Hairstyle plays a significant role in the appearance of the 1860's lady.  The basic hairstyle was pulled back and confined but there were variations to the basic style.  All styles for the 1860's start with the hair parted down the middle.  It was smooth and flat at the part with the fullness either at the ears or in the back just at the neck.

As I stated in my first article, the objective was to make the face appear round.  I know in today's standards we try to make the face appear narrow and I had a hard time converting my hairstyle to fit the rest of my authentic appearance.  But the hairstyle is necessary in portraying the correct image to the spectators.  Mrs. Linda Hardy, for example, always has a nice smooth correct hairstyle which is the proper style of the time period we are portraying.

Height was not desired until the last few months of the war when the hair started to appear puffier near the part.  Bangs were nonexistent in the years before and during the war.  Bangs did appear right after the war.  One style for a day impression was smoothing the hair directly down to the sides (instead of pulling it back).  It was then fastened near the ears and put into perfect ringlets.  Anywhere from 10 to 20 ringlets on each side depending on how small or full you want the ringlets.

Younger girls approximately 15-25 years of age could remain to have the short bobbed hair so common in the younger children.  It is reported that the ladies of Virginia cut their hair in a 'bob' as a sign of defiance and a show of their support for the war.

My favorite day hairstyle is the hair pulled to the side and braided on each side in thick braids and woven together in the back.  Although the hair may be braided in the back, in a roll (hair tucked under to make one large curl), or in a bun.

Hair nets, when worn, were either made of real hair to become almost hidden, decorative nets were made from fine thread, ribbons, or a yarn.  Nets most commonly known as snoods were popular in the 15-30 age groups with few in the 30-45 age group using them and more rare in the older women.  The snoods could be decorated with beads or framed with ribbon to draw attention to the circumference of the face.  A popular misconception is that wearing a snood means the hair can just be gathered in it.  The hair was confined within the snood.  Snoods were NOT worn to keep the hair clean, they were purely decorative.

Styles of hair for balls or dinners would be done up with a 'waterfall' (or cascade of curls)  of hair from the back of your crown (crown is the top of your head).  The hair could be in tight ringlets or fuller curls.  Hair pieces were also popular and held in place with either a tortoise shell comb (the most desirable and expensive) or a silver comb.  Wooden combs were also used but were more for daytime styles.  The use of flowers in the hair and feather pieces were popular for balls.  Heavy rich ribbons or ones of silk could be woven through the hairstyle itself.

Hair was to be washed with things such as lavender water and rose oil mixtures made at home.  Sage tea was also a good wash as reported in Godey's.  Many of the recipes a lady would find in her trusty companion 'The Godey's Ladies Book'.  Ladies would not have used lye because it caused hair to become dried out and brittle causing breakage.

In all hairstyles of the 1860's, the main factor was control.  There were no stray hairs or fly always as we call them.  One common way to keep the hair in place was sugar water.  Women would spray this on their hair as a kind of hairspray.  I have dated this back to colonial times, I am not sure how much further back it goes.  I would not recommend this for re-enactments because of the bugs and the lack of ability to wash one's hair.  For this reason, I am not sure if it was used on a daily basis in the 1860's!

Please keep one thing in mind in your period impressions; no matter what style, maintain it neat, controlled, and a part down the center to look proper and period correct.

     Fredricka
fredrickaz@earthlink.net