Hair bows are decorative pieces of ribbon used to accent hairstyles, and are most often found on the hairstyles of young girls. Hair bows can be tied around ponytails, at the end of braids, and can be made into barrettes for sliding onto hair.
History
Ancient peoples adorned their hair with bits of bone or sticks as a way to symbolize a strong leader, singling him out as the superior. Cultures that followed continued the custom of decorating hair with a variety of objects to look attractive. In ancient Egypt and Persia, precursors to the hair bow were decorations of flowers or jewelry fastened to the hair with hairpins made of ivory. In the fourteenth to the eighteenth centuries in Europe, both men and women used hair bows to tie back their hair. Men who wore wigs traditionally used a black bow tied around the long wig hair at the base of the neck, while young girls wore their hair loose, tying up small portions and decorating them with the hair bow.
Function
The modern and ancient hair bow serve the same purpose--to make the wearer more attractive. Adding a colorful ribbon tied in a bow to the end of a braid, or around the elastic of a ponytail, brightens up a drab hairstyle, giving it a jolt of beauty. A silk or satin hair bow can be used in hairstyles for formal occasions as a finishing touch to decorate the hair in a simple and elegant fashion.
Features
Any size and fabric of ribbon can be used in the making of a hair bow. Thin strands of yarn can make a bow as easily as a four inch wide flat strip of gingham. The ideal hair bow makes a four-pronged star shape, with the two loops of the bow on the top, a knot in the center, and the two end pieces hanging below the knot neatly, the same length as the bow above it to keep the top and bottom of the bow symmetrical and pleasing to the eye.
Types
The common hair bow is fastened to the hair in a simple process. First the hair is put in a ponytail. A piece of ribbon is cut for the bow, generally about the same length as the ponytail or piece of hair it will be decorating. The center of the ribbon is placed on the bottom of the ponytail, and the two ends are brought up to the top of the hair elastic. One end is slipped underneath the other end, and pulled tightly, causing the beginning of a knot on the elastic. A loop is formed with one side of the ribbon, and the other ribbon is circled around the base of the loop, and pulled through itself to form a strong knot. The top "bow" section is pulled tight, and adjusted for a symmetrical look. The bow sits on top of the ponytail, while the two ends hang down next to the ponytail. Another type of bow is a pre-made bow that can be glued onto a barrette for sliding into the hair as decoration.
Size
In the 1700 and 1800s in America, small and simple hair bows were only worn by young girls on Sundays to church. Younger girls wore braids with ribbons tied into bows on the bottom of the braids, while older girls wore their hair down with a small bow decorating a section of tied back hair at the crown of the head.
The hair bow styles of the early 1900s were hugely oversized bows, usually decorating the heads of little girls, often taking up an entire side of their face. Modern hair bows are moderately sized pieces of ribbon tied or clipped into hair as decoration for little girls (and occasionally women).
Benefits
A hair bow has two main functions: adding beauty, color and style to a hairstyle, and covering up a plain elastic band that is holding the hair in place. A hair bow can tie together an outfit by matching the color or fabric of a dress, overalls or play clothes. A hair bow adds a sweet, feminine and innocent look to any child's hairstyle.
Potential
Without the hair bow, a child's hairstyle can look functional and serious. With the use of a hair bow, a child's hairstyle is lifted to a more whimsical look. Use of a hair bow can sometimes entice the young child who doesn't like her hair brushed, to allow her hair to be styled and decorated with the special bow. Even the most stubborn child likes to feel beautiful and special, and sometimes a little bow made of ribbon can achieve that affect.
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