To understand the style of Elizabeth I must looking deeper in her era, she was regarded as a ideal women. I brief explain what it mean ideal women.
The ,,Ideal'' Elizabethan Woman
Although the fashion for women change to a more seductive look it was important for Queen Elizabeth to maintain her image and the beauty of a ''Virgin Queen''. The Elizabethan view of pure beauty was a woman with a light hair and snow white complexion complimented with red cheeks and red lips.A pale complexion could only be achieved by a woman of a upper class.
Lower class women to were expected work outside and therefore acquired a suntan. The pale complexion was therefore a sign of wealth and nobility - an immediate identification for a person from the upper classes. This alabaster complexion was therefore also required by Elizabethan man.
Queen Elizabeth achieved this image of ideal beauty by using white make up.
This explain the odd white face make-up seen in many of her portraits.This image of Virgin Queen was further enhanced by the work of Edmund Spenser (1552- 1599) in his epic poem '' The Fairie Queene'' which was dedicated to Queen Elizabeth.
Elizabethan Hair Colour
It was important for Queen Elizabeth to maintain her image and the beauty of a Virgin Queen .
Queen Elizabeth had a natural red colour hair. This red hair was a emulated by many of the nobility of the Elizabethan era, as was the fair hair ideal of an ideal women.An upper class Elizabethan woman fallowed this fashion further and might even dye her hair yellow with a mixture of saffron, cumin seed, celandine and oil.Wigs were also commonly used- Queen Elizabeth had a wide variety of wigs and hair pieces - believed to number of eighty. These were often referred to as Periwigs.
Elizabethan Hair Styles for Woman
Elizabethan hair styles for woman were designed to compliment the upper class fashions of the day.
Ruffs or ruffles, were in high fashion and during the Elizabethan era, these become more elaborate and were constructed on gauze wings which were raised at the back of the head. The ruffs or collars framed the face and dictated the hairstyle of the age which were generally was short for men ( at the beginning of Elizabeth era ) and swept up look was required for woman. A frizzy hair style was also one of the required styles for woman. Woman kept their hair long and the full natural beauty of the long hair was displayed by the young woman of the era. The long hair flowing hair of a young girl was a sign of a virgin and favoured hairstyle for a bride of her wedding day. An Elizabethan bride would adorn her hair with fresh flowers. Once a woman achieved the married status, she wore her hair swept up. Much of the hair was covered by some form of head covering. Long hair was generally dressed in a bun to which the variety of head coverings could be pinned. The front and sides of the hair received great attention as this was the area that was most displayed.
Fringes were no in fashion- hairstyle fashion dictated that hair was combed way from the forehead.
The hairstyle was usually designed to compliment the style of the hat. Frizzed hair was favoured by the Queen and therefore fallowed by ladies of the court although straight hair was favoured with a centre parting which especially complimented the French hood .
Head Coverings for Woman
The Elizabethan fashion dictated that the head was adorned with a hat, veil, coif or caul. This fashion therefore ensured that much of the hair was hidden by some forms of head coverings. Many of the hats were adorned with feathers, pearls, glass jewels, spangles, gold thread, embroidery and lace.
References:
Firefly_Ca. (2013). 30 Day Book Challenge - Day 26. Available: http://fireflyca.tumblr.com/post/25930046145/30-day-book-challenge-day-26. Last accessed June 26,2013.
Linda Alchin. (2014). Tudor Hair. Available: http://www.sixwives.info/tudor-hair.htm. Last accessed June 2014.
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