Hairstyles of the British Court: Whigs in Wigs

author of the Amazon top 10 best-selling skill fabrication and fantasy fresh “ The astronomic Mage ” and its best-selling sequels . Court hairstyles

A Brief Look at Wigs in Ancient History

The picture of the british barrister in his white or gray wig is a familiar one to good about anyone with a pulse. But for most, understanding where the tradition came from might be a less familiar thing. What follows is a abbreviated look at the history of the powder wig, or, more correctly, the periwig or periwig.

The origins of the wig can be traced to Egypt as a intend of protecting the head from a glare abandon sun and was chiefly a practical device. Its popularity was resurrected in Rome for a clock by women who wore them for fashion ‘s sake ( “ Wig ” ). once again they vanished as a swerve, and it was n’t until the seventeenth hundred that they became banal again. And again, they were brought forth for practical reasons. The second coming of the wig in Europe ( primarily France and England ) was a preventive one. The straight fact was that head bird louse were a actual concern in the seventeenth century and a thickly weave mat atop one ‘s fountainhead worked wonders for keeping the bird louse out of a person ‘s scalp, and it was much preferred over the shave of one ‘s lead. For the most function, the early wigs were not a fashion statement at all, and they were worn for practicality. But that was destined to change . Louis thirteen Louis fourteen Charles II ( 1680 )

How the Wig Became the Peruke (or the Periwig)

Despite the prevalence of condom periwigs, ultimately their function led to fashion by way of conceit. Wigs found cosmetic consumption in 1624 when the french king, Louis the XIII—known as “ Louis the Bald ” ( “ Flip Your Wig ” ) —began wearing one to cover up his attack baldness. In the mid-1600s Louis the XIV decided the commit was an amusing one, and from there the popularity of wig-wearing by the deep and mighty took off. The manner arrived in England in 1663 and was adopted by the court of Charles II ( McLaren 242-243 ). Wigs amongst the rich in England were at first base natural colors, but the substance abuse of powdering them with a white gunpowder made from starch and plaster of Paris was popularized around 1690, evolving at some points to include colors like tap, gloomy and grey ( “ Wig ” ). The courts did not immediately adopt this habit, however, and it was n’t until 1705 that the workbench and bar finally gave way to the force of fashion sense and began donning wigs, which finally would be referred to as “ perukes ” and “ periwigs. ” Given that at this point in time the wigs were for fashion, they were huge, physically, and this type of wig was called the “ full-bottomed wig. ” But in 1720, as it is habit to do, the manner changed and the democratic wigs began to grow smaller, becoming what was called the “ bob wig ” or “ campaign wig ” ( McLaren 243 ). [ Both styles are pictured below. ] Courts are generally ruled by common law and tradition, and so, tied in the count of perukes, the stuffy old judges would not let their dignity suffer the reduction of their brilliant large wigs and so, in defiance of change, the judges kept to the previous fashion of big wigs and sol began the custom of wearing a periwig as part of legal formality rather than as a fashion – although younger members did push for smaller versions, and ultimately, the junior barristers began wearing short “ campaign wigs ” around 1730 or so ( McLaren 243 ). Before 1720, the wigs were merely in keeping with the times ; after 1720, it became a matter of stern discriminative propriety. By 1750, cipher was wearing large wigs except for those in the serve of the judiciary and so at that point, the custom was locked gloomy and become emblematic of the bar . top row : Full Bottom Wig. — – bottom Row : “ Bob Wig, ” “ Curled Tie Wig, ” or “ Campaign Wig. ”

Famine, Revolution, and the Powdered Wig

The custom-made of wearing powder wigs began to fall quickly from popularity as heads began to fall from aristocratic necks. In France, the french Revolution took put ( 1789-1799 ), and as most everyone knows, it was not a beneficial time to be rich and brawny. Wearing a powdered wig around was basically waving a sign to the angry syndicate that read, “ Hey, I ‘m over here. ” So the fashion plummeted in popularity. In England, the decay was n’t quite sol hasty, but hush, it was a matter of not angering the cosmopolitan populace that brought about the periwig ‘s eventual death. In separate, the younger folks who sympathized with the french revolution stopped wearing their wigs out of respect for the campaign. But that was not the real reason for the manner ‘s decline. In England the problem was food. England hovered on the brink of starvation and, given that the starch part of the “ starch and plaster of paris of Paris ” mentioned above was derived from wheat ; cavorting about with a shovel full of what was basically wasted food in your wig was plainly not a good idea for the well-fed comfortable. evening then, the disdainful fat continued to do it anyhow, and the jeer of it in the face of famine became such an issue that a tax was imposed on those who wore powdered wigs to the tune of a wop each, which actually netted a goodly sum of £200,000 in just the year 1795. This gluttonous consumption of food to powder their wigs, and the elect ‘s willingness to pay the tax preferably than dispense with their vanity, got these wig-wearers the nickname “ wop pigs ” by the populace ( McLaren 244 ). By the 1820s about cipher else in England was placid wearing perukes other than the bench and legal profession, and even there the attorneys and solicitors had given up the practice for themselves. only the upper berth echelons of the court continued with the practice after that. The dividing wrinkle was the difference between the solicitors and the barristers—the solicitors being those attorneys who had to muck about and rub elbows with the commoners. There were no official rules about it, and they were not compelled to do sol, but the legal initiation maintained the practice just because wearing a wig had become a custom that was besides long-standing to let go of. It was an emblem of their dignity. ( Although by the 1840s the full-bottomed wig was largely abandoned in privilege of the more accomplishable bob-wig style. )

Attempts to Get Rid of the “Judge’s Wig”

Anyone who ‘s always snickered at the sight of an English judge wearing a powder wig would not be alone by any stretch. even vitamin a early as 1762 these things were drawing criticism as evidence of excess and of giddiness. Oliver Goldsmith wrote in The Citizen of the World, “ To appear wise, nothing more is needed here, than for a man to borrow haircloth from the heads of all his neighbors, and clap it, like a shrub on his own, ” ( McLaren 246 ). Thomas Jefferson is quoted as having said of English judges that they “ look like mice peeping out of oakum ” ( Yablon ). And in 1853 the celebrated russian socialistic and writer Alexander Herzen “ was struck by the comicality of the medieval ‘ mise-en-scene ‘ ” when he looked upon the english barristers ( McLaren 246 ). But not everyone was laughing. Some of the complaints were strictly virtual. Given the lack of well available and possibly appropriately not disgusting human haircloth, the wigs were much made of horse or butt hair, and they were hot. In 1868 Sir Robert Collier and Sir James Wilde tried to set in gesture a crusade to be done with the “ disused mental hospital ” when Collier left his wig off over the course of two particularly hot days ( McLaren 246 ). The hope was that people would recognize the pragmatism of this action and let go of the grapple on outdated fashion. Their campaign was not successful. In addition to the heat, perukes are heavy, awkward, expensive, and tend to stink .

Periwigs Today

angstrom recently as the 1990s, attempts were still being made to be rid of perukes arsenic well, but the populace at large was unwilling to let the tradition go. In a complete transposition of popular opinion from the dearth years of the 1790s, the british citizens of modern times like the tradition and feel when asked their opinion on the abolition theme that the wigs give dignity and gravitas to the judges. In fact, in possibly a paradoxical try to procure rights to wear the wigs for themselves, some solicitors who ‘d been allowed to argue cases in the higher courts started arguing for the mighty to wear the emblematic wigs american samoa well, still reserved at this clock time for barristers entirely. They complained that not being allowed to wear the wigs made them “ look like second-class lawyers to clients and juries ” ( Pressley ). Given the nature of the populace demanding the tradition stay, it seems that possibly the solicitors had a point. Nonetheless, the custom was left to remain as it had been for centuries by and the solicitors were reminded of their unique function in the larger legal history .

The Powdered Wig Remains

For now, it appears that custom and iconographic status have the periwig set hard in stead upon the heads of Britain ‘s courts. With sol many years of history behind it, it seems improbable that the periwig will be dislodged. While technically outdated, distinctly uncomfortable, expensive – cost ampere much as £1,000 ( Yablon ) – and cumbersome, this is a tradition whose roots have grown very deep. But who knows, they may however come back into vogue. fashion has brought back strange things from the past, and one can never be certain when the next plague of head worm is going to strike. Until then, balding leaders beyond the british courts will have to suffice themselves with the short-haired cousin of the periwig, the toupee, or with a bottle of Rogaine. For the stay of us, the “ evaluator ‘s wig ” is a big source of entertainment, and possibly even national pride, and they are well found for use in costumes, whether for a play, a Renaissance Fair or Halloween. Unless a newfangled tendency develops or the heading plant louse come back, that ‘s barely going to have to do .

Works Cited

“ Flip Your Wig. ” american Heritage 52.2 ( Apr. 2001 ) : 20. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. California State University of Sacramento, Sacramento, CA. 8 Sep. 2008. . McLaren, James G. “ A brief history of wigs in the legal profession. ” International Journal of the Legal Profession 6.2 ( July 1999 ) : 241. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. California State University of Sacramento, Sacramento, CA. 8 Sep. 2008 . Pressley, James. “ Los Angeles woo studies hairs in hood, but hera the offspring is wigs. “ Wall Street Journal [ New York, N.Y. ] 19 Apr. 1995, Eastern edition : B1. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. California State University of Sacramento, Sacramento, CA. 8 Sep. 2008 . “ Wig. ” Infoplease. 9 Sep. 2008. hypertext transfer protocol : //www.infoplease.com/ce6/society/A0852220.html. Yablon, Charles M. “ Wigs, Coifs, and other Idiosyncrasies of English Judicial Attire. ” Cordoza Life. 5d3 1000, Spring 1999. 9 Sep. 2008. hypertext transfer protocol : //www.cardozo.yu.edu/life/spring1999/wigs/. Kamabi on May 19, 2018 : Haven ’ triiodothyronine laughed as much in years. Am besides enjoying your many, many comments below, such a democratic ridicule, even if some of them do appear to be highly psychic. Would love to see some more of your function ( clairvoyance if involving MP clips ), if can be done legit newton not as ‘ blue, naughty girl ’ ! ! note : still feel target, but in a good way. Shadesbreath (author) from California on March 05, 2012 : well, Meh, I tried. hopefully the next stop will have what you need. Meh on March 05, 2012 : This did n’t help at ALL ! ! ! ! Shadesbreath (author) from California on May 14, 2011 : Nosey One, that ‘s a great interrogate. When researching this, I did n’t dig into the manufacture of the individual wigs at all. That might be a good follow up piece to this, although, being your estimate, I would n’t scoop you on it if you were concern. I can merely guess why that might be, but it may have been fashion, or some exegency of making them or the material itself. difficult to say, interesting to think about. great question ! Nosey One on May 13, 2011 : Why were some of the short wigs … all curly … one somersault above each ear … or two flips above each auricle ? Was this equitable expressive style or did it represent rank of some kind ? Shadesbreath (author) from California on September 14, 2010 : I did go have a bill at one of them ( and will get to the other soon I can tell — you write wonderfully ). Of class you may link to my hub ; I ‘d be honored. Nadine Ackermann on September 14, 2010 : Great stuff ! What a antic history lesson ! I ‘d love to link you to one of my hub – please have a spirit first though. I ‘m new and you may not want to be affiliated ! badly fantastic article ! Shadesbreath (author) from California on June 16, 2010 : well Samuel, I tend to agree. Age has not been kind to my hairline either, but I ‘m not certain that ‘s my biggest regret of growing old. I could name some other gorge that is, but they ‘d be besides megascopic. LOL. Thanks for commenting. Samuel Augustus Jennings on June 16, 2010 : Traditional or not, most male wigs looks laughably silly. Balding is my biggest repent of growing old, but I refuse besides look like a clown, so I shave it ALL OFF ! Shadesbreath (author) from California on March 27, 2010 : Hah, Rachael, I would have been with you on that except that I recall my “ ah hour angle ! ” moment upon having come across the separate about them being “ big, hot and icky. ” I believe it may be one of those fashions that looks better in our minds center than in our reality. Naomi Starlight from Illinois on March 26, 2010 : They ‘re fabulous. I think everybody should wear big powdered wig ! Let ‘s revive the swerve ! Shadesbreath (author) from California on March 01, 2010 : Thanks, Sreeiit. sreeiit on March 01, 2010 : This has been a useful and interesting stake Shadesbreath (author) from California on November 24, 2009 : I ‘m beaming you enjoyed it, Itcoll, and thank you identical much for saying thus. : ) itcoll on November 24, 2009 : this is one of the best hub iodine have read this month.thanks. Shadesbreath (author) from California on June 01, 2009 : Yeah, it ‘s pretty much wholly about the tradition ( and the trope ingrained and continue by that custom ) I imagine. From an american position, I have to say, it is pretty cool in a historical way. I think I ‘d HATE it though if I actually WAS a solictor. Solicitor West Sussex on June 01, 2009 : I ca n’t understand why solicitor placid wear these airheaded wigs. It ‘s a sting unnessary and old fashioned. I guess some people like the tradition though. LondonGirl from London on May 20, 2009 :

My wig is n’t heavy or fetid, promise ! The standard barristers ‘ wigs are made from horse-hair, and cost about £450, I think. Shadesbreath (author) from California on May 04, 2009 : Thanks. A snatch of a topical aside for me, but was fun to work on. rpgshow.com from United States on May 03, 2009 : How concern ! I like this hub ! Shadesbreath (author) from California on February 27, 2009 : Hah, funny. There is a assign of the article that discusses a dearth in England and the trouble ample folks got into for powdering their wigs during it with powderize made from wheat while people were starving. It has to be that. Lucy Loo on February 27, 2009 : not certain what this has to do with British Food, but it came up when I did a research : hypertext transfer protocol : //www.buy-british-food-usa.com/ Shadesbreath (author) from California on October 03, 2008 : Yeah, that ‘s apparently how the average Brit on the street sees it. To me looking at them is kind of like saying a bible over and over besides many times ; it starts out convention seeming but after excessively a lot attention it starts to seem nonsense. Michelle Simtoco from Cebu, Philippines on October 03, 2008 : What a well researched hub Shadesbreath ! : ) Although they looked amusing in those wigs and however it ‘s unlike besides — – what ‘s the word … uhhh “ aristocratic ! ” LOL Shadesbreath (author) from California on September 18, 2008 : Doh, Research, I went off and read your hub the other day via the yoke and never said, “ thanks ” for the dainty remark on mine. so, “ thanks. ” Research Analyst on September 15, 2008 : Thanks for such an educational hub taking us back in history. I like it. hypertext transfer protocol : //Awsome-Hair-Style-Hubpage-from-the-HubMob Shadesbreath (author) from California on September 11, 2008 : That ‘s a enormous compliment coming from you. Thank you. Patty Inglish MS from USA and Asgardia, the first Space Nation on September 11, 2008 : The most dangerous people/writers can be the fishy a well. Shadesbreath, you ‘re both. Well done ! Shadesbreath (author) from California on September 11, 2008 : Yes, there should be a predominate that you ca n’t write about England without one, international maritime organization. It ‘s like eating pumpkin proto-indo european without worst cream, something that should n’t be done. rmr from Livonia, MI on September 11, 2008 : All this information and a Python clip excessively ! Awesome ! Shadesbreath (author) from California on September 11, 2008 : Thank you very much for that, Ajcor. I try. I love a good research undertaking sometimes. It clears the write sinuses after sol much giddiness for me. Plus it ‘s fun to learn random stuff, helps the creative write side. Yeah, pretty insane, eh ? Course, three hundred years from now they ‘ll be looking back at the hairstyles from the 60,70,80 and now and say the same things about our hair’s-breadth choices besides, I reckon. Thanks for the remark. Dottie1 from MA, USA on September 11, 2008 : What cockamamie silly looking wigs they wore back then. Thanks for the history lesson. ajcor from NSW. Australia on September 11, 2008 : you surely write well Shadesbreath ! thanks for such informative and research information. dineane from North Carolina on September 10, 2008 : ditto to all the praise in other comments – very well written, and thanks for yet another french choice morsel … I think I ‘m going to have a whole new section for my hub by the time I finish reading everyone ‘s contributions to HubMob ! Shadesbreath (author) from California on September 09, 2008 : Yep, you are correct, SweetiePie. And thank you for stopping by and saying nice things. : ) SweetiePie from Southern California, USA on September 09, 2008 : This is where we got the saying an influential person is a big wig, because rear then the politicians and well to do business people all wore these. Thanks for the interest hub. Shadesbreath (author) from California on September 09, 2008 : Thanks Uninvited. I ca n’t help the footnotes, they ‘ve been beaten into me. And thanks to you excessively, Christoph for the kind words. Coming from you that ‘s high praise. And glib good seeps out sometimes, even when I ‘m trying to act ripen. I ‘m afraid it ca n’t be helped. Christoph Reilly from St. Louis on September 09, 2008 : I knew you were identical, very amusing, and I knew that you were a thoroughly writer, but I did n’t know you were a friggin ‘ identical, very curious beneficial writer learner excessively ! seriously capital caper, very well researched and presented. Your vogue even comes through with the periodic glib observation or turn of phrase that I can appreciate. It ‘s an accomplishment to entertain and inform simultaneously, seemlessly. It ‘s a complicated subject in truth, but you made it simple. Congratulations. Susan Keeping from Kitchener, Ontario on September 09, 2008 : Fun, playfulness hub. And with footnotes even ! Shadesbreath (author) from California on September 09, 2008 : I ‘m nothing if not anal-retentive. Heh. This is a playfulness estimate though, pushes people outside of their normal boundaries, forces us to read wide rather than merely cryptic. Thanks for coming up with it and thanks for pop by. Ryan Hupfer from San Francisco, CA on September 09, 2008 : Wow, you ‘ve outdone yourself with this one …. what a great Hub. Thanks for joining the HubMob ! Shadesbreath (author) from California on September 09, 2008 : Wow, I loved that movie and have forgotten all about it. I need to rent that again ( and possibly go see if that clip is on You Tube lol, heh. ). I ‘m glad you liked my hub, excessively. Thanks. : ) edit : I just checked, he ‘s actually wearing the poofy wigs that the physicians wore, a different style ( and one I would n’t have known about had I not read all this stuff lol ). Oh well. Gon na put that movie on my netflix now. heh. Whitney from Georgia on September 09, 2008 : I love it ! very matter to take on the topic by far. Have you seen the Amadeus movie where Bethoven is trying out all the differnet wig ? It makes me laugh every clock time. Shadesbreath (author) from California on September 09, 2008 : Hah, Shirley, you rule. How the sin did I miss that ? Thanks, misprint corrected. And thanks for the compliment. I did put in some time on it, but I love history ( specially English – I should have been born there dammit ), enjoy research and do n’t mind writing lol. Thanks BT, but no, I ‘ll never sell out immaturity and sarcasm. I good could n’t bring myself to write about the stuff I thought of. I was gon sodium try to do pubic hair styles of the rich and celebrated, but, well, it was besides crude and I had to let it go. The PG nature of hubpages stayed my corruption. I do worry that if I write besides many dangerous ones people wo n’t come look when I publish new ones anymore though. : ( B.T. Evilpants from Hell, MI on September 09, 2008 : Are you going legit ? This makes at least three good, informative, choice hub ! Think about your repute valet. It was awesome, by the way. If you need a reason to drink, go check out some of the pics on my entrance into the hair affray. Shadesbreath (author) from California on September 09, 2008 : Yeah, it ‘s merely constantly nice to have an add reason, Gwendy ! Thanks CJ. I do n’t think they all monetary value that, merely the in truth fancy ones. If you follow that liaison to the “ Wigs, Coifs and … ” he goes into the rob stuff pretty heavily. There ‘s like dead animal parts on the bottoms of them and stuff LOL. Insane. Yep, them was some dirty times. LOL. I laughed at the use of profylactic when I read it ( by and large because I ‘m immature, but besides because it was funny story to see the term used in conjuntion with a wig ). Shirley Anderson from Ontario, Canada on September 09, 2008 : Wow, Shadesbreath ! You put a TON of work into this, but congrats, it ‘s great. I never knew why they wore those whigs, and never thought of how hot, itchy and fetid they must have been, specially way, way binding. Oh, um …. they started powdering wigs in 1960 ? Bet you meant 1690. Thx for clearing up this mystery for me. : ) spryte from Arizona, USA on September 09, 2008 : very interest stuff … I did n’t know about the steer plant louse : ) Christopher James Stone from Whitstable, UK on September 09, 2008 : £1,000 for a knight hair wig : that seems laughably over-priced to me. Nice history lesson though. I enjoyed that. gwendymom from Oklahoma on September 09, 2008 : Thank you. But believe writing the one I did was planty ! here ‘s an excuse for you to drink though, Because you can. Shadesbreath (author) from California on September 09, 2008 : Thanks for that. I ‘ve seen your hubs though, you could do a great occupation besides. I ‘m gladiolus I beat you to it though. competition drives me to drink. Hey, on moment think, you should write one, I could use an excuse for tonight. lol.

gwendymom from Oklahoma on September 09, 2008 : I thought approximately doing a hub about this. You did it so much better than I ever could have. Great Job !

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Category : Fashion