Over the course of history, the wig, a man made head covering of real or artificial hair, has come and gone from fashion time and time again. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the use of wigs was very sparse in the West for a thousand years until they were recovered in the 15th century as a means of compensating for hair loss or improving one’s personal appearance. There are also a practical purpose: the unclean or insanitary conditions of the time meant that hair attracted head lice, a problem that could be much reduced if natural hair were shaved and replaced with a more easily de-loused artificial hairpieces.
From the 16th century, wigs became very fashionable for over two centuries in the western countries, Why? Except for the above reason, endorsement from royals was crucial to the revival of the wig. The first royal woman who became fond of wigs is Queen Elizabeth I. This was also the age of William Shakespeare’s plays and France Bacon’s philosophy. She often wore a red haired wig, tightly and elaborately curled in a “Roman” style, while among men King Louis XIII of France (1601–1643) started to pioneer wig-wearing. Louis contributed massively to making wigs popular for men after at the age of 17 he began to suffer balding. He worry his bald head would destroy his reputation therefore hiring 48 Wig technicians to make various wigs for his collection. After five years his cousin and King of England, Charles II followed suit, as his hair began to grey. Under their influence, many lower placed officials then began to endorse the trend until, finally, wearing a wig became a fashion for everyone from official to common place people. The costs of wigs then began to increase in the era, until it became a sign of wealth how large and extravagant your wig could be.
The price of a standard wig is 50 shilling. This would be one weeks salary for someone who lived in London at that time. But the more elaborate wigs could be worth up to 800 shillings. Even after Charles and Louis died, the wig fashion did not die. This fashion was largely promoted by his son and successor Louis XIV of France (1638–1715) that contributed to its spread in European and European-influenced countries.
Perukes or periwigs for men were introduced into the English-speaking world with other French styles when Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660, following a lengthy exile in France. These wigs were shoulder-length or longer, imitating the long hair that had become fashionable among men since the 1620s. Their use soon became popular in the English court. The Londoner Samuel Pepys recorded the day in 1665 that a barber had shaved his head and that he tried on his new periwig for the first time:”3rd September 1665: Up, and put on my colored silk suit, very fine, and my new periwig,”Pepys noted on March 27, 1663: “I did go to the Swan; and there sent for Jervas my old periwig-maker and he did bring me a periwig; but it was full of nits, so as I was troubled to see it (it being his old fault) and did send him to make it clean.” With wigs becoming like an item of clothing for men with a social rank, wigmakers gained considerable prestige. A wigmakers’ association was established in France in 1665, a development soon copied elsewhere in Europe. Their job was a skilled one as 17th century wigs were extraordinarily elaborate, covering the back and shoulders and flowing down the chest; not surprisingly, they were also extremely heavy and often uncomfortable to wear. Such wigs were expensive to produce. The best examples were made from natural human hair. The hair of horses and goats was often used as a cheaper alternative.
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