doing your hair.........

[Sweet Violet]

Hello all! I have a lovely Alley member ask me how I do my hair for Victorian dressing. Well.......when it was way longer I did many things with it. One easy way was to take all of your hair to the base of your skull like your were going to make a pony tail. Then twist it around and around until it starts to coil up on itself into a bun. Then while holding it securely, take the bottom coil and pull it up over the rest of the bun. You will have a lovely figure 8 thing going on!! Secure it with nice bobby pins and then decorate it!! It will look very much like The Countess Olenska in The Age of Innocence!

The picture of me was taken by Nellie Blue at the 2006 Convention.

[Sweet Violet]

Then those of you who like the 90s know that many of the ladies wore top knots. Those are simple to do as well. I got the idea off of a web site that I cannot find now, otherwise I would cut and past it for you.......Anyhoo......Part your hair from ear to ear and pull the hair directly on top of your head on a pony tail. Secure with an elastic hair band. Now take that pony and twist it tightly until you get your top knot. Secure with bobby pins. If your hair is plastered to your head, take a rat tail comb and pull it out so that it looks soft and (for lack of a better word) puffy. Now part your remaining hair down the back of your head and work with one side at a time. Take one side and gently pull it up to the top knot and coil it around the top notch. Secure with bobby pins. Do the same with the other side. You may have a lovely part in the back of your head. Just tease hair out of its restraints with fingers until all parts are gone. Now spray the heck out of it!! Sorry, I don't think I have a picture to show you!!

[widowsweeds]

you look so wonderful - Thank You for the tips ! :ty

[Sweet Violet]

You, my dear are welcome!!!

[Sweet Violet]

For bangs, there are many ways the ladies wore them. Some didn't have bangs at all and others did wear them. I like to cut mine about a week before convention or EOT or wherever I'm going so that when I use a really small barrelled curling iron, I get tiny curls. Then I drench them with hair spray and curl them again with my fingers.

Ok, here are some examples of my bangs:

The first one is the wonderful, sweet, handsome, Slick Vic Irish Ranger!! He is so cool!!

The second one.........PLEASE ignore the stoned look on my face. I was trying to look pensive, after all I was dressed in mourning. But, I just loved the way the bangs turned out this day!!

The last one is just a curl down the middle of my forehead (I believe there is a song about a little girl with a little curl.......) Anyway, I have seen Victorian pictures where the ladies did this too!!!

I hope this helps!!

[Catawba Kate]

Bwahahaha!! That one of Vic in his Jimmy hat is really inspiring!!!:gg:gg

[Fannie Kikinshoot]

Sweet Violet, you take so much time with your hair!! It always looks fabulous. When someone marvels over my Victorian styles and then asks how long I spent fixing it, I reply..."30 seconds". :rofl:rofl:rofl:rofl

Fannie (who loves her wigs but admires those who style their own hair) Kikinshoot

[Sweet Violet]

Bwahahaha!! That one of Vic in his Jimmy hat is really inspiring!!!:gg:gg

I know!!! Isn't it great!! He was so fun all weekend!!

[Sweet Violet]

Sweet Violet, you take so much time with your hair!! It always looks fabulous. When someone marvels over my Victorian styles and then asks how long I spent fixing it, I reply..."30 seconds". :rofl:rofl:rofl:rofl

Fannie (who loves her wigs but admires those who style their own hair) Kikinshoot

:blush Thanks Fannie!! I would love to do wigs!! All of the ones you wear look so totally awesome on you!!!

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

You do have beautiful hair and that natural curl too...sigh. I am so thankfull for wigs because all the growing in the world would not make my very straight, baby fine (thats a nice way to say thin and lankey) hair do anything even remotely cool.

We set BBB's hair the night before John Wayne last year in perm rods after she washed it and put in a good amount of setting gel while it was wet...once it dried completely it curled like you would not believe! In face I think she said she didnt want to wash it the next day because she STILL had curl and had enjoyed the fluffly look some much. So if you have some lenth and can stand to sleep in curlers...that might be helpful to others. Curly hair works into updo's and all sorts of styles nicely and holds pins well.

GG

[Duzy Wales]

Dear Sweet Violet, you always look beautiful, whatever period you are in. You shine from the inside out! :ty for the tips.

Hugs, Duzy

[Victoria Rose Hyde]

Sweet Violet: Thank you for the Great Tips!

[Nellie Bly]

Thank you, Sweet Violet! I have very very long hair and really don't want to look too much like a matron with it in a big fat bun!

Your tips will save me from that fate... :party :party

[Pinto Annie]

Hey Ladies, if I might add to SVs wonderful tips here...

For those of you doing the 90's and have long(ish) hair, a Gibson Girl is fairly easy to do -- and I use it other times too as it's easy under, say my hat, that goes with my riding habit. I learned this from an elderly lady who did a lot of costuming for Victorian plays.

For the Gibson Girl, bend at the waist (so your hair goes to the floor -- well, guess that would depend on how long your hair is and how tall you are). :rofl Brush you hair into a pony tail at the very top of your head, slightly forward of the invisiblle line between your ears. Get your ponytail holder, but put it in a hand width away from your head. Stand upright and the ponytail settles a bit, producing the "boofed" affect. Then, twist (like in Miss Violet's instructions) and form a bun around the ponytail.

I've got a wonderful comb that has zig-zaggy (is that a word?) tines. I have a terrible time with bobby pins as they fall out! This comb actually stays in, all day! (I'll see if I can locate the folks that make them and post a link).

For an evening after shooting, wigs are the only way to go! :chick

[Ima Schofield]

Sweet, I believe this is the site you mentioned.


http://intimelyfashion.com/hair/main.html


Ima, wishing I had curls too, Schofield

[Nellie Bly]

Ima, thank you so much for the link to that site. I'm going to print all the pages and keep them at my dressing table.

Pinto, I'm very interested in the comb with the criss-cross tines. I'm like you, those danged bobby pins never stay in my hair!

[Pinto Annie]

Nellie Bly,

On line searches have been fruitless... I haven't given up though, I know another gal who is local that I can ask -- she has several. I got mine at a Christmas bazare several years ago, and I believe the combs are handmade in Oregon. I'll update ya as soon as I can!

I can actually wear my hear in a french twist all day with that wonderful comb! (Impossible before I got it!). Hopefully I can get information Monday or Tuesday.

[Lazy K]

Darn you SV! I was thinking that maybe I should cut some bangs and now I KNOW I have to. Aaargh. What a scary thought. How long are your bangs before you curl them??

And Pinto Annie, I must have one of these zig zag thingies. Keep searching.

[Ida Hands]

Hey Ladies, if I might add to SVs wonderful tips here...

I've got a wonderful comb that has zig-zaggy (is that a word?) tines. I have a terrible time with bobby pins as they fall out! This comb actually stays in, all day! (I'll see if I can locate the folks that make them and post a link).

For an evening after shooting, wigs are the only way to go! :chick

Did it look like this?

[Sweet Violet]

Oh thank you so much Duzy!! What you said made me feel so good!!

You ladies are most welcome!!

Yes, Ima that is the web site!! Thanks you!! I'm going to save it again!!

Great tips Pinto Annie!

Sorry K!!! :lool For my short bangs, I start out at about 3.5" and then curl it. If it has what I call fuzzies on the end, I cut it a little bit. Say 1/4" then curl it again. I have to remember that I do have a life outside of SASS and don't want to look like too much of a dork if I can at all avoid it!!:rofl So I just experiment with the cutting of the bangs! If I were you, I'd start very long, then go shorter. The lady who cuts my hair has a great saying, "We can always go shorter, because I am not gluing your hair back on!"

[Pinto Annie]

Oh, duh -- pictures, of course... Now, where did I last use that comb??? Let me hunt it up, get a recharged battery in my camera and get you ladies a picture (then maybe you'll understand why I'm having difficulty explaining it!). :rofl :rofl

[Pinto Annie]

Whew, found it! The "tops" are all different and the tines can be longer or shorter depending upon your hair length and thickness. The gal that might know how to get this is supposed to be at work tomorrow, so keep your fingers crossed!

[Lazy K]

I have to remember that I do have a life outside of SASS and don't want to look like too much of a dork if I can at all avoid it!!:rofl So I just experiment with the cutting of the bangs!

You? Look like a dork? I don't think so!

[Ida Hands]

Whew, found it! The "tops" are all different and the tines can be longer or shorter depending upon your hair length and thickness. The gal that might know how to get this is supposed to be at work tomorrow, so keep your fingers crossed!

That looks like a piece of art all by itself!

[Pinto Annie]

I found 'em, I found 'em, I found 'em!!!! :tban :tban :tban Yahoo! Simplictic Designs are on the web at http://www.simplistic-designs.com/ more specifically, the hair combs are at http://www.simplistic-designs.com/ Thats Jim and Marilyn Downs who can also be reached at (541) 836-2142.

Yes, these combs are truly works of art and they are really fantastic at holding your hair!!! You'll spend a bit, but they last and last. These folks also stand behind their work!

[Vindictive Violet]

DORK!!! BWWWAAAAHAAAA.... NOT!

GREAT Ideas and TIPS ladies!

[Lazy K]

Thanks Pinto Annie! But out of my price range.

[Pinto Annie]

Did I mention I only own ONE of these. (And now you see why!) I saw them at the Christmas show one year, saved and saved and finally got one the next year. I'm thinking I'll start saving again, 'cuz they've got even more designs and gorgeous ones now! I'm sure the one I have will last for a very long time -- thankfully!

[Nellie Blue]

Those are AWESOME!!! And they're going to be in town the same weekend as the NV State Shoot (Eldorado)!!! Wahoo!!! :tban:tban

[Hannah K. Gelt]

Those are beautiful but alas WAY out of my price range also...

BUT...

"Ve have ze technology" to make one if I could trouble you to give me some measurements...

overall length and width, tine length and spacing is all I would be needing...

[Ida Hands]

I love 'em. but I don't think I have enough hair to keep one from falling out!

[Pinto Annie]

...
"Ve have ze technology" to make one if I could trouble you to give me some measurements...

What else is a cutting board good for? :lool Measurements we can get you. Let me know if this picture doesn't give you enough and please excuse the flash (I think you can tell by the lines where the inches are!).

[Lazy K]

Ok, Hannah. Let's see what you can come up with.:waiting

[Hannah K. Gelt]

Annie - PERFECT! ! ! ! just needed a rough estimate.. :ty:ty:ty

Kay - I'll be interested in seeing what I can come up with also...:lool:lool:lool

[Harper Desert Rose]

I have another thought....my grand mother gave me this tip. Take a hair pin, not a bobby pin, as you slid it into place flip it over and push it the rest of the way in. It does work! I have quite a bit of hair but it is very fine and this method works just great, esp if I can rat it a bit first. Also, Bi-Mart has metal/wire combs with pearls and jewels on them that I just love! I would put up a picture of them, but I still haven't figured out how to do that.

[Mt. Zion Gypsie]

O.K. Hannah,
Have you come up with anything yet. I am very anxious to see. :waiting (but very patiently):pc
MZG

[Hannah K. Gelt]

Not yet.

Besides being on vacation for a few days, a new job title ( LOTS of work and new hours to get used to) and being sick for the last 1.5 weeks it's been too cold here ( yeah I know but it's cold to me) to be out in the garage...

Bear with me, sometimes I am slow as molasses...

Supposed to warm up this weekend so maybe I can go play out there...

[Weaver Gal]

Hi all, I'm forwarding this thread to a friend who does late Victorian reenactment in Montana. She is actually looking for someone who can tell her how to style the foot or so of hair that she just cut off so she can wear it as a hairpiece! Any ideas? Let me know and I'll pass it on (or maybe I can persuade her to join this little tea party..).

[Cassie LaRue]

Hi!!

I'm new to the Belle Alley Forum though I've been shootingf for a couple of years. Don't know why it took me so long to find you gals.

Anyway, my not even shoulder length hair won't for now in do any of the wonderful twists, braids, etc. described. But there is hope in the future.

For now, where would I find a reasonable great wig? Or any suggestions for short hair?

Cassie LaRue

[Fannie Kikinshoot]

Hi!!
For now, where would I find a reasonable great wig? Or any suggestions for short hair?

Cassie LaRue

Cassie,

My new favorite wig artisan is Greeneyed Nana, which is Greeneyed Gypsy's mom. They have a website showing some of their styles, but Nana can work miracles with a wig, just tell her what you want and you will get it.

http://www.thegypsysneedle.com/wigs.htm