Elizabethan Hairstyles

Towards the end of the 16th Century in England, hairstyles had become far more elaborate, as women followed their fashion-consious Queen. Many women padded out their hair to achieve the high styles that were worn by the queen. As women were dying their hair to achieve the flame-red that Elizabeth herself had, their hair became thinner and thinner, due to the harshness of these dyes. This led to the high sales of wigs, for women who were not satisfied with their own hair.

In an Elizabethan Hair Pamphlet by well-travelled Londoner Phillip Stubbes named "The Anatomie of Abuses", he strongly criticised many of the fashions of the Elizabethan era.

"Then followeth the trimming and tricking of their heds in laying out their hair to the show, which of force must be curled, frizled and crisped, laid out on wreathes & borders from one eare to an other. And lest it should fall down, it is underpropped with forks, wyres, & I can not tel what, rather like grim stern monsters, than chaste christian matrones. Then on the edges of their bolstered heir (for it standeth crested round about their frontiers, & hanging over their faces like pendices or vails with glasse windows on every side) there is layd great wreathes of gold and silver, curiously wrought & cunningly applied to the temples of their heads. And for feare of lacking any thing to set foorth their pride withal, at their heyre, thus wreathed and crested, are hanged bugles, ouches, rings, gold, silver, glasses , & such other gewgawes and trinckets besides, which, for that they be innumerable, and I unskilfull in wemens terms, I cannot easily recount."

(Drea Leed,  1996-2008. ‘Elizabethan Costume’ (online). [viewed 17/10/2014] available from: http://www.elizabethancostume.net/stubbes.html)

(Linda Alchin, 2014. 'Elizabethan Makeup (online)' [viewed 17/10/2014] Available from: http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-make-up.htm)

Rats 

To achieve the high styles that Elizabeth had, women used 'Rats' to pad out their own hair. These were pads made out of real hair, and at one end shaped at a point like a nose, with the opposing end rounded, just a like the haunches of a rat. The hair would be sectioned into two, from ear to ear across the top of the head. The back section would then be sewn into a bun (Elizabethans did not have bobby pins like nowadays) and the front section then parted in the centre. The 'rat' would be rolled into the hair starting at the ends, then secured at the scalp to achieve the look of large, tight curls.

Long hair

Hair was worn long and down by the younger women of the Elizabethan era. Long hair worn down was a sign of a virgin, and favoured by the young women, and especially for a woman on her wedding day. Once married, the hair would be worn up. 

Elizabeth Vernon, Countess of Southampton. Unknown English artist (circa 1598)

Coif 

The Coif (often referred to as the 'big gin') was worn by many women and children. It was a plain white linen, covering the ears and head, tied under the chin. It was worn for warmth, protection from the elements, and to keep the hair out of the face, and worn by women of all classes. 

A clear depiction of a Coif appears in the portrait sketches by Hans Holbein in the 1530s. This one shows Anne Boleyn wearing a coif, fastened under the chin. 

French Hood

A French Hood was worn towards the back of the head. It was made on a stiff foundation, each side covering the ears. Anne Boleyn is primarily credited with bringing this style into England, during her stay in France she adopted this continental fashion, and upon her return, still fashioned it. French Hoods were one of the lasting fashions in this era. 

Elizabeth Seymour wearing a French Hood - Hans Holbein The Younger, c.1540

(Isobel Bedingfield, October 2004. 'Extreme Costuming' (online).  [viewed 17/10/2014] available from: http://www.extremecostuming.com/articles/twoelizabethanhairstyles.html)