Ribbon Work

Using ribbons in plaits is one way of making a basic style look more contemporary. It's easy to do and all you need to create it is a long piece of ribbon. 

• You want to decide what type of plait you are doing and where on the head you want it to be.
• You can then tie the end of the ribbon to a small section of hair underneath so you can't see it on top of the head
• Start plaiting making sure you are grabbing the ribbon with the bits of hair you would normally use to plait until you are finished

You can be really creative with plaits and come up with lots of different contemporary hair designs, using the ribbon didn't make doing the plait any different I just found it difficult to ensure the ribbon was running straight through my plait. As you can see from the picture there's a small gap in the plait with no ribbon which is something I can improve on. 

Lily Cole - Elizabethan Inspiration

When researching i found quite a few images of Lily Cole, made up as a contemporary Elizabethan. The majority are very big and textured but there are also a couple with hair accessories and beading, hair accessories and jewels were popular within high class Elizabethan women. 

I love Lily's look in general and looks wise she has many similarities to Elizabeth I. She has very pale skin and textured, red hair. 

I particularly like the first 2 images, there both very different to each other. One is really frizzy and voluminous and the other is very sleek and classy. 

Intruct, Design, Review...

Our task for this week was to take our Elizabethan quote we blogged about previously and create a design inspired by it. We would then get into pairs and using one of our designs create it by sticking on different materials to paper. 

The person with the chosen design would explain how to create the look and what to use, I was the one taking the instruction. We then reviewed our looks with our partner and Seema and gave each other feedback on what was good and what improvements could be made.

I really enjoyed this task, at first I struggled to think of a design but with a bit of help and inspiration I came up with one. I liked taking instruction and creating another persons look. It's helped me get a bit more creative and taught me about taking instructions and how it's important to really get as much information as you can and ask questions. 

Blow Drying The Hair

To dry the hair straight all you need is a hairdryer and a round brush, the size of the brush will depend on the length of the clients hair. The longer the hair, the bigger the brush. 

Hair in its natural state is known as Alpha-Keratin and hair once it has been set is called Beta-Keratin.  

• You want the hair to be wet enough to change the state but not so wet that it takes a long time to dry so begin by rough drying the hair slightly

•  Then take a small section of hair starting underneath and clip the rest out of the way

•  Place the brush underneath a section of the hair and begin to dry it, pull the brush through the hair while angling the hairdryer in the direction you want to set the hair 

• Repeat this technique until you have done each section of the hair and finish off by using any products necessary.

Contemporary Plaits & Buns

There are lots of different ways to make traditional and simple hairstyles such as plaits and buns into something really creative and different. These images are a few of my favorites I have found through research. 

Plaits

Buns

History Of Elizabethan Hair

Social class in the Elizabethan era was very important and their whole society was divided by this. Henry VIII created 'Sumptuary Laws' which meant individuals would be told what type and colour of clothing they could wear in order to identify ranks, even if you were very wealthy it did not matter as this was enforced by law and you would be punished if you stepped out of your rank.


People of a lower class would wear earthy colors such as blue, green, orange and yellow. Many would dye their clothing using materials from gardens and countrysides or buy wool from nearby villages that had been previously dyed. Higher class people would wear red, purple, white and black. The dyes used were imported from other countries and would be very expensive, particularly these colors which is why they were to be worn by wealthier individuals.

Elizabethan beauty meant having light hair along with the pale complexion and red cheeks. Fair hair is what everyone wanted to achieve to be like the 'Virgin Queen' Elizabeth. The hairline would often be plucked or shaved up to 1 inch and some women would even dye the hair yellow using a mixture of saffron, cumin seed, celandine and oil as fair hair showed nobility and class. Wigs were also common and Elizabeth had many which were referred to as Periwigs. 

Contemporary Inspiration

I found these images whilst browsing Pinterest (my new favorite thing to do!) there are so many amazing hair designs on there and lots of inspiring looks.

I found that im most drawn to really big, texured hairstyles as to me thats what the Elizabethans were all about. 

I love how there are so many endless possibilities when it comes to hair and its really opened my eyes to how many different things i could do for my design.