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Anonymous asked: “Did men have to wear a wig? I watched the getting dressed video and it seemed like this there”

my18thcenturysource:

Well, they did not HAVE to wear one, but it certainly was a key part of a man’s wardrobe. Wigs were expensive and required a lot of upkeep, they could be made of human hair (imagine here that gif from The Wolf of Wall Street where DiCaprio throws money away), or horse hair. Unlike we nowadays think or see portrayed in movies and TV, wigs could be of many natural colours (Charles II liked black ones), and they were powdered in many other colours (recall this post about powder?).

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If we take a flashback to the late 17th century and early 18th century, the periwig or full-bottomed wig (that big wig with long and curly hair) was quite fashionable thanks to Charles II and Louis XIV.

Originally posted by jakegyllenhaals

Moving forward to mid century, the wig had become a key accessory for all men, except the poorest. It was very popular for the elite, military and professional men (you know, working educated men like physicians, lawyers, etc.) These bigwigs were the men who favoured the full-bottomed wig and even nowadays, the English high Court wear this style. 

But of course, wigs changed along fashion, and the big wig was replaced by a smaller neater version, that was styled in different ways.

The Ramillies Wig - tied the hair in a plait at the back, it was popular with military men.

The Bag Wig - in use from the 1720s, the hair was tied at the back and then put in a small black bag, then curled rolls were styled above the ears.

The Bob Wig - worn from the 1730s onwards, was the simplest style, with hair falling just below the ears, it had curls or a simple frizz all over. It was worn mostly by professional men like doctors, and it was considered more informal than wearing a periwig.

Wigs started to fall out of fashion in the 1790s, and the 1795 hair powder tax (imposed by William Pitt) did not help.

So yeah, men did not HAVE to wear a wig, but if you wanna portray a professional man, elite, and/or educated man, he’s be expected to wear the proper wig.