Padding and hair shaping

Elizabethan hair styles are still used very regular in the 21st century. Many influences of the era are still incorporated in hairstyles today.Hairstyles of the Elizabethan era were characterized by high, frizzed hair and often placed over wires or pads to create a heart-shaped frame around the head. These hairstyles were made easier when the first metal hairpins were invented in England in 1545. The ideal hair was considered to be fair or red in colour and preferably naturally curly as inspired by the Queen herself. Women would supplement their own hair with natural hairpieces sometimes rumoured to have come from horses or even children’s hair. Wigs became fashionable in the last quarter of the century, being first introduced to England around 1572.

The hair fashions and headdresses were all designed to sweep up off the neck and add height to complement the heavily, starched, up-standing collars. The hair was usually frizzed or tightly curled, and was either closely cropped and brushed upwards into a bristle effect with the aid of gum (a similar style to those adopted in the 1950s and 1980s) or had a centre parting with the hair rolled back at the temples over rolls or pads. Later these pads were developed into wire frames called `palisadoes', and the aim was to make the hair appear abundant.

When creating padding yourself it doesn't have to be expensive. The easy way I created a 'Rats' which is the term for padding, is get a cheap pair of thin tights, cut it at the end and fill it with either couch roll or any other item you could put in there. You could create a variety of hair styles with a rats that was used in the Elizabethan era and today; such as a heart shaped beehive or just the tradition egg shaped beehive. 

Wife of Henry Hudleston of Sawston. English School. Oil on canvas. Painted circa 1596. With heart shaped hair style. Elizabethan Era. 

A contemporary Elizabethan hair style. This hair style has influences from the 16th century with the heart shape hair style.

Queen Elizabeth 1 with a beehive round hair style with curls at the front

Contemporary Elizabethan hairstyle, the egg shaped beehive at Chanels pre fall 13 runway show.

A 'rats' that I created myself during a studio session which helped give height to the hair

http://chertseymuseum.org/hair
http://www.hairdressingworld.com/Hairdressing-Design/History-Of-Fashion-And-Hairstyling/elizabethan-period-late-16th-century.html
http://www.pinterest.com/mcadwellfastmai/tudor-elizabethan-hats-hoods-hairnets-snoods/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/people/elizabeth_I/
http://www.vogue.com/slideshow/858545/chanel-pre-fall-2013-runway/#1