How has the wig evolved? History and Origin
How Has The Wig Evolved?
A wig is made of real or artificial hair and used to cover the head. It is a short form of ‘periwig’ (derived from the French word for wig: ‘perukes’) and has been around for centuries.
In the current times, wigs are extensively worn for cosmetic purposes. This simple adornment can do wonders in transforming your look and boosting confidence. It is hard to imagine today’s fashion world without wigs, but was the aesthetic purpose the only reason behind the origin of this amazing accessory? The below information on how this trend was born and evolved will leave you in awe.
In ancient times, wigs were part of Egyptians, Assyrians, Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans culture. Egyptians practiced shaving their heads and used wigs to protect their scalp from the hot sun. They used human hair, animal hair, and beeswax to make their appearance more attractive. The highborn wore expensive wigs made from human hair and decorated them with gold. The famous queen Cleopatra was known to use several wigs in her beauty routine. The wig was not just a fashion accessory but was also part of religious rituals, the dead were buried with wigs for a wealthy afterlife.
After many years, ‘Queen Elizabeth I’ brought back wigs into usage to correct hair flaws. However, wigs gained a great reputation in the 17th century and were initially quite popular among men than women. King Louis XIII started wearing a wig to cover receding hairline which soon became a symbol of wealth and status. Many men wore long curly white wigs as part of their professional attire (Judges, Barristers, Politicians, etc.). Later, nobles both men and women followed this tradition of wearing wigs for decades.
18th century wigs
In the 18th century the French queen ‘Marie Antoinette’ shaped fashion revolution by donning huge wigs embedded with jewels, feathers, and colorful accessories. Her sense of style was much talked about and many women imitated her elaborate styles. Wig became a fashion statement and wigmakers job was considered prestigious because of the expensive process and details.
The popularity for this accessory grew drastically among the people playing a multipurpose role to conceal the bald spots caused due to some diseases, to make a style statement, and some even practiced head shaving and wearing wigs to avoid hair lice.
By the 19th century, men preferred their hair short and the long wigs faded slowly bringing natural hair into fashion. Women’s wigs changed with changing trends, as women preferred enormous hairstyles which involved addition of bulk hair to their natural hair, many forms of wigs such as hair padding, extensions, and fringes came into the picture.
In the early 20th century, only elderly women were seen wearing wigs due to trending short hairstyles, but this fad changed bringing back the wigs into fashion by celebrities like Diana Ross. Synthetic wigs were made for a cheaper price in several lengths to match everyone’s taste and wigs never went out of style ever since.
Over the past 300 years, wigs evolved from being a status symbol to a practical and fashion add-on. A wig is an accessory many fashion icons and artists swear by to create a unique look. Wigs are very handy to use for both women and men, available for cheaper prices, and are exceptionally easy to maintain.
A wig is simple way of wearing your style!
Wig types
There are several different kinds of wigs available on the current market, which makes it tough to choose which kind is right for you. Those are