Victorian hair

I've been wanting to try out some Victorian hairstyles to see what I might like to do for Earnest. I have pretty great hair for period pieces, but long and naturally curly won't do for this character. Since our show takes place about 1890, I can't fall back on easy early-Victorian or Gibson girl styles, so I need to come up with something else that is not only flattering, but easy to do on myself and teach to my double. This is a moderately tall order for someone who is not known for fancy hairstyles.

My sister-in-law Lindsey graciously volunteered to be a hair model for me while we watched the Oscars on Sunday. Golly, I love her hair! So thick and long and shiny! It was fun to play with, and I'm pretty excited about what I was able to do, considering the only tools I had on hand were two bobby pins, a claw clip, one barrette, and two small elastics! Some of the designs look pretty cool, if I say so myself.

Pull-through pony tail with three braids. I found the instructions for this online.

This isn't really Victorian, just playing with a zig-zag part.

Five-braid Juliet cap design

Classic french braid

Pull-through braid on the top, then rolled over on the bottom.
I thought this would be the winner, since it looked so cool on
Lindsey.  Sadly, I don't have thick enough hair to pull it off.

Twisted the sides to meet in a bun at the back.
Difficult to do without a mirror to see how the
back looks, and my arms get tired doing
this on myself.

Didn't come up with any definite hair designs, but I had fun playing. Last night I practiced a bit on myself and quite liked the double sock bun effect (thanks Amy for the idea!). I might try a french twist tonight, and use a curling iron on the hair poking out the top to make it really curly. I definitely want curls framing my face, and maybe even finger-curled bangs (so ugly, but so period).


There are few things that bother me in a play as much as costumes and hair that don't fit the period (or really bad wigs, even if they do). It distracts from the show, and just another distinction between community theater (where they often don't seem to worry as much about the details) and professional productions (where they hire people to design and style those details). That's not going to happen here, if I can help it!