A wig is an artificial head of hair, either real or synthetic, worn as an adornment, disguise, or to conceal baldness.
The word 'Wig' (short for 'periwig') has only been used for artificial hair since 1675.
Wigs were known in the ancient world, and have been found on Egyptian mummies.
Hair was considered a source and a symbol of strength and in earliest times people regarded their hair as a seat of the vital spirit of life. For that purpose, first and primarily, wigs were invented. It was thought that - magically - they increased vigour and that the abundance of hair frightened off enemies, real and imaginary. The wig deceived evil forces and threatened foes by emphasizing or simulating towering strength.
Shaven heads and smooth, hair-free bodies were signs of nobility in Egypt from about 3000 BC, but fashion required men and women to wear wigs of real hair or sheep's wool. Indigo dyes were used to achieve the favored black color for wigs. After 1150 BC Egyptian wigs were dyed more fanciful colors such as red, green, and blue.
The common people in ancient Egypt wore wigs to cover their heads which had been shaven to be free of vermin.
Like the ancient Egyptians, the Romans and Greeks favoured false hair. The Greek theater was fond of colored wigs. Their shade indicated the character represented. A black wig was the sign of a tyrant. Heroes wore blond curls. Red was the color of the comic servant.
The Romans wore wigs, black wigs come from India but the most expensive and must-have fashion accessory was a blonde wig from Scandinavia. Real hair of Nordic beauties was exported all the way for the vanity market.
The Romans liked garish colors and the height of fashion for rich women was to wear a bright blue or yellow wig to a social occasion.
The popularity of Queen Elizabeth I inspired her subjects to imitate her by wearing red periwigs or by dyeing their hair red. Queen Elizabeth I herself owned at least 150 periwigs.
Louis XIV of France, very conscious of his baldness, never permitted anyone to see the "nakedness" of his head, for which reason his wig was his constant companion. He removed it only when retiring at night and, even then, did so himself, hidden behind the drawn curtains of his bed. From there, he handed it to a pageboy who was instructed to return the wig to him first thing next morning.
Possibly out of courtesy, if not sympathy, and to make the king's new hair-style less conspicuous, the courtiers followed suit. Soon the "common" people, always anxious to ape nobility, copied the perruque, as the French called it. It was this word which gave the English language its periwig, eventually to be shortened to our present-day wig.
The wig arrived in England during the second half of the 17th century. In no time it was thought to be "the proper thing," though its form changed frequently. Some people wore the "natural" or full-bottomed wig. Others adorned themselves with one of huge dimensions, towering above the forehead is two huge peaks and falling around, and far below, the shoulders.
Many people in the 18th century started wearing wigs because of had hair loss as a result of syphilis. Powdered Wigs were popular because the powder contained lavender or orange, to cover up bad smells. Out of solidarity other people started wearing wigs as well and so it became a trend.
Initially wigs emulated natural hair but soon took on more exaggerated forms. Styled with rows of curls down to the shoulder and powdered white, they gave wearers a grandiose appearance earning them the nickname "bigwigs". Judges, originally adopting such wigs as part of fashionable dress, retained the style,
Wigs became so elaborate that they had to be greased with lard to keep them in place. as a result lice and other pests became a huge problem.
The many variations of wigs became known by such descriptive names as "the staircase," "the spinach seed," "the artichoke," "the comet," "the pigeon's wing," and "the wild boar's back." By the middle of the 18th century there were almost 40 different types.
Even in the Age of Reason, men of enlightened education continued to wear wigs and did not mind their artificiality. They did not think it strange at all to shave off their own hair and then to don that of others.
Wig theft was a problem in 18th Century England, with thieves using children, dogs, and monkeys to snatch the expensive wigs of wealthy people on the street.
Wigs for men throughout Europe and the American colonies throughout the 18th century continued to be popular. Fashion shifted from bulky, exaggerated, and full-bottomed wigs to wigs of a smaller proportion--most frequently worn with a ponytail at the back, which was tied with a ribbon or tucked into a bag. These wigs were called cadogans, or tie-wigs, and could be worn in natural hair colors but were made with white hair, or powdered, for formal occasions. White powder made of flour, starch, or plaster of Paris was used for most hair and wigs, but pastel-colored powders were also favored.
Wigs worn in the 20th century by British judges, barristers, and royal coachmen are based on some of the 18th-century style.
Poorer people who desired to maintain fashionable hairstyles wore plainer wigs, called scratch wigs, and powdered them with sawdust.
Mozart wore a wig to cover a deformity of his left ear.
By the 1760s the enormous perukes worn by gentlemen on the first half of the century had fallen into disuse. In 1765, wigmakers marched through London to present the King George III with a petition demanding that certain professions should be forced to wear wigs. They wrote their business had grown so small "by the present mode of all men in all stations wearing their own hair!" They were beaten up and shaved bald by rioters angry that the wigmakers were not wearing wigs.
Immediately before the French Revolution, head-dress in France reached up to one meter. Blond became the most stylish color, though Madame Tallien, of Paris, preferred black. Some women owned 30 wigs in different tints.
Suddenly in the 1790s, the trade in wigs experienced a slump. In 1795 to meet the cost of the French wars, the government introduced a tax on powder, so essential for wig-wearers. This tax effectively caused the demise of both the fashion for wigs and powder.
In the 1960's the availability of natural-looking hair pieces in the form of full wigs, half wigs, or long falls, at all prices, enabled almost every woman to own one or more to suit her taste and mood.
More wigs were made for The Two Towers, the second Lord of the Rings film, than any other movie.
Sources Europress Encyclopaedia, Compton's Encyclopedia, Daily Express, Daily Mail
The word 'Wig' (short for 'periwig') has only been used for artificial hair since 1675.
 |
| Pixiebay |
Hair was considered a source and a symbol of strength and in earliest times people regarded their hair as a seat of the vital spirit of life. For that purpose, first and primarily, wigs were invented. It was thought that - magically - they increased vigour and that the abundance of hair frightened off enemies, real and imaginary. The wig deceived evil forces and threatened foes by emphasizing or simulating towering strength.
Shaven heads and smooth, hair-free bodies were signs of nobility in Egypt from about 3000 BC, but fashion required men and women to wear wigs of real hair or sheep's wool. Indigo dyes were used to achieve the favored black color for wigs. After 1150 BC Egyptian wigs were dyed more fanciful colors such as red, green, and blue.
 |
| Egyptian couple wearing formal wigs of the 4th or 5th dynasties |
The common people in ancient Egypt wore wigs to cover their heads which had been shaven to be free of vermin.
Like the ancient Egyptians, the Romans and Greeks favoured false hair. The Greek theater was fond of colored wigs. Their shade indicated the character represented. A black wig was the sign of a tyrant. Heroes wore blond curls. Red was the color of the comic servant.
The Romans wore wigs, black wigs come from India but the most expensive and must-have fashion accessory was a blonde wig from Scandinavia. Real hair of Nordic beauties was exported all the way for the vanity market.
 |
| Bust of a Roman woman wearing a "diadem" wig, circa 80 AD |
The Romans liked garish colors and the height of fashion for rich women was to wear a bright blue or yellow wig to a social occasion.
The popularity of Queen Elizabeth I inspired her subjects to imitate her by wearing red periwigs or by dyeing their hair red. Queen Elizabeth I herself owned at least 150 periwigs.
Louis XIV of France, very conscious of his baldness, never permitted anyone to see the "nakedness" of his head, for which reason his wig was his constant companion. He removed it only when retiring at night and, even then, did so himself, hidden behind the drawn curtains of his bed. From there, he handed it to a pageboy who was instructed to return the wig to him first thing next morning.
Possibly out of courtesy, if not sympathy, and to make the king's new hair-style less conspicuous, the courtiers followed suit. Soon the "common" people, always anxious to ape nobility, copied the perruque, as the French called it. It was this word which gave the English language its periwig, eventually to be shortened to our present-day wig.
The wig arrived in England during the second half of the 17th century. In no time it was thought to be "the proper thing," though its form changed frequently. Some people wore the "natural" or full-bottomed wig. Others adorned themselves with one of huge dimensions, towering above the forehead is two huge peaks and falling around, and far below, the shoulders.
 |
| Wigs 17th century |
Many people in the 18th century started wearing wigs because of had hair loss as a result of syphilis. Powdered Wigs were popular because the powder contained lavender or orange, to cover up bad smells. Out of solidarity other people started wearing wigs as well and so it became a trend.
Initially wigs emulated natural hair but soon took on more exaggerated forms. Styled with rows of curls down to the shoulder and powdered white, they gave wearers a grandiose appearance earning them the nickname "bigwigs". Judges, originally adopting such wigs as part of fashionable dress, retained the style,
Wigs became so elaborate that they had to be greased with lard to keep them in place. as a result lice and other pests became a huge problem.
The many variations of wigs became known by such descriptive names as "the staircase," "the spinach seed," "the artichoke," "the comet," "the pigeon's wing," and "the wild boar's back." By the middle of the 18th century there were almost 40 different types.
Even in the Age of Reason, men of enlightened education continued to wear wigs and did not mind their artificiality. They did not think it strange at all to shave off their own hair and then to don that of others.
Wig theft was a problem in 18th Century England, with thieves using children, dogs, and monkeys to snatch the expensive wigs of wealthy people on the street.
Wigs for men throughout Europe and the American colonies throughout the 18th century continued to be popular. Fashion shifted from bulky, exaggerated, and full-bottomed wigs to wigs of a smaller proportion--most frequently worn with a ponytail at the back, which was tied with a ribbon or tucked into a bag. These wigs were called cadogans, or tie-wigs, and could be worn in natural hair colors but were made with white hair, or powdered, for formal occasions. White powder made of flour, starch, or plaster of Paris was used for most hair and wigs, but pastel-colored powders were also favored.
Wigs worn in the 20th century by British judges, barristers, and royal coachmen are based on some of the 18th-century style.
Poorer people who desired to maintain fashionable hairstyles wore plainer wigs, called scratch wigs, and powdered them with sawdust.
Mozart wore a wig to cover a deformity of his left ear.
 |
| Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wearing a wig. |
By the 1760s the enormous perukes worn by gentlemen on the first half of the century had fallen into disuse. In 1765, wigmakers marched through London to present the King George III with a petition demanding that certain professions should be forced to wear wigs. They wrote their business had grown so small "by the present mode of all men in all stations wearing their own hair!" They were beaten up and shaved bald by rioters angry that the wigmakers were not wearing wigs.
Immediately before the French Revolution, head-dress in France reached up to one meter. Blond became the most stylish color, though Madame Tallien, of Paris, preferred black. Some women owned 30 wigs in different tints.
 |
| Pixiebay |
Suddenly in the 1790s, the trade in wigs experienced a slump. In 1795 to meet the cost of the French wars, the government introduced a tax on powder, so essential for wig-wearers. This tax effectively caused the demise of both the fashion for wigs and powder.
In the 1960's the availability of natural-looking hair pieces in the form of full wigs, half wigs, or long falls, at all prices, enabled almost every woman to own one or more to suit her taste and mood.
More wigs were made for The Two Towers, the second Lord of the Rings film, than any other movie.
Sources Europress Encyclopaedia, Compton's Encyclopedia, Daily Express, Daily Mail
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