Elizabethan Curls - Historical and Contemporary Examples

Internet Ref: 'The Styling of Society', Chertsey Museum, http://chertseymuseum.org/hair, 17/10/14

Internet Ref: 'Playing Elizabeth I: The Hair Loss Monarch', The Belgravia Centre, http://www.belgraviacentre.com/blog/playing-queen-elizabeth-i-the-hair-loss-monarch/, 17/08/14

Within the Elizabethan period curly hair was considered a most desirable feature and because of this both hair of natural curl and that of straight was set into tight ringlets that delicately framed the face, a look however only attainable by the wealthy woman.

The Phoenix Portrait - 1570/1575
Nichollas Hillard, Oil on Panel
http://www.elizabethan-portraits.com/Elizabeth20.jpg

This portrait of Elizabeth I entitled 'The Phoenix Portrait' is a perfect example of how curls were used within the hairstyling of the period with the whole front section of the hair being separated from the back and set independently into a series of tight curls. These curls were either achieved through a series of tight pin curls or by wrapping the hair around hot iron rods that would mould the hair into place, much like the curlers of todays modern society. Curly hair became a symbol of fashionable wealth; the larger and more curly a woman's hair, the higher her status. Elizabeth's hair as a result was shaped into perfect curls that sat high over padding and wire frames to create complex regal styles. 

Sir James Melville described the young Queen's hair as "more reddish than yellow, and curled in appearance naturally", within this portrait however it is likely that the hair is in fact a wig. Elizabeth had suffered significant hair loss due to smallpox as well as Female Pattern Baldness, a result of stress from being the powerful female monarch that she was facing a mass accusation of bastardry and illegitimacy to the throne. 

Regardless of which the hair whether natural or Peri Wig remained styled into a series of tight curls that sat around the front of the head, Alison Weir describes the Queen's hair within her book 'Elizabeth, The Queen' as "from her father, she had her red and naturally curly hair" which she had maintained from childhood. It is understandable then how witnessing the growth of Elizabeth as a beauty icon would establish the standard for natural red curls to become a high state of regal fashion. 

Modern Interpretations
These two images below are examples of modern contemporary representation of the same Elizabethan curls seen within portraits. The first image is arguably the more historically accurate one as the curls are neatly structured around the face and formed over a large padding adding height to the overall hairstyle. Whereas the image on the right is more of an artistic interpretation, the curls themselves have been teased out to create volume, leaving the curls themselves frizzed and more wild in appearance. The two images represent how the curls can either be kept more historically accurate in recreation or amplified with artistic interpretation to create a more dramatic contemporary Elizabethan curl.

Image Sources

Left: 'Keith Kane Hair Design', http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/originals/79/72/ab/7972ab931426cb794c578ee32ee1f402.jpg

Right: 'Orchis House', Kushiel, http://yukidoll.tumblr.com/post/22130134493/carmidoll-mert-and-marcus