An example of a 1900s bride wearing a Gibson girl hairstyle.
A 1900s bride could pick a sophisticated Victorian or trendy Gibson girl hairstyle and still look chic. Short hair could be styled into a straight, simple bob, or it could be pin curled or finger waved into neat, uniform rows. Long wedding hair could be swept in an up-style and tucked into a chignon or bun. Stray wisps could be twirled into hanging tendrils to frame the face. Backcombing and puffing free-flowing hair gave a bride height, and the rest was rolled into elegant, cascading sausage curls.
Deconstructing 1900s Bridal Hairstyles
A 1900s "milkmaid" coiled faux braid duplicated for a modern bride's hair.
Retro hairdos are much easier to create today because of all the modern hair tools and lotions available. In the 1900s, bridal tresses had lots of volume but were looser and fuller than Victorian hairstyles. Brides added pouf to hair by putting hair pads underneath a hair layer at its roots; then they teased and combed real hair over faux hair pads. Long hair was often swept up and pinned to the crown, while stray wisps fell freely around the shoulders and back.
Turn of the Century Bridal Hair Pads and Aids
A woman wearing a chignon held together with decorative barrettes and prong-shaped bobby pins.
Young 1900s brides had many choices of fake pads to wrap under their hair. The early hair-care market carried frisettes, switches and plaits, along with extra curls and small wave pieces; these were pinned to the head to hide gaps. Other hair rolls included knots, chignons and buns; these were pinned under real hair to form a clump. The roll was attached with bobby pins and barrettes -- along with hair nets -- to hold it in place. Waxes, pomades and lotions were used to manage hair, and hair was rolled with strips of rag to make sausage curls.
Retro-Inspired Bridal Updos with a Modern Twist
Example of an elegant bridal updo with stray tendrils at the nape.
Classic ballet bun updo: Pull back hair to make a simple yet chic bun at the base of the neck. Accessorize with flowers, headpiece and veil.
Classic French twist updo: Sweep hair back and secure the twist with pins to the back of the head. Decorative pins, fabric flowers or a tiara will dress up a twist.
Updo with curls: Sweep hair back and secure it at the crown. Curl and pin excess hair.
Elegant side updo: Smooth hair to one side at the nape of the neck and secure with pins into a beautiful roll or bun. Curls and wisps should frame the face and hang down the back of the neck. Tuck in several wee flowers or place one large flower at the top of the roll.
Loose, messy updo: Sweep hair onto the top of head so it looks loose and messy like a shepherdess.
Retro Bridal Hair Ornaments and Accessories
Example of a modern bridal hair ornament similar to a 1900s adornment.
In the 1900s, brides loved to use whimsical hair ornaments, ribbons and barrettes to decorate their hair. Besides faux hair rolls, they used some unique hair ornaments to hold their hair in place. Sometimes they would interweave rows of flowers down a French braid, or they would pin up their hair with tiny, circular, jeweled barrettes. They secured ringlet curls with jeweled pins and satin or fabric bows. They seldom colored their hair because coloring was unsafe, but they used aigrettes and feathers as hair ornaments.
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