| Bang Benefits: Bang Hair In 1880s |
| Karen Marie Shelton/Dedicated To FFOS -
Copyright - All Rights Reserved |
| Revised Publication Date: 01/29/10 |
Introduction
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|
Ringlet Bangs
in 1867
Victorian Fashions & Costumes
From
Harper's Bazaar
1867-1898
Stella Blum |
|
Dover
Publications
New York
All rights reserved. |
One of my favorite hair and fashion related books is a history
of fashion dating from 1867 to 1898. I adore looking at the
various hairstyles worn with the fabulous gowns of that era.
When I started researching this article about the origins of
bangs with hairstyles, I went to my favorite Victorian Fashion book
and looked at the hairstyles from that era. It was truly
fascinating to find the ways that Victorian women adopted various
bangs and forehead fringes.
While many hair and beauty watchers attribute the bang hair
trendsetters to celebs like actress Louise Brooks (The Bob),
Audrey Hepburn or fashion model Jane Birkin, bangs
predated all of those lovely stars.
 |
|
Minnie Driver
Foam Magazine
One Year Anniversary Party
08-15-05 |
|
DailyCeleb.com
All rights
reserved. |
I found a lovely image of 1867 Victorian women (image to the
side) wearing gorgeous Winter Bonnets with an array of bangs
cascading out from the top brim onto the forehead.
Two of the women had an array of tight ringlets forming bangs
that ended a few inches above their eyebrows. The ringlets
were perfectly formed and extended from ear to ear across the top of
the forehead.
The Victorian Ringlet
naturally curly bangs (Image shown above) reminded me of a photo I saw of actress
Minnie Driver in August of 2005 when she attended Foam
Magazine's One Year Anniversary Party.
Minnie has naturally curly hair and appeared in one
photo with an array of tight ringlets extending across her
forehead. In the photo Minnie looked very much like the Victorian
model except for the Victorian bonnet and clothing.
A few of the other Victorian women appearing in the
same photo with the ringlet bang model had very tight
finger style curls which were styled to burst from under
the bonnets into a form of curled bangs.
Pin Curl & Finger Waved Bangs
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|
Finger Wave
Bangs in 1871
Victorian Fashions & Costumes From
Harper's Bazaar
1867-1898
Stella Blum |
|
Dover
Publications
New York
All rights reserved |
Two years after I found the ringlet bangs I
discovered 1869 Victorian models who had traded in
their tight ringlets for softer and fuller pin curls
which were worn spilling out from under the brim of
their bonnets onto their foreheads in a form of curly
bang.
The pin curls appeared stacked almost like the
modern version of layered bangs, except that the bangs
were tightly curled. It was a fascinating style
and one that I have not seen in current hairstyles.
In 1871 I found a photo of a Victorian woman (image to the side)
wearing her very wavy coiffed hair with an array of carefully
constructed finger waves which nestled along her forehead in a form
of faux bang.
Having personally struggled in cosmo school to
learn the official way of sculpting finger waves, I was in complete
awe of this particular bang hairstyle. I know that to create
an intricate style like this one had to have taken quite a bit of
time and energy.
Were Victorian women the first to ever adopt forehead hugging
hairstyles? Probably not. If photos of cavewomen were available we
might be able to find our earliest sisters rocking some leaf and
twig encrusted bang hair designs. Of course back in the stone
ages bang styles were limited and were related to the person's
natural texture.
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|
Full Forehead
Covering Bangs in 1892
Victorian Fashions & Costumes From
Harper's Bazaar
1867-1898
Stella Blum |
|
Dover
Publications
New York
All rights reserved. |
The point I am trying to make with this article is that bangs did not originate
with Louise Brooks, although she certainly made them popular for her
era, in the 1930s.
And yes, Audrey looked amazing with bangs as did
the gorgeous fashion muse Jane Birkin. Photos of Jane still
circulate with the beautiful model wearing full lush forehead
hugging bangs.
What I found fascinating about the bangs I uncovered on
Victorian women is the fact that what I have written about bangs
over the past 10 years at HairBoutique.com was relevant
even back in the
1880s.
As demonstrated by some of the Victorian ladies that are
included in this article, it is obvious that bangs may work well for
some hair types but not so well for others.
Although obviously layered bangs were not in view in the book, I did find
bangs from the Victorian era that incorporated natural hair textures
ranging from very tight ringlets to waves and straight tresses.
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Side-Swept Bangs
1898
Victorian Fashions & Costumes
From
Harper's Bazaar
1867-1898
Stella Blum |
|
Dover Publications
New York
All rights reserved. |
In current times hair experts suggest that any type of bangs
work best for people with naturally straight hair. This is
probably true, for the most part although I have found it dangerous
to even make blanket statements about hair styles of any type.
That didn't seem
to be the case back in the 1880s when women didn't have easy access
to relaxers, chemical straighteners, hot flat irons or blow dryers.
Somehow they managed and I have to say that I love all the different
bang styles shown throughout this article.
Note: For more tips on straightening bangs read
Bangs - The Straight Scoop
Bangs In 1989
Like hairstyles in current times, I noticed a
definite progression of different bang styles from 1867
until 1898. I was fascinated to find an image from
1898 (shown to the side) which featured straight
side-swept bangs on a woman wearing all black to signify
she was in mourning.
Her bangs spilled out from
the rim of her mourning bonnet appearing to have a
slight wave to it.
The bangs actually provided a softening effect for the woman in
mourning. Bangs often soften and help to provide an element of
balance.
Summary
A series of bangs ranging from tightly wound ringlets to mostly
straight side-swept bangs were shown in the book Victoria Fashions &
Costumes From Harper's Bazaar 1867 - 1898. It was very
interesting to follow the progression of different Victoria
hairstyles during that twenty year period and to be able to study
how bangs played a part during that time period.
This book also demonstrates the existence of bangs long before
the era of Louise Brooks who popularized bangs with her famous bob
hairstyle.
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Original Publication Date: 01/28/10 - Revised
Publication Date: 01/29/10
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