Hi, here's Jo, talking about grey hair. No, not the stuff on my head which I do or don't colour according to my mood, but the odd fashion for powdering hair grey and other colours in the 18th century. The picture is the best I can do from the Cabbage Patch Kids, and that's supposed to be flaxen Legolas.
The Question Arises.
Sometimes my characters just chat to each other. Talking is an important part of courtship after all, and not everything they say needs to be meaningful to the plot. So, in A Scandalous Countess, which will be out in February, we have this exchange.
"I wonder why white hair is so valued. After all, it’s a sign of age.”
Georgia was happy to switch to a triviality. “A question I’ve never asked! Now I think on it, I don’
t know when the fashion started. I don’t believe they powdered back in the Restoration.”
“They wore those long, curly wigs. Too much hair to powder, perhaps?”
“Where fashion commands, nothing is impossible."
They moved on, but I was left wondering. When did the fashion for hair powder begin, and why? In the 17th century, the fashionable elite didn't powder their hair though some armies did. By the mid-eighteenth century it was in style, and essential for court. When did the court fashion begin and end?
When Mary Jo and I were sharing a hotel room in Florida during the Ninc conference I tossed the question at her and we began a search on our laptops. We found a few things, but rather more questions than answers. So I'll lay out what we discovered and more, and hope someone here has bits to add.
I looked in Googlebooks for a first mention of hair powder. This is from 1685, but ambiguous.
An excellent perfuming Powder for the Hair.
Take Iris roots in fine powder one ounce and a half, Benjamin, Steraxt Cloves, Musk of each two drachms: being all in fine powder, mix them for a Perfume for hair Powder.Take of this Perfume one drachm, Riceflower impalpable one pound,mix them for a powder for the hair. Note, some use white starch, flower of French Beans and the like.
This could have been like a dry shampoo that also perfumed the hair, but it sounds like hair powder to me. The "flower" above would be flour, I assume.
As an aside, I came upon this.
To make Powder of Ox dung.
Take red Ox dung in the month of May and dry ir well, make it into an impalpable Powder by grinding: it is an excellent Perfume without any other addition yet if you add to one pound of the former, Musk,and Ambergrise of each one drachm, it will be beyond comparison.
Anyone care to try that???
A Firmer Date.
By 1708. " the brewer, the distiller, the maker of starch and hair-powder, "
1708 Died at Putney, Jean Baptista Muller a native of Prussia. The singularity of his character may in some measure be collected from the following directions respecting his interment.—" I desire to be buried within the walls of the church, and.interred in my buff embroidered waistcoat, my blue coat with a black collar, a pair of clean nankeen breeches, white silk stockings, my Prussian books, my hair neatly dre
ssed and powdered, and I particularly request, that my coffin may be made long enough to admit of my hussar cap being placed on my head.—So dressed and accoutred, let me rest in peace."
1709 "They must be in the Fashion of the World, 'else they are not in esteem else they shall not be respected, if they have not Gold or Silver upon their Backs, or if his Hair be not powdered."
On the other hand, I could find no evidence that Queen Anne, monarch at the time, powdered her hair, nor her husband. When did it become de rigeur at court, then? I did see a fashion for blond wigs, but not powder
ed.
In 1727 I find a portrait of George II with what looks like a powdered wig. Note, it's quite reduced from the full periwig.
The 4th Duke of Devonshire (Left) is clearly powdered, and the picture is probably from the mid century.
I found an intelligent overview on line. The whole article is worth reading.
"Powder appears to have been used sparingly by ladies at first, but with increasing frequency after 1750. No suprise if you consider that hairdos mostly consisted of natural hair, the length, fineness and shininess of which they wanted to show off. When hair-pieces entered the picture, powder was a good way of covering up the differences in colour. Those that preserved a hairdo for some time (there may have been people who did) would have profited from the oil-absorbing qualities of powder."
http://www.marquise.de/en/1700/howto/frisuren/frisuren.shtml
Let's all be grey together, young and old!
Here's a picture of some glorious periwigs. I must say that I've always liked to see men in long hair, the more and longer the better! 
We see blond and brown, but no powder.
It could be that powder came in to cover up the flaws from blending false hair in with real, or even using cheap hair, even animal hair, for men's wigs, but then wouldn't it be seen as a sign of poverty or low status rather than fashion and high?
In the army, and with servants such as footmen, natural hair was often powdered. When powdering hair or wig, grease was applied to make the powder stick. Otherwise the powder would dust down onto the clothes.
It is such an odd fashion especially as the fashion was mostly for grey powder. What's so glamorous about grey? Here's a powdered girl at her lessons.
Does anyone know more? Can anyone dig up any other references? I'll give a prize of a book to one provider of truly new information on the subject.
By the way, to celebrate Halloween I put up a Halloween Regency romance novella as an e-book — perhaps more Gothic than Regency. It was published in 1992 in a hardcover collection and only 1,000 copies were printed, so it's always been hard to get. It's quite short, being only 10,000 words, but also only 99c
For Kindle, it's here.
US http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0061SF6E0
British https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0061SF6E0
German https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0061SF6E0
French https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0061SF6E0
For other formats, it's at Smashwords, here. http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/100731
Cheers,
Jo
Was it something to do with lice?
Was it something to do with lice?
Was it something to do with lice?
Was it something to do with lice?
Was it something to do with lice?
I always believed it was to avoid washing their hair
I always believed it was to avoid washing their hair
I always believed it was to avoid washing their hair
I always believed it was to avoid washing their hair
I always believed it was to avoid washing their hair
I have no comment on the hair powder; I always just thought it odd.
The recipe for perfume though: ambergris and musk were used as perfume bases to fix the scent. Neither had a very pleasant scent by itself. (Wikipedia compares aged ambergris to rubbing alcohol.)
I image the May date for the ox dung has to do with what the oxen ate in the spring. Still, it’s dung.
Do three wrongs make a pleasant scent?!
I have no comment on the hair powder; I always just thought it odd.
The recipe for perfume though: ambergris and musk were used as perfume bases to fix the scent. Neither had a very pleasant scent by itself. (Wikipedia compares aged ambergris to rubbing alcohol.)
I image the May date for the ox dung has to do with what the oxen ate in the spring. Still, it’s dung.
Do three wrongs make a pleasant scent?!
I have no comment on the hair powder; I always just thought it odd.
The recipe for perfume though: ambergris and musk were used as perfume bases to fix the scent. Neither had a very pleasant scent by itself. (Wikipedia compares aged ambergris to rubbing alcohol.)
I image the May date for the ox dung has to do with what the oxen ate in the spring. Still, it’s dung.
Do three wrongs make a pleasant scent?!
I have no comment on the hair powder; I always just thought it odd.
The recipe for perfume though: ambergris and musk were used as perfume bases to fix the scent. Neither had a very pleasant scent by itself. (Wikipedia compares aged ambergris to rubbing alcohol.)
I image the May date for the ox dung has to do with what the oxen ate in the spring. Still, it’s dung.
Do three wrongs make a pleasant scent?!
I have no comment on the hair powder; I always just thought it odd.
The recipe for perfume though: ambergris and musk were used as perfume bases to fix the scent. Neither had a very pleasant scent by itself. (Wikipedia compares aged ambergris to rubbing alcohol.)
I image the May date for the ox dung has to do with what the oxen ate in the spring. Still, it’s dung.
Do three wrongs make a pleasant scent?!
Liz, I don’t see how hair powder would help with lice. Some people say men wore wigs to avoid lice, but I came across a reference to someone sending his wig back to the wig-arranger because it was infested in some way. Washing the hair once a week or so would be preferable and within the possibilities at the time.
Again, Gina — and in my opinion, because I don’t know — washing the hair occasionally would be less hassle than greasing and powdering it, and the rich could certainly have their hair washed frequently if they wanted.
There are quite a few recipes for hair rinses to give the hair shine and such, so they valued that.
Interesting on the perfume, Sue.
I do think that men’s tendency to get thin on top etc could have led to a taste for wigs, but I don’t see that having the wig powdered was an advantage, and powdering one’s own hair was simple icky.
It’s a mystery!
Jo
Liz, I don’t see how hair powder would help with lice. Some people say men wore wigs to avoid lice, but I came across a reference to someone sending his wig back to the wig-arranger because it was infested in some way. Washing the hair once a week or so would be preferable and within the possibilities at the time.
Again, Gina — and in my opinion, because I don’t know — washing the hair occasionally would be less hassle than greasing and powdering it, and the rich could certainly have their hair washed frequently if they wanted.
There are quite a few recipes for hair rinses to give the hair shine and such, so they valued that.
Interesting on the perfume, Sue.
I do think that men’s tendency to get thin on top etc could have led to a taste for wigs, but I don’t see that having the wig powdered was an advantage, and powdering one’s own hair was simple icky.
It’s a mystery!
Jo
Liz, I don’t see how hair powder would help with lice. Some people say men wore wigs to avoid lice, but I came across a reference to someone sending his wig back to the wig-arranger because it was infested in some way. Washing the hair once a week or so would be preferable and within the possibilities at the time.
Again, Gina — and in my opinion, because I don’t know — washing the hair occasionally would be less hassle than greasing and powdering it, and the rich could certainly have their hair washed frequently if they wanted.
There are quite a few recipes for hair rinses to give the hair shine and such, so they valued that.
Interesting on the perfume, Sue.
I do think that men’s tendency to get thin on top etc could have led to a taste for wigs, but I don’t see that having the wig powdered was an advantage, and powdering one’s own hair was simple icky.
It’s a mystery!
Jo
Liz, I don’t see how hair powder would help with lice. Some people say men wore wigs to avoid lice, but I came across a reference to someone sending his wig back to the wig-arranger because it was infested in some way. Washing the hair once a week or so would be preferable and within the possibilities at the time.
Again, Gina — and in my opinion, because I don’t know — washing the hair occasionally would be less hassle than greasing and powdering it, and the rich could certainly have their hair washed frequently if they wanted.
There are quite a few recipes for hair rinses to give the hair shine and such, so they valued that.
Interesting on the perfume, Sue.
I do think that men’s tendency to get thin on top etc could have led to a taste for wigs, but I don’t see that having the wig powdered was an advantage, and powdering one’s own hair was simple icky.
It’s a mystery!
Jo
Liz, I don’t see how hair powder would help with lice. Some people say men wore wigs to avoid lice, but I came across a reference to someone sending his wig back to the wig-arranger because it was infested in some way. Washing the hair once a week or so would be preferable and within the possibilities at the time.
Again, Gina — and in my opinion, because I don’t know — washing the hair occasionally would be less hassle than greasing and powdering it, and the rich could certainly have their hair washed frequently if they wanted.
There are quite a few recipes for hair rinses to give the hair shine and such, so they valued that.
Interesting on the perfume, Sue.
I do think that men’s tendency to get thin on top etc could have led to a taste for wigs, but I don’t see that having the wig powdered was an advantage, and powdering one’s own hair was simple icky.
It’s a mystery!
Jo
http://www.costumes.org/history/100pages/18thhair.htm
What about this? I assume you guys found this site?
http://www.costumes.org/history/100pages/18thhair.htm
What about this? I assume you guys found this site?
http://www.costumes.org/history/100pages/18thhair.htm
What about this? I assume you guys found this site?
http://www.costumes.org/history/100pages/18thhair.htm
What about this? I assume you guys found this site?
http://www.costumes.org/history/100pages/18thhair.htm
What about this? I assume you guys found this site?
I’ve never been able to find a “why” or a progenitor for the fashion, but I can tell you that there are references as far back as the 1650s to its being used for formal occasions (OED & Google Books).
I’ve never been able to find a “why” or a progenitor for the fashion, but I can tell you that there are references as far back as the 1650s to its being used for formal occasions (OED & Google Books).
I’ve never been able to find a “why” or a progenitor for the fashion, but I can tell you that there are references as far back as the 1650s to its being used for formal occasions (OED & Google Books).
I’ve never been able to find a “why” or a progenitor for the fashion, but I can tell you that there are references as far back as the 1650s to its being used for formal occasions (OED & Google Books).
I’ve never been able to find a “why” or a progenitor for the fashion, but I can tell you that there are references as far back as the 1650s to its being used for formal occasions (OED & Google Books).
Yes, Hellion, but there’s no real evidence for the statement “Around 1715, lighter colored wigs were in fashion so, after unsuccessful attempts at making the color of bleached wigs stable, people started to use powder instead.”
As I said, if powder was covering cheap, flawed wigs, it wouldn’t become fashionable. The rich could undoubtedly get as much blond human hair as they wanted.
Don’t you think?
Jo
Yes, Hellion, but there’s no real evidence for the statement “Around 1715, lighter colored wigs were in fashion so, after unsuccessful attempts at making the color of bleached wigs stable, people started to use powder instead.”
As I said, if powder was covering cheap, flawed wigs, it wouldn’t become fashionable. The rich could undoubtedly get as much blond human hair as they wanted.
Don’t you think?
Jo
Yes, Hellion, but there’s no real evidence for the statement “Around 1715, lighter colored wigs were in fashion so, after unsuccessful attempts at making the color of bleached wigs stable, people started to use powder instead.”
As I said, if powder was covering cheap, flawed wigs, it wouldn’t become fashionable. The rich could undoubtedly get as much blond human hair as they wanted.
Don’t you think?
Jo
Yes, Hellion, but there’s no real evidence for the statement “Around 1715, lighter colored wigs were in fashion so, after unsuccessful attempts at making the color of bleached wigs stable, people started to use powder instead.”
As I said, if powder was covering cheap, flawed wigs, it wouldn’t become fashionable. The rich could undoubtedly get as much blond human hair as they wanted.
Don’t you think?
Jo
Yes, Hellion, but there’s no real evidence for the statement “Around 1715, lighter colored wigs were in fashion so, after unsuccessful attempts at making the color of bleached wigs stable, people started to use powder instead.”
As I said, if powder was covering cheap, flawed wigs, it wouldn’t become fashionable. The rich could undoubtedly get as much blond human hair as they wanted.
Don’t you think?
Jo
Hi Isobel, the oldest I could find in the OED was “1663 A. Wood Life & Times (1891) I. 475 To my barber for haire powder, 6d.”
But my reading of references of that period was a hair powder for medicinal use, perhaps to kill nits or fleas. I couldn’t find access to that book to check context. If you have any others, could you share them?
Frustratingly slippery, isn’t it? Why couldn’t someone leave a nice note about the new fashion of powdering the hair and what they thought about it?
Jo
Hi Isobel, the oldest I could find in the OED was “1663 A. Wood Life & Times (1891) I. 475 To my barber for haire powder, 6d.”
But my reading of references of that period was a hair powder for medicinal use, perhaps to kill nits or fleas. I couldn’t find access to that book to check context. If you have any others, could you share them?
Frustratingly slippery, isn’t it? Why couldn’t someone leave a nice note about the new fashion of powdering the hair and what they thought about it?
Jo
Hi Isobel, the oldest I could find in the OED was “1663 A. Wood Life & Times (1891) I. 475 To my barber for haire powder, 6d.”
But my reading of references of that period was a hair powder for medicinal use, perhaps to kill nits or fleas. I couldn’t find access to that book to check context. If you have any others, could you share them?
Frustratingly slippery, isn’t it? Why couldn’t someone leave a nice note about the new fashion of powdering the hair and what they thought about it?
Jo
Hi Isobel, the oldest I could find in the OED was “1663 A. Wood Life & Times (1891) I. 475 To my barber for haire powder, 6d.”
But my reading of references of that period was a hair powder for medicinal use, perhaps to kill nits or fleas. I couldn’t find access to that book to check context. If you have any others, could you share them?
Frustratingly slippery, isn’t it? Why couldn’t someone leave a nice note about the new fashion of powdering the hair and what they thought about it?
Jo
Hi Isobel, the oldest I could find in the OED was “1663 A. Wood Life & Times (1891) I. 475 To my barber for haire powder, 6d.”
But my reading of references of that period was a hair powder for medicinal use, perhaps to kill nits or fleas. I couldn’t find access to that book to check context. If you have any others, could you share them?
Frustratingly slippery, isn’t it? Why couldn’t someone leave a nice note about the new fashion of powdering the hair and what they thought about it?
Jo
Gah! I wrote it down and now I can’t find it again. Sometimes I hate Google books! Sorry.
Gah! I wrote it down and now I can’t find it again. Sometimes I hate Google books! Sorry.
Gah! I wrote it down and now I can’t find it again. Sometimes I hate Google books! Sorry.
Gah! I wrote it down and now I can’t find it again. Sometimes I hate Google books! Sorry.
Gah! I wrote it down and now I can’t find it again. Sometimes I hate Google books! Sorry.
As an adjective, the OED definitely takes the practice back to 1613 — “Theyre frisled powdred haire makes them looke all alike.”
As an adjective, the OED definitely takes the practice back to 1613 — “Theyre frisled powdred haire makes them looke all alike.”
As an adjective, the OED definitely takes the practice back to 1613 — “Theyre frisled powdred haire makes them looke all alike.”
As an adjective, the OED definitely takes the practice back to 1613 — “Theyre frisled powdred haire makes them looke all alike.”
As an adjective, the OED definitely takes the practice back to 1613 — “Theyre frisled powdred haire makes them looke all alike.”
This is interesting. I wonder if the reason is associated with another country and another language. I believe powdering of the hair was carried out over much of Europe during the period. Even as far north as Russia. I also seem to remember seeing ancient depictions of Japanese and Chinese? with powdered hair? I have been searching on French sites and most of them talk about powdered hair but not why. This is getting irritating – now I must carry on.
This is interesting. I wonder if the reason is associated with another country and another language. I believe powdering of the hair was carried out over much of Europe during the period. Even as far north as Russia. I also seem to remember seeing ancient depictions of Japanese and Chinese? with powdered hair? I have been searching on French sites and most of them talk about powdered hair but not why. This is getting irritating – now I must carry on.
This is interesting. I wonder if the reason is associated with another country and another language. I believe powdering of the hair was carried out over much of Europe during the period. Even as far north as Russia. I also seem to remember seeing ancient depictions of Japanese and Chinese? with powdered hair? I have been searching on French sites and most of them talk about powdered hair but not why. This is getting irritating – now I must carry on.
This is interesting. I wonder if the reason is associated with another country and another language. I believe powdering of the hair was carried out over much of Europe during the period. Even as far north as Russia. I also seem to remember seeing ancient depictions of Japanese and Chinese? with powdered hair? I have been searching on French sites and most of them talk about powdered hair but not why. This is getting irritating – now I must carry on.
This is interesting. I wonder if the reason is associated with another country and another language. I believe powdering of the hair was carried out over much of Europe during the period. Even as far north as Russia. I also seem to remember seeing ancient depictions of Japanese and Chinese? with powdered hair? I have been searching on French sites and most of them talk about powdered hair but not why. This is getting irritating – now I must carry on.
Fascinating, now I’m desperate to know why. I thought it was something to do with hairstyles getting so voluminous that they needed to have hair pieces and all those rolls and padding so it was easier just to have a wig, combined with the fact that people did have a lot of hair/head problems, not just lice but bald patches etc because of disease. And using powder gave volume as well as uniform colour and padding.
I did read somewhere, might have been in Amanda Foreman’s book, that the Duchess of Devonshire found mice in one of her monstrous wigs.
I’m really interested in this now, I’ve always thought it a very strange habit. Great post.
Fascinating, now I’m desperate to know why. I thought it was something to do with hairstyles getting so voluminous that they needed to have hair pieces and all those rolls and padding so it was easier just to have a wig, combined with the fact that people did have a lot of hair/head problems, not just lice but bald patches etc because of disease. And using powder gave volume as well as uniform colour and padding.
I did read somewhere, might have been in Amanda Foreman’s book, that the Duchess of Devonshire found mice in one of her monstrous wigs.
I’m really interested in this now, I’ve always thought it a very strange habit. Great post.
Fascinating, now I’m desperate to know why. I thought it was something to do with hairstyles getting so voluminous that they needed to have hair pieces and all those rolls and padding so it was easier just to have a wig, combined with the fact that people did have a lot of hair/head problems, not just lice but bald patches etc because of disease. And using powder gave volume as well as uniform colour and padding.
I did read somewhere, might have been in Amanda Foreman’s book, that the Duchess of Devonshire found mice in one of her monstrous wigs.
I’m really interested in this now, I’ve always thought it a very strange habit. Great post.
Fascinating, now I’m desperate to know why. I thought it was something to do with hairstyles getting so voluminous that they needed to have hair pieces and all those rolls and padding so it was easier just to have a wig, combined with the fact that people did have a lot of hair/head problems, not just lice but bald patches etc because of disease. And using powder gave volume as well as uniform colour and padding.
I did read somewhere, might have been in Amanda Foreman’s book, that the Duchess of Devonshire found mice in one of her monstrous wigs.
I’m really interested in this now, I’ve always thought it a very strange habit. Great post.
Fascinating, now I’m desperate to know why. I thought it was something to do with hairstyles getting so voluminous that they needed to have hair pieces and all those rolls and padding so it was easier just to have a wig, combined with the fact that people did have a lot of hair/head problems, not just lice but bald patches etc because of disease. And using powder gave volume as well as uniform colour and padding.
I did read somewhere, might have been in Amanda Foreman’s book, that the Duchess of Devonshire found mice in one of her monstrous wigs.
I’m really interested in this now, I’ve always thought it a very strange habit. Great post.
It all gets more puzzling, doesn’t it?
John said, s an adjective, the OED definitely takes the practice back to 1613 — “Theyre frisled powdred haire makes them looke all alike.” Seems to be from John Donne and the Countess of Bedford, but I couldn’t access the whole.
It could relate to a group as in soldiers, clerymen or servants, so it’d be nice to have the full context. I can’t remember a picture of a powdered aristocrat from that period.
Yes, Jenny, it could well have been a French fashion to begin with, but as you say, it doesn’t answer the why.
Marguerite, in the mid 18th century, when the fashion seems to have really caught on, hairstyles were quite simple for both men and women. Certainly anyone with bald patches and such might seek to hide them, but I keep thinking, if you’re rich and powerful and want everyone to know it, why use a problem-hiding device.
Those enormous periwigs of human hair the noblemen wore in the 17th century were more the thing.
The hunt goes on!
Jo
It all gets more puzzling, doesn’t it?
John said, s an adjective, the OED definitely takes the practice back to 1613 — “Theyre frisled powdred haire makes them looke all alike.” Seems to be from John Donne and the Countess of Bedford, but I couldn’t access the whole.
It could relate to a group as in soldiers, clerymen or servants, so it’d be nice to have the full context. I can’t remember a picture of a powdered aristocrat from that period.
Yes, Jenny, it could well have been a French fashion to begin with, but as you say, it doesn’t answer the why.
Marguerite, in the mid 18th century, when the fashion seems to have really caught on, hairstyles were quite simple for both men and women. Certainly anyone with bald patches and such might seek to hide them, but I keep thinking, if you’re rich and powerful and want everyone to know it, why use a problem-hiding device.
Those enormous periwigs of human hair the noblemen wore in the 17th century were more the thing.
The hunt goes on!
Jo
It all gets more puzzling, doesn’t it?
John said, s an adjective, the OED definitely takes the practice back to 1613 — “Theyre frisled powdred haire makes them looke all alike.” Seems to be from John Donne and the Countess of Bedford, but I couldn’t access the whole.
It could relate to a group as in soldiers, clerymen or servants, so it’d be nice to have the full context. I can’t remember a picture of a powdered aristocrat from that period.
Yes, Jenny, it could well have been a French fashion to begin with, but as you say, it doesn’t answer the why.
Marguerite, in the mid 18th century, when the fashion seems to have really caught on, hairstyles were quite simple for both men and women. Certainly anyone with bald patches and such might seek to hide them, but I keep thinking, if you’re rich and powerful and want everyone to know it, why use a problem-hiding device.
Those enormous periwigs of human hair the noblemen wore in the 17th century were more the thing.
The hunt goes on!
Jo
It all gets more puzzling, doesn’t it?
John said, s an adjective, the OED definitely takes the practice back to 1613 — “Theyre frisled powdred haire makes them looke all alike.” Seems to be from John Donne and the Countess of Bedford, but I couldn’t access the whole.
It could relate to a group as in soldiers, clerymen or servants, so it’d be nice to have the full context. I can’t remember a picture of a powdered aristocrat from that period.
Yes, Jenny, it could well have been a French fashion to begin with, but as you say, it doesn’t answer the why.
Marguerite, in the mid 18th century, when the fashion seems to have really caught on, hairstyles were quite simple for both men and women. Certainly anyone with bald patches and such might seek to hide them, but I keep thinking, if you’re rich and powerful and want everyone to know it, why use a problem-hiding device.
Those enormous periwigs of human hair the noblemen wore in the 17th century were more the thing.
The hunt goes on!
Jo
It all gets more puzzling, doesn’t it?
John said, s an adjective, the OED definitely takes the practice back to 1613 — “Theyre frisled powdred haire makes them looke all alike.” Seems to be from John Donne and the Countess of Bedford, but I couldn’t access the whole.
It could relate to a group as in soldiers, clerymen or servants, so it’d be nice to have the full context. I can’t remember a picture of a powdered aristocrat from that period.
Yes, Jenny, it could well have been a French fashion to begin with, but as you say, it doesn’t answer the why.
Marguerite, in the mid 18th century, when the fashion seems to have really caught on, hairstyles were quite simple for both men and women. Certainly anyone with bald patches and such might seek to hide them, but I keep thinking, if you’re rich and powerful and want everyone to know it, why use a problem-hiding device.
Those enormous periwigs of human hair the noblemen wore in the 17th century were more the thing.
The hunt goes on!
Jo
I’ve read that the fashion nowadays in hair color is grey. Young people are dyeing their hair grey.
I can’t understand the trend. Like I can’t understand frosting hair, either. We’ll all go grey soon enough.
Linda, whose hair still is 99% dark brown, but darker than it was when she was younger.
I’ve read that the fashion nowadays in hair color is grey. Young people are dyeing their hair grey.
I can’t understand the trend. Like I can’t understand frosting hair, either. We’ll all go grey soon enough.
Linda, whose hair still is 99% dark brown, but darker than it was when she was younger.
I’ve read that the fashion nowadays in hair color is grey. Young people are dyeing their hair grey.
I can’t understand the trend. Like I can’t understand frosting hair, either. We’ll all go grey soon enough.
Linda, whose hair still is 99% dark brown, but darker than it was when she was younger.
I’ve read that the fashion nowadays in hair color is grey. Young people are dyeing their hair grey.
I can’t understand the trend. Like I can’t understand frosting hair, either. We’ll all go grey soon enough.
Linda, whose hair still is 99% dark brown, but darker than it was when she was younger.
I’ve read that the fashion nowadays in hair color is grey. Young people are dyeing their hair grey.
I can’t understand the trend. Like I can’t understand frosting hair, either. We’ll all go grey soon enough.
Linda, whose hair still is 99% dark brown, but darker than it was when she was younger.
Looking further I just googled “why powder hair in 18th c” and came up with some weird and wonderful responses, but all seem to be associated with fashion. Maybe.
Looking further I just googled “why powder hair in 18th c” and came up with some weird and wonderful responses, but all seem to be associated with fashion. Maybe.
Looking further I just googled “why powder hair in 18th c” and came up with some weird and wonderful responses, but all seem to be associated with fashion. Maybe.
Looking further I just googled “why powder hair in 18th c” and came up with some weird and wonderful responses, but all seem to be associated with fashion. Maybe.
Looking further I just googled “why powder hair in 18th c” and came up with some weird and wonderful responses, but all seem to be associated with fashion. Maybe.
Have you looked at Hair 400 years of fashion? by Richard Corson.
I don’t have the book by me at present– it is at home– but the when should be there if anywhere.
The book has a few pages of exposition along with many pages of illustrations for different decades.
Have you looked at Hair 400 years of fashion? by Richard Corson.
I don’t have the book by me at present– it is at home– but the when should be there if anywhere.
The book has a few pages of exposition along with many pages of illustrations for different decades.
Have you looked at Hair 400 years of fashion? by Richard Corson.
I don’t have the book by me at present– it is at home– but the when should be there if anywhere.
The book has a few pages of exposition along with many pages of illustrations for different decades.
Have you looked at Hair 400 years of fashion? by Richard Corson.
I don’t have the book by me at present– it is at home– but the when should be there if anywhere.
The book has a few pages of exposition along with many pages of illustrations for different decades.
Have you looked at Hair 400 years of fashion? by Richard Corson.
I don’t have the book by me at present– it is at home– but the when should be there if anywhere.
The book has a few pages of exposition along with many pages of illustrations for different decades.
Nancy, interesting suggestions. I looked at Amazon and the price is astonishing! I did a search on Googlebooks and got a couple of snippets, but they seem like so many others — without explaining why.
It says that about 1703 a plain white powder was used for the first time. Then about 1714, bleaching was tried but was unsuccessful. So it seems the purpose was specifically to have pale hair, but nothing to say why.
When you’re reunited with the book I’d be very interested to know if it says anything more.
Jo
Nancy, interesting suggestions. I looked at Amazon and the price is astonishing! I did a search on Googlebooks and got a couple of snippets, but they seem like so many others — without explaining why.
It says that about 1703 a plain white powder was used for the first time. Then about 1714, bleaching was tried but was unsuccessful. So it seems the purpose was specifically to have pale hair, but nothing to say why.
When you’re reunited with the book I’d be very interested to know if it says anything more.
Jo
Nancy, interesting suggestions. I looked at Amazon and the price is astonishing! I did a search on Googlebooks and got a couple of snippets, but they seem like so many others — without explaining why.
It says that about 1703 a plain white powder was used for the first time. Then about 1714, bleaching was tried but was unsuccessful. So it seems the purpose was specifically to have pale hair, but nothing to say why.
When you’re reunited with the book I’d be very interested to know if it says anything more.
Jo
Nancy, interesting suggestions. I looked at Amazon and the price is astonishing! I did a search on Googlebooks and got a couple of snippets, but they seem like so many others — without explaining why.
It says that about 1703 a plain white powder was used for the first time. Then about 1714, bleaching was tried but was unsuccessful. So it seems the purpose was specifically to have pale hair, but nothing to say why.
When you’re reunited with the book I’d be very interested to know if it says anything more.
Jo
Nancy, interesting suggestions. I looked at Amazon and the price is astonishing! I did a search on Googlebooks and got a couple of snippets, but they seem like so many others — without explaining why.
It says that about 1703 a plain white powder was used for the first time. Then about 1714, bleaching was tried but was unsuccessful. So it seems the purpose was specifically to have pale hair, but nothing to say why.
When you’re reunited with the book I’d be very interested to know if it says anything more.
Jo
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