Elizabethan book research

Book 1- 'Fashion in Hair the first five thousand years'

The Sixteenth century- Pages 159-197

I studied the pages of 171-172 and 197 in the book:
Pages 171-172 spoke about the mid years of the 1500's. The book briefly speaks about Queen Elizabeth and her influence in the era however it mainly describes the ongoing hairstyles throughout the century, what was in fashion and what class wore what hair style. This book as its based solely on hair only speaks about the different hair styles, what hair colours were in fashion, what hair techniques they used and compares English hair styles to what other countries wore also. This book has 38 pages based on the hair styles and fashion of the 16th century. This includes a variety of classes and men and women styles throughout the century. Each century in this book is in order and speaks in the next one if the style was carried through to the next century

I found this book very helpful in detail on the 16th century as a whole. It speaks about Queen Elizabeth but mainly talks about what hair styles were in and what men and women would wear. I feel this book gave me knowledge on the range of hair styles including the different classes of the era and also the different hair styles which were popular in other countries. I think the hair information from this book and the styles, fashion, influences and make up in the first book really helps me get an overall idea of what they would look like in the Elizabethan era. I can take this research forward and use it to help me get an understanding of the Elizabethan look and create my own designs based on the era. 

This is page 197 and it contains drawings of different types of hair styles and who they were worn by.

- Sixteenth-century women 1550-1600

A- Queen Elizabeth 1 (earlier hair style)
B- 1560's style
C- Mid-century 
D-German Peasant 
E- German Peasant 
F- Probably French 
G-German style
H- German peasant
I- Mid-century, Italian style
J-Italian. Duchess Renata of Ferrara 
K- Mid-century, probably French
L- 1560's style
M- Queen Elizabeth 1 (later period hair style)
N- 1579, French. Hair dressed over pads or a wire frame
O- English. Hair dressed over pads
P- German. Hair dressed over pads
Q- 1570's style
R- 1597, Italian. Hair dressed over wire frame
S- 1597, Italian This was also worn with a cone-shaped head-dress
T- 1597, Italian. Horns of hair dressed over a wire frame
U- 1597, Italian. The same treatment of the front hair was also used without the cone shaped arranged at the back. 


The description of the hair styles from the sketches which was labelled with letters and both photos, all this information was sourced from the book 'Fashion in hair the first five thousand years'. A variety of theses sketches are presented throughout the book which really gives you an idea of what the styles looked like through drawings. I found this book very helpful with information based on the 16th century. 



Book 2- "Costume and fashion 1550-1760"


This book speaks widely of the fashion in the 16th, 17th and 18th century. It goes through each detail of the wardrobe of what men and women would wear in each century. Womens fashion in the 16th century is on pages 26-34, I briefly read through the pages and tried to find the section where they speak about the hair fashion, what they would do with the hair and if they wore any head gear. The fundamental innovation for women in this period was also the uncovering of the hair. This may of not be so new in other countries but in such such as France and Britain it was a big step and as

the Italians and Germans already had there hair uncovered and often wore long swinging plaits. In the middle ages every woman who was married or past her youth covered her hair. By 1550 an English lady would still cover her head with a cap, over which fashion placed a French hood.

Court ladies, especially young ones, sometimes went bare-headed, although they usually had a token piece of lace or jewel in the hair. Thus, for the first time, we see hair styles. At first hair was parted in the centre, combed softly back and tucked out of the way in a flat bun behind. For a time it continued to be combed, flat, off the forehead but in the 1560's began to be puffed up and over the brow; soon it was dressed over a wire frame to get the desired hight. The raquette or heart-shaped style was a popular one, in the 1580's it was popular to be curled to the crown and built up higher. By the end of the century it was frizzed and built up in an egg shape. False hair was sometimes used to get the proper effect , as well as wire and padding.

Overall I found this book very informative about the 16th century fashion and hair styles. It talks its way through each decade and how the hair fashion slowly changes through time. It starts with being very covered and then changes to middle parted and straight, then when it hits the the 1580's the hair starts getting larger using padded and wig and the technique of the hair is fashionable to be frizzed or curled. I think this book explained in great detail the styles throughout the era. This information can help me create Elizabethan hair styles further into my unit and I can use this and bring forward these styles to contribute to my own designs.