My Contemporary Elizabethan Hair Designs

This semester at Solent Hair, we have been given the task to indulge into Elizabethan hair. This unit is called 'Red heads and Royalty', which has already been addressed before on this blog. 

I have researched and have gain a understanding behind Elizabethan hair in the Elizabethan Era. Alongside research and reading on the thoughts behind ELizabethan hair, I have learnt and practiced my hair skills in order to create my contemporary Elizabethan image. 

I would like to achieve the following aims: 

1. Gain a good understanding behind the thoughts and ideas behind Elizabethan hair. 
2. Through research and reading, take inspiration and come up with own contemporary Elizabethan designs. 
3. Gain skills in hair through the process of recreating Elizabethan hair.

When researching Elizabethan images and studying portraits, I have kept a list of the features that are repetitive and stands out as Elizabethan and are also features that I would like to incorporate into my work. These are: 

• Intense Volume and height
• A lot of structure 
• TEXTURE, curls, waves, frizz and ringlets
• Bejewelled, decorated hair.

With this in mind, I came to my 3 final designs. 

Design 1

This design is inspired by the extreme volume and height the Elizabethans wore. Hair is built up with curls and plaits are incorporated to add some extra texture and detail. The flowers are a replacement of the jewels Elizabethan hair was adorned, making the hair more contemporary and adding a slight romantic touch. 

I carried out this design on myself and this is the outcome: 

I am very pleased with how the design came out. I actually used a wig to create part of this design. My real hair is crimped, with a lot of volume, I was able to put my hair in a bun and wrap and secure the wig around it.

Design 2

This hair design is very inspired by the strong structure within Elizabethan hair. This design does not have much texture but has a strong shape, casting almost a heart silhouette which was popular shape in the Elizabethan era. 

I also tried this out and this is the outcome: 

Again, i am very pleased with how this turned out. I used two pieces of padding to create shape on either side of the head and pulled my fringe back to create a bow like effect. There are stray hair around the face, this is not intended but I feel that it gives the entire look some character. 

Design 3

This is the third and final design. I wanted to incorporate curls, volume and height but at the same time making it more contemporary by pulling it to the side, creating a asymmetrical effect.  

After creating this look on myself and presenting this idea, I have chosen to abandon this design. It doesn't have enough Elizabethan features, one needs to look at it see Elizabethan features, this, sadly does not do it.