Haircut

[poliphilo]

I know I said I'd grow my hair but I can never get through the bit in the middle- where the hair isn't long enough to constitute a statement but long enough to tickle the ears and be itchy. I'd love to be a cavalier but it looks like I'm destined to live out the rest of this life as a roundhead.

Perhaps I should invest in a wig. Then I could be Prince Rupert in the morning and Praise-God Barebones in the afternoon- or the other way round if I so chose. No, I'm not serious. Wigs are silly.

I was looking at portraits of late seventeenth century admirals in the Queens House at Greenwich, all of them with their fat little faces engulphed in enormous shoulder-length horsehair wigs and I was thinking "How did they stand it?"

Comments

[idahoswede.livejournal.com]

They were bald underneath and no central heating so it probably kept their heads warm (the drawback being lice, of course).

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I suppose.

I do wonder whether they bothered to wear them around the house- or just got them out for special occasions.

[idahoswede.livejournal.com]

They actually had caps that looked rather like turbans to wear at home, but generally a person did not leave his bedroom without being properly turned out. Also don't forget night caps!

https://goo.gl/images/JnlqKN

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Those are great. I want one.

[sorenr.livejournal.com]

I'd quite like a mix between floppy 1990's Hugh Grant style hair and Romantic poet hair, but then I get annoyed when it's at that stage where it reaches the shirt collar and have it cut back to a tidy bank clerk side-parting...

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I've never been much of a one for tidy hair. As far as I'm concerned the less maintenance it requires the better.

[sorenr.livejournal.com]

The thing is, if my hair is moderately short it will naturally do a tidy side parting, so it's really the easiest for me.

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

I suspect it's what Carolyn said. The wigs kept heads warm though parasites would have been an issue quite often.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

They must have been insanitary things...

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

Very much so as they rarely washed their hair/heads under those things.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

There was something I saw on TV the other day that was saying the secret to not smelling foul is to keep your clothes clean. Our ancestors may not have taken many baths but those of them that could afford it kept their clothes well-laundered and that meant they were as sweet-smelling as any of us. I suppose if you could afford it you also had your valet or lady's maid clean your wig...

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

All very true but you'd have to be from a certain social status to have all that done for you. The unwashed body transfers smelly bacteria to clothing so yes, keeping clothing laundered helps. However, without clothing, the unwashed body/head would not smell very attractive to put it one way.

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

Mine's been long for so long now that I can't recall the tickly stage- I'd have been sixteen or thereabouts when I grew it out.

The idea that out 18th century ancestors did not bathe regularly is false- those that could afford the services of a laundress also took regular baths.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I've grown my hair to the shoulders on a couple of occasions, but it wasn't a good look.

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

It suits those it suits.

Mine's mid back length.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Vey pre-Raphaelite. :)

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

So I'm told! :o)