Traditional Hair Styles

[Bugbear]

Now, I've heard that George Washington powdered his hair, but did not wear a wig. It would have been red originally. This is a whole different option if it is true. I also seem to remember Ben Franklend having a braided tail of hair, but I'm not sure of that. What did you people up there in Canada do with your governmental hair?

[Joel]

I read that Thomas Jefferson had red hair...not sure if he ever powdered it...and for some reason, I seriously I doubt that he ever wore a kilt...

I think Ben Franklen had long hair...hmm...something to research...

I also read that in several of the Commonwealth nations, they still use the powdered wigs in the courts. I believe Austrailia recently voted to quit using the wigs.

[Bugbear]

I think most men were wearing some kind of knee pants at the time and place of George Washington, but I don't recall what they were called. They're kind of cool though. I started this thread in hopes of exploring a bit how "TRADITIONAL" hair styles and dress flip flop over time. It's flopped all over the place in this thread though.

I read that Thomas Jefferson had red hair...not sure if he ever powdered it...and for some reason, I seriously I doubt that he ever wore a kilt...

I think Ben Franklen had long hair...hmm...something to research...

I also read that in several of the Commonwealth nations, they still use the powdered wigs in the courts. I believe Austrailia recently voted to quit using the wigs.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

They are referred to as "short clothes". Breeches are still worn by QCs (lawyers who have earned he distinction of being "Queen's Council"), PCs, Heralds when in tabards, and by gentlemen out shooting.

Wigs are still worn in the UK and Ireland, and most commonwealth courts. And for what it's worth, servants powdered their hair into the 1960s, perhaps even a bit later.

[Bugbear]

Thank you, MacMillan of Rathdown, I was hoping for this kind of input.

They are referred to as "short clothes". Breeches are still worn by QCs (lawyers who have earned he distinction of being "Queen's Council"), PCs, Heralds when in tabards, and by gentlemen out shooting.

Wigs are still worn in the UK and Ireland, and most commonwealth courts. And for what it's worth, servants powdered their hair into the 1960s, perhaps even a bit later.

[Bugbear]

Thank all of you for that matter.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

presumably hair was dirty, matted, greasy, lousy, and wacked off at about the shoulders. Scalp diseases would have been common, too. How authentic do you want to be?

[macwilkin]

As a related aside, the old Royal Welch* Fusiliers wore "the flash" (five black ribbons) on the backs of their collars for many years which symbolised the old "powdered wig" days.

*Yes, that is the correct spelling -- see Robert Graves' Goodbye to all that for an explanation of the customs and traditions of the RWF.

Regards,

Todd

[Bugbear]

Just kind of wondering about the ways of the savage white man from whom I came. On the other side of my (cultural) upbringing, there was the yucca root and some other things that were and are used to wash the hair as well as make soap. The prickly pear I grow can and has been used to quite effectivly clean up water from even arsnic. I saw somewhere that the Scots had soap. I like my long hair and just looking for what might go ok with a kilt at this point in the thread.

presumably hair was dirty, matted, greasy, lousy, and wacked off at about the shoulders. Scalp diseases would have been common, too. How authentic do you want to be?

[macwilkin]

Just kind of wondering about the ways of the savage white man from whom I came. On the other side of my (cultural) upbringing, there was the yucca root and some other things like that that were and are used to wash the hair as well as make soap. The prickly pear I grow can and has been used to quite effectivly clean up water from even arsnic. I saw somewhere that the Scots had soap. I like my long hair.

Regular bathing is a relatively modern innovation.

T.