Hair Acessorories Gaining Popularity

Hair accessories are functional or ornamental objects wrapped, tied, twisted, inserted, or otherwise attached to the hair. Infinitely varied in shapes, sizes, and materials, examples of hair accessories include: hair rings or bands, ribbons and bows, hairpins, hair combs, barrettes, beads, thread or string, hair spikes and sticks, and other affixed miscellaneous objects perceived to have aesthetic or social and cultural value.

Ancient Hair Accessories Hair rings and hair bands are cylindrically shaped hair accessories wound around the hair, designed to hold hair away from the face, or otherwise confine strands of hair. Worn in wigs rather than hair, these hair rings were made of alabaster, white glazed pottery, or jasper, and were a sign of social ranking or authority. Fabric in Hair Ribbons and bows are narrow fabric strips of closely woven yarns or braid wrapped and knotted around the hair, also used to bind the hair. The "Bobbed" hair then allowed the wig to be donned more easily, as well as confined the underlying hair to present a neat, well-groomed appearance. For everyday purposes, hair adornments are rare among male Mexicans, who have followed the Western lead for "Civilized" haircuts. Older men from Amatenango occasionally wear factory-made bandanna handkerchiefs to tie back their hair from their faces. Decorative Combs Hair combs have been used since the Stone Age to confine and decorate the hair. Boxwood combs, dating back to 10,000 B.C.E. have been found as some of the earliest hair ornaments. Ancient Roman women set their hair with tortoiseshell combs. The twentieth century saw the continued use of hair combs for long hair, made of a variety of new manufactured materials such as celluloid and plastics. The 1980s created new forms of hair combs, including a circular-shaped hair comb that acts like a headband and the large double-sided comb called a "Banana clip" that fastened women's hair into a ponytail. Beads for Hair Adornment Beads used as a decorative means of accentuating plaited hair have long been worn by cultures in Africa. Hair Forks and Sticks Hair forks, hair spikes, and hair sticks have been used in diverse cultures, from Native Americans to Far Eastern nations such as China and Japan. Hair Arranging Through the Ages During Egypt's New Kingdom, women typically plaited their hair rather than wearing wigs. In contrast, the Renaissance period focused on humanism rather than Christianity, prompting a renewed interest in hair ornaments. Women of lesser economic means wove flowers in their hair as a means of decorative ornamentation. Lack of hair ornamentation seems to be the overall trend for the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. With the exception of the 1980s when hair accessories had a strong resurgence, most modern styles seem to rely on haircuts and hair color to make visual statements rather than dressing coiffures with additional accessories.

Citation:

Person. (n.d.). Hair accessories as fashion statements. LoveToKnow. Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://fashion-history.lovetoknow.com/fashion-accessories/hair-accessories-as-fashion-statements.