Experimenting with domestic receipts: historic hair washes.

Image from ClipArtETC.

Over the years of reading historic household manuals, etiquette books, and cookbooks, I have seen many recipes and instructions for making cosmetics, personal cleansers and any number of toiletries, and while my allergy to almonds prevents me from trying many of them (since almond oil seems to have been a popular ingredient), I have recently been experimenting with some of the recipes for hair washes.  It began in the spring – I don’t remember exactly how – with me reading the recommendations posted to a discussion forum for people with long hair.  People were doing so many different things to encourage their hair to grow, to improve its texture, and it never really occurred to me that using anything other than my modern shampoo and conditioner would make a difference with my hair.  My hair is waist-length, very fine, and I don’t have much of it, but it has good color and a smooth texture, and I’ve been pretty satisfied with my regular hair-care routine, which is as minimal as I can make it!  I’m not one for serums and other products in my hair; I basically shampoo and condition 3 times a week, brush it every morning and evening, and wear it in a ponytail every day.  I own a can of hair spray, a canister of mousse and a tube of hair gel, as well as an assortment of bobby pins and hair pins, which I use when I put my hair up into a historic hair style, but that’s pretty much it.  However, the women on the hair forum were discussing the use of regular bar soap, bar shampoos, and various hair rinses instead of commercial shampoos and conditioners for cleaning their hair.  It was intriguing to think that I might be able to get out of buying huge bottles of shampoo and conditioner, and still keep my hair in good condition.

Victorian costuming for women: caps and headresses.

_Graham's Magazine_, 1849. Wikipedia.
A woman old enough to be accepting gentlemen callers was expected to make sure that her hair was arranged attractively at all times, and if she couldn't manage that (like in the middle of the night, at breakfast, or when doing vigorous housework) then she was provided with hundreds of attractive cap styles so she could cover up her hair. Caps were also supposed to help keep the hair cleaner longer, in the same way that clothes absorb oil and sweat and help keep the skin cleaner. Women who were middle-aged or who had children were expected to wear some kind of cap almost everywhere, allowing them to just put their hair up neatly rather than elaborately, and allowing thinning and graying hair to be covered. You might keep this in mind when you wear your costume.

Of course, your hair should be parted in the middle and pinned up as smoothly as possible whether or not you wear a cap. Night caps, like the well-known "mob caps", were not worn outside the bedroom, or perhaps the breakfast room, in the Victorian era. Elderly or conservative ladies often wore caps under their bonnets when outside their own home. Depending on the formality of the occasion, a cap can have white lace, self-fabric ruffles, colored silk flowers, embroidery and ribbons decorating it. Simpler designs for the morning and at home, fancier for the evening or when expecting visitors. Day caps of the period covered the top of the head from ear to ear, and often had ruffles framing the face at the front edge, and ribbon bows over each ear and/or hanging down over the hair at the back. Visit the Cranford web page to see several cap styles for middle-aged and older women.

An easy “cheat” that results in a fairly period Victorian look, is to get a white lace-trimmed hanky, cut or fold it into a triangle, and bobby-pin it on top of your head, with the large point hanging down over the back of your head, and the fold or cut edge going across the top of your head in front of your ears. If you can sew or hot-glue, you can make a very simple cap by getting a piece of fine or semi-sheer white fabric that is at least 3 inches wide and at least 9 inches long, hem it (turn under the fabric edges and sew or glue in place), and glue or sew lengths of lace in overlapping horizontal lines on it, decorating it further with ribbon bows and/or pastel silk flowers over each ear and/or in the center.

Women doing war work in snoods, 1942. Wikipedia.
A popular headdress among modern Victorian costume wearers is called a "snood" and is like a hair net, but it is made out of colored crocheted yarn. The colored yarn snood did not exist during the 1850s and 1860s! It was a product of the 1940s and the practical styles that women wore while doing war work. The Victorian predecessor was called a hair net, or just a "net", and was black or "blonde" (natural unbleached silk), made from knotted silk thread. It was decorated with a line of ribbon bows or rosettes around its edge. For fancier occasions, a net could be made out of narrow velvet ribbon, with velvet ribbon bows and perhaps a tassel hanging off the back. The wearer's hair was pinned up as usual underneath, and the net was pinned in place, running across the top of the head from ear to ear about 2 to 3 inches back of the hairline, behind the ears, and following the hairline at the nape of the neck. The decorative ribbons on the net framed the face.

1855. Bancroft Library Collection.
A good option is to get a regular "lunch lady" hair net, in black or to match your hair, and glue or sew some bows -- coordinating with your dress -- along the edge. If you can't find a regular hair net you can wear a crocheted “snood”, but choose a black one, or match your hair color, rather than a bright color. Instead of decorating your net and bobby-pinning it to your hair, you can thread a satin ribbon through the edge of the net, and tie it in a bow on top of your head when you put it on. Whatever you choose, remember that the hair net is an ornament to the hair, not the thing that keeps your hair out of your face. Your hair should be pinned up inside, filling out the net at the back if you want, or not, and gelled or hair-sprayed so that it won't come loose and wisps of hair won't stick through the mesh. Don’t just pull it on like a shower cap and tuck your loose hair into the back! A net is generally worn without a bonnet, although it can be worn with a hat, especially a riding hat or a toque (pillbox shape with no brim).

Victorian costuming for women: hair arranging.

Victoria Fashion magazine. 1869 fashion plate. Wikipedia.
Even though the Great Dickens Christmas Fair has ended for the year, there are many 19th century-themed events scheduled for 2010 in various parts of North America, and appropriate Victorian costume is a good addition to the ambiance. One detail that can really distract from an otherwise good Victorian appearance is a modern hairstyle. Hair that was loose, "piecey", wispy, or with "body" was not the stylish ideal for women! Women's hair was supposed to be glossy, smooth, controlled, off the face, and elegant, and anything else was considered sloppy, un-groomed, and unbecoming.

When you wear a Victorian costume, your hair should not be in an obviously modern style. At the very least, your hair should be parted in the middle, smoothed down (use mousse or gel for this), pulled back and pinned at the back of your head. If you have bangs, even they should be parted and slicked back, and they can be twisted together and pinned back to hold them in place. Although it is the current style for grown women to wear their hair down, for Victorian outfits, avoid wearing your hair loose if you are older than 12 years old! Even actresses and prostitutes wouldn't have worn their hair down in the streets unless they were "advertising" ...

Wikipedia image, 1840s.

Long hair can be braided or coiled into a bun and pinned up above the nape of your neck. If your hair isn't too long, or if it is shorter around your face, you can pin or slick back most of your hair, and curl your front hair (over your temples, in front of your ears) into ringlets that hang in front of your ears. These were called "sausage curls" in the period, because they appeared as round and solid as sausages! They should be very smooth, thick and glossy, they should not hang much lower than your jawline, and they should not hang over your forehead like bangs. Use lots of mousse, gel and hairspray to keep everything smooth! They should peek out from the brim of any bonnet or cap that you wear.

Portrait ca. 1865. Wikipedia.
If your hair is too short to put in a ponytail, you should part it, gel it, comb and bobby-pin it to slick it behind your ears, try to make it as smooth as possible, and keep the back part covered with your bonnet. Conversely, you can curl all of your hair into smooth ringlets, all over your head, and let your front curls peek out from your bonnet brim. You can also get a natural-looking wig or hair-piece and style it in a Victorian style if your hair won't do what you want.

If your hair is dyed an obviously non-natural color, and you don't want to use a wig or re-dye your hair, your best bet is to cover it completely. Even though it was about 50 years out of date by the 1850s, the white “mob” cap style is good for this. Curl the hair along your hairline into pin curl ringlets so that they won't be so modern-looking if they peek out from the edges of your cap. Even if your hair is a natural color, and even if you have long hair, if you are over about 40 years old, you should also consider a cap. Cap information will be posted next!