in the Elizabethan era.

Jacopo Bassano, (1544), The Way To Calvary [ONLINE]. Available at:http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/jacopo-bassano-the-way-to-calvary/*/x/82/y/-92/z/2[Accessed 04 December 14].

It was common for the women to decorate their hair using jewels and also ribbon. Although more contemporary plaits we see arent accessorised, Oscar De La Renta gave us this version of the plait on his spring summer 2010 runway. The Elizabethan technique of taping is evident here with the ribbon flowing through the models plaits.

Style. 2010. Oscar de la Renta Spring 2010 Ready to Wear. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.style.com/fashion-shows/spring-2010-ready-to-wear/oscar-de-la-renta. [Accessed 04 December 14].

I like this image of Beyonce because not only is she wearing her hair in a bun but because of her braids it is a completely contemporary Elizabethan look.

Peter Webber. 2013. How were Beyonce and Jay-Z able to visit Cuba?. [ONLINE] Available at:http://theweek.com/article/index/242410/how-were-beyonceacute-and-jay-z-able-to-visit-cuba. [Accessed 04 December 14].

In class we learnt how to do plaits and buns. I was already familiar with the classic 3 strand plait but we learnt 2 other techniques as well as how to make the perfect bun.

French Plait

Needed:

·Section clip

·Pin tail comb

·Gown

·Clips & Hair Pins

·Hair Band

Method

1.   Put the gown over your client to protect their clothes.

2.   Do a consultation with your client, checking the hair and asking if they have any allergies. Asking them whether they dye their and check the condition.

3.   Create a clean, wide section using your pin tail comb.

4.   Split the section into three equal sections.

5.   Plait as normal. Adding tension to get the sections tight.

6.   Take a section from the right hand side.

7.   Take the hair over the top, into the middle and plait as normal

8.   Same with the left hand side.

9.   Continue until there is no hair left.

Fishtail plait

1.   Part the hair into two equal sections

2.   Bring the back of the hair round so it sits on the other side of the hair

3.   Continue until there is no hair left.

4.   Take care to make each section equal.

 

Bun

1.   Brush the hair neatly into a ponytail and secure with a hair band.

2.   You should now be left with a ponytail structure.

3.   Split this pony into 4 equal sections.

4.   Grabbing a section, back comb a tiny bit from underneath. This gives it structure very important for someone with heavy hair

5.   Take a clip. Roll the section underneath itself to create a barrel curl.

6.   Place one clip at the front section and one on the other side to secure the roll.

7.   Do exactly the same to the other 3 sections around the head.

8.   Next take hair pins. Start to move the hair around so it joins and at the very base, pinch. bring it in and join it all together to form a classic bun shape.