Did You Know?Queen Victoria’s own hairstyle was extremely simple. In her pictures, she is depicted with hair parted in the middle, looped around the sides, and tied in a low bun at the back.It is not just the clothes, but also the hairstyles during the Victorian era that are famous for their beauty and elegance. The Victorian era, which started in 1837 and lasted till 1901, till the death of Queen Victoria, saw a rise in the popularity of many elegant hairstyles. From simple chignons worn at the back of the head to the complex pin-up style pompadours, the hairstyles in this era were definitely varied and complex.
In any era, hairstyles and clothes mirror the aspirations and social changes occurring within society. Since the Victorian era was marked by prudishness, the hairstyles in that era were neat and demure. Unlike women in the Regency era who cut their hair short for fashion, Victorians were enamored with long hair, and almost all women in the era had long flowing hair. Most women had long hair that could be tied up at the back in a neat bun or a twist. The hairstyles were mature and often quite severe, with the hair parted in the middle. Some women even wore hairpieces and ornate combs, while others wore elaborate hats. However, the most significant hairstyle update in this era was the invention off hot irons, which allowed women to crimp their hair and style it into waves. If you too are inspired by the elegant Victorian hairstyles, and want to wear one, then here are some easy instructions on how to achieve these styles.
How to Do Victorian Hairstyles
The Loop
During the first part of the Victorian era and before the Civil war, it was popular among women to arrange their hair in an updo at the back of their head. The hair from the front to the back was arranged in long, sash-like loops that covered the ears. Sometimes the hair was braided and then looped at the back of the head. This simple, everyday style hardly requires any effort and can be done easily by anyone.
To get this style:
★ Part your hair in the middle, using a pin-tail comb. The pointed end of this comb gives you precise partition. Draw a line from the center of the bridge of your nose to get symmetrical parting.
★ Part your hair into two sections, a front section and a back.
★ Twist or braid the front section of the hair and loop it around the sides so that it goes around the ears. Pin it at the back.
★ Take the back section of hair and put it in a low ponytail. Twist the hair, and tie it into a low bun.
Straight Bangs
Bangs were popular among Victorian women as well. They were popular from 1860s to the end of the Victorian era. There were many ways in which the Victorian women adopted bangs and forehead fringes.
To get this hairstyle:
★ Cut the front portion of your hair into bangs. Please get a professional hairdresser to do this instead of trying it yourself.
★ Take the back portion of the hair and tie it into a tight low bun.
Pin Curl Bangs
Curls have always been popular as they are believed to lend a feminine look to your face. During the Victorian era, curls became more creative. Most women incorporated curls with regular hairstyles. So, when the hair was styled with bangs, the bangs were usually styled into tight pin curls. Pin curls are close, tight curls that are achieved by sectioning damp hair and curling each section with your fingers.
To get this hairstyle:
★ Start off with damp hair as pin curls do not work well on dry hair.
★ Divide your hair into a front and back section.
★ Part the front section in the middle using a pin-tail comb.
Part the bangs into small sections for extremely tight corkscrew curls. Wind the sections in a clockwise direction. Slip the wound hair off your finger, and pin it up using a bobby pin.
★ Dry your hair, and unclip the pins. Tie the back portion of your hair into a low bun.
Side Braided Bun
Along with low twist buns, braided buns were also very popular during this era. Usually the hair was tied into a ponytail, and divided into three sections. These sections were braided and then pinned up under the ponytail, or shaped into a neat bun at the back or side of the head.
To get this style:
★ Use a hair wax to slick your hair, and tie it into a side ponytail.
★ Braid the ponytail.
★ Wrap it around for an elegant low side bun.
Crimped Hair
One of the significant inventions in the Victorian Era was the hot iron. Crimping allowed for straight hair to be styled into a “turned up hairstyle” in which the hair was pulled over a hot iron, resulting in an attractive wave. The crimping iron has parallel heated plates with a flat S-shaped repeating groove.
To get this style:
★ Apply a heat protecting serum on dry hair. Use a hair crimper to crimp the entire hair or only the front section of the hair.
★ Tie the hair in a ponytail at the back of the head, and shape it into a bun.
Marcel Waves
You might have seen these wavy hairstyles on celebrities such as Rita Hayworth, but Marcel Waves were quite popular in the Victorian times as well. This is when the Parisian hairdresser M. Marcel Grateau created a new, natural-looking wave by turning a curling iron upside down. Instead of a crimp, you got natural-looking curls. Curls during this era indicated a sweet temperament, and the Marcel waves framing their face helped women achieve the innocent, angelic look. This was often known as Marcelling.
To get this hairstyle:
★ You need a Marcel curling iron. Unlike a regular curling iron with a spring loaded mechanism, a Marcel iron had a lever designed to lock/unlock the device, to hold the hair around the barrel. This curling iron was designed for professional stylists, so unless you are an expert at using curling irons, avoid using this curling iron.
★ Style the hair into one-inch strips. Rotate the lever to open the barrel, insert the hair, and then rotate it again to close the iron.
★ Allow the hair to set for a few seconds. Then rotate the handle of the Marcel iron again to open the iron and release the hair.
★ Continue this for all the sections of your hair.
Chignon
Chignons are created by pinning the hair into a knot and securing it low at the back of the head. Chignons were extremely popular back then, with people opting for false hair or pads for creating enormous chignons. Even Queen Victoria was depicted wearing chignons.
To get this style:
★ Tie your hair back into a low ponytail.
★ Part the hair into two equal-sized sections of the ponytail.
★ Tie the two sections together to form a loose knot. Take one end and wrap it around the right side of the knot you have formed. Do the same for the other end as well. Secure the hair with pins, and apply hairspray.
Pompadour
During the 1880s, the pompadour hairstyle, which is characterized by a high mound at the front of the head, became hugely popular. The hair was swept up from the face, and worn high above the head. Styling this hairstyle is pretty easy.
To get this style:
★ Part the hair by taking a section of hair right at the hairline.
★ Pull the hair up. Using a comb, tease back the hair to create volume. Spritz some hairspray at the roots.
★ Push down the hair straight back while smoothing down the top layer. Secure the pouf with pins.
★ Tie the back portion into a bun.
Gibson Girl Hairstyle
During the early 1900s, hairstyles grew large and poufy. This was also marked by a rise in the popularity of the Gibson Girl. This feminine ideal of beauty was created by illustrator Charles Dana Gibson during a 20-year period that spanned the late nineteenth and early twentieth century in the United States. Her poufy hairstyle became extremely popular during the end of the Victorian Era.
To create this style:
★ Part the front section of your hair, and pull up this section.
★ Hold down the hair, and create a nice pouf in front. Tie the hair into a bun using a hair tie.
★ Brush up the rest of the hair. Hold the two sections together and create a nice pouf. Twist and tie the hair into a top bun and pin around it.
Hairstyles for Victorian Men
Man with Crimped Hair and Mustache
Sideburns and Mustache
Victorian Man with Mustache
The hairstyles of men in this era were usually restricted to short side-parted hair. Some men even crimped their hair. Short hair was often accompanied by various forms of facial hair including mustaches, side-burns, and full beards.
The mix of demure as well as some outrageous hairstyles in this era make it an extremely important phase in hairstyling. If you too want to recreate these styles, then these simple steps will help you achieve the right look.
Instructions for Victorian Era Hairstyles
