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New York, 10:26 PM
Wed Dec 16
63 posts in the last 24 hours
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12/09/09
12/09/09
Also, not to threadjack, but this stock photo is a really interesting example of why I thought Keira was so miscast for The Duchess. Keira is very slender, but compare how her gown fits as opposed to the girl to the right: the 18th-century silhouette looks a little awkward on her lean frame and much nicer on the softer girl.
Keira should stick to the 1860's-80's, 1920's, and 1930's. They're good for willowy types. Her 1790's contemporaries would sneer at her.
12/08/09
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I love Deadwood, and I heard on a DVD commentary that they didn't allow the women on the show to shave, because they didn't.
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(rixatrix: hearted)
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Just don't burn them. It's not pretty at all.
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If that's historically inaccurate, I don't want to be accurate!
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From what I know of the Robin Hood legends, there are many versions that don't really line up, and of course there are a lot of patches in our current knowledge of medieval history. Any Robin Hood story is going to have to take liberties, so that's easy for me to accept.
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Alas, movies just use wigmakers. And as far as I can tell, they make hairstyles look much, much more awesome than in photos from back when women folk were compelled to twist their hair into buoyant coifs. Oh fine, men folk too--mutton chops look like a pain in the ass to maintain.
[I just read your post on hair pins and hair collecting below, which was fascinating! I second that you write a book. I just love this stuff.]
12/08/09
Yeah, I figured on the wig front. It's kind of disapointing. I love John Water's original Hairspray BECAUSE the hair stylist actually used Rikki Lake's real hair and didn't go for a wig. (I'm fairly sure most of the hair was natural in that movie and sans wigs other than the obvious/intentional one) And her hair in that movie looked great and totally natural and cool.
Haha, yes, I really should one day. I love the social history of how women did their hair, makeup, and fashion in different times and regions. It's fascinating to see how these changes intersected with cultural changes at large.
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Oh, I will be dreaming of that silk tonight...
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Also, I love your name!
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And thank you! It took me ages to come up with it, sadly enough.
12/08/09
We have a lot of old Victorian buildings here (Oil Boom did my area well), and the ones that are still standing were usually fairly well to do families. A lot of times when houses go on the market or when someone dies, instead of sorting though the masses of things in the nooks and crannies they just sell in lots.
Best finds: A whole box full of objects from the 1900s, 1910s, and 1920s that no one had paid attention to because at the top of the boz\x were what looked like scraps. Turned out to be a set of half pinned together leg-o-Mutton Sleeves in a thick black velvet (think wealthy widow)! Also in the box were a couple of silk blouses that were late 1910s, a pair of (absurdly tiny) white kidskin boots, some sadly damaged beyond repair gloves to match the boots, and Jewelry from the 1920s.
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In addition, my grandmother is the coolest person to ever walk this planet.
12/09/09
Your grandmother sounds like the bomb! I had one of those, damn I miss her.
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Yes! Why dont they have all have mouths from the Big British Book of Smiles?
Also, did they have bobby pins in the 17th century? How did they get such big elaborate hairdos to stay without a litre of hairspray?
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Also, did they remove hair? Because my mustache would quickly have disqualified me from a husband back then.
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Yes, there were many hair pins of different sizes readily available either plain or extravagantly adorned. Depending on how much money you had. Like with anything else in any period, the more money you had the better your hair was dressed. If you had money you probably had a maid to do your hair every morning and most lady maids were highly sought after for their ability to do hair. If you didn't have a maid you probably got your sister or mother to do your hair when it needed to be really nice and made do by themselves on a day to day basis. (Much like women of today)
Also, hair wasn't the same consistency as it is now. Modern shampoo and conditioners have made hair more soft and supple. A woman's hair in that time period would have been naturally more coarse and more malleable. (And more frizzy. Movies never get the frizz thing right)
Also, fun fact, women of more modest means frequently collected their own hair from their combs and often made hair pieces out of them to help fill in their elaborate styles when they weren't big enough for their taste. (Women with money just bought it or wigs) And, yes, many different greases, elixirs, and more natural methods were used to give hair shine in all periods, some of which are still used today.
Women were doing crazy shit with their hair looooong before hair dryers, hair sprays, curling irons, or any modern hair instruments were invented.
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I'm in deep awe of the spinning/weaving process and how long it took to make dresses and other clothing we take for granted back in the day.
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Though clad in unwashed layers, I'm willing to bet you don't smell like a rancid parade float on a daily basis.
Back in Marie Antoinette's time, they just kept perfuming the layers of funk.