Elizabethan Hair designs with use of Jewellery, feathers and stones
Reference of texts: http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-jewelry.htm
Book online: Encyclopedia of Hair: A Cultural History by Victoria Sherrow
Book online: Women's Hats, Headdresses and Hairstyles: With 453 Illustrations, Medieval By Georgine de Courtais
The type of people I have been looking at is royalty because they were the ones who could afford to have gold, stones, semi precious gems in their hair and on their outfits. Gems and precious were used which were placed into plain gold and placed in their hair or as an accessory. Pearls were one of the most popular items of jewelry during the 16th Century and these were associated with royalty and wealthy honorable people, they were very fashionable and expensive piece of jewelry, either worn as a single pearl or in a string of pearls, or bound to a frame along their hair to reflect their status.
Precious gems were used such as Diamonds, Topaz, Rubies, Opals etc. These were highly expensive a preferably not worn outside to prevent loss or risk of theft, this was the same for semi precious gems such as Onyx, Bloodstone, Crystal, Amber etc. Therefore, coloured glass beads were commonly used for accessories worn outside; also other beads were made out of Metal, Bone or even Wood.
I have found examples of Elizabethan portraits and paintings where you can clearly see gems, stones and pearls being used throughout their hair design.
Reference: From the above book Elizabeths Women by Tracy Borman
Lettice Knollys 1577
You can see in the portrait of Lettice, her hair is frizzed, curled and rounded at the sides with the use of feathers and jewels in her hat placed on her head, it reflects wealth and royalty. A lot of texture with uses of material is used in this portrait, she looks important with all the accessories used.
Reference: http://q103albany.com/british-royals-sure-do-love-their-hats-pictures/
This image above is of Pippa Middleton and other royalty members wearing ellaborate hat wear with use of netting and other fabrics added, I put this picture up to show how today's royal family still wear hats and like to stand out and look important.
Reference: From the above book Elizabeths Women by Tracy Borman
Mary, Queen of Scots Elizabeths Deadliest rival
I like this above image, because it really shows the use of jewels and gems and stones in her hair design, its truly symbolising wealth and royalty. The hair is rounded and frizzed in shape and neat with a lot of jewels, pearls etc used throughout the design, it stands out and looks elaborate.
Reference: From the above book Elizabeths Women by Tracy Borman
Lettice Knollys whom Elizabeth referred to as 'That She-Wolf" after secretly marrying the Earl of Leicester and to the right is Elizabeth Vernon 1600 and secretly married the Earl of Southampton
Reference: http://www.marileecody.com/gloriana/elizabethpeace.jpg
Reference: http://www.marileecody.com/eliz1-images.html
During Elizabethan times they would also wear hair pieces to give them that great structure, that lift they required and volume of the frizzed perfect, ideal Elizabethan hair style, that was envied among others.
There hair pieces were usually taken from horse hair or even Childrens hair in order to make these hair pieces.
Feathers were also used along side the gems and stones incorporated into there designs, they wanted as much lavish, elaborate accessories they could get in their hair to reflect their wealth and superior.
Lavish attention to hair care and personal appearance was essential to maintain the ideal look; a lot upper class people were influenced by Queen Elizabeth I and the way her was design and her overall appearance was inspired look.
Feathers also became popular hair decorations towards the end of the 16th Century. In 1599 Thomas Platter a foreign visitor described Elizabeth as "Wearing a gown of pure white satin gold embroidered with a whole bird of paradise for hear-tire set forward on her head and studded with costly jewels." I feel this describes the Queen well, with her full on lavish hair styles and her elaborate accessories, she was not one to be un-noticed and I believe as she went on through becoming Queen he entire look got bigger and bolder, especially with the hair designs. With the use of the feathers this made the look and gave more texture along with the beads, gems etc.
Feathers were also attached to small hats to add texture and height. White feathers were usual but red and white feathers were popular together on small caps. Elizabeth's hair design was described " A hat that was spangled with gold and a bush of feathers" A lot of texture was used in her hair designs and many other royalty members with the use of different materials used to create the elaborate designs.
I have searched into portraits and pictures of the use of these and looked at the contemporary version of the Elizabethan look with the use of gems, stones, feathers and other accessories combined.
Reference: Elizabeth I http://lisafremontpages.blogspot.co.uk/2014_09_01_archive.html
You can see the Queens use of Jewels, pearls, gems and feathers with the small cap at the back of her hair head. This portrait of herself really reflects the use of texture and dynamics of accessories used to give her a powerful, upper class, wealthy appearance.
Reference: http://www.trendhunter.com/slideshow/regal-renaissance-fashions
This contemporary take on the Elizabethan style works well, as the use of curls in a looser way, the hair is still in a rounded shape but less perfect giving that modern twist to the design, it also incorporates pearls in the hair on string and a small cap at the back which is staying on the same lines as the Elizabethan style. I believe this is a great example of the period hair design, but in a less structured and with use of darker tones to give the design a darker, contemporary feel to it. They have collaborated all the textures and accessories that would be used in the Elizabethan period but with a quirkier approach which works well.
Reference: Found on pinterest- https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/1b/fb/a6/1bfba6e2bea8657c9b422ba659c9444e.jpg
This contemporary version of the Elizabethan look I found, is created with feathers into the shape of the typical Elizabethan styled hair designs and I really loved this look because it takes on the Elizabethan style but in modern, powerful way they have used the wings of the bird to create the dramatic look of the Elizabethan style. It represents the ideal Elizabethan hair but with the use of the "whole bird", it also shows a lot of texture and stands well with great structure, they have used the feathers as a hair piece, where hair pieces were very common back in the 16th Century.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/562552/Queen-net-worth-300million-asset-rich-cash-poor
Photograph of the Queen, wearing precious jewels within her crown, symbolises are wealth and royalty status, it shows how powerful she is. This is a modern day photograph of the Queen and how the colours have changed compared to the Elizabethan times, as you can see deep purples and different patterns are used throughout the crown.
