What is your favorite hair accessory? Maybe it’s a beautiful elastic band decorated with beads. Or is it a tiara with stones that attracts attention wherever you go?
And have you ever wondered where your favorite hair accessories came from? Who invented them? Why?
To answer all these questions, we will dive into the history of hair accessories. We will find out how they were created and how they have evolved over the years. We will see how they have moved from the past to the present day as a symbol of style, elegance and individualism.
The first hair accessories
Hair accessories date back to prehistoric times, when people used a simple stick found on the ground around them to collect their hair.
This tendency to use natural materials as a hair accessory has been observed in all ancient cultures around the world, such as:
The ancient Greeks and Romans used crowns made of flowers and greenery to decorate their hair.
For ancient Africans , shells and beads were preferred when it came to hair accessories.
Native Americans used bones and feathers to create their hats.
All these natural materials were something that people admired. And from this admiration comes the desire to turn them into something functional.
The fact that hair accessories are not only decorative but also functional is what has allowed them to linger over the years and reach us.
In fact, almost every modern hair accessory we know and love today can be traced back to so many centuries ago …
Elastics and hair bands
Elastics are probably one of the most commonly used hair accessories, but in the past they looked completely different.
It can be said that the first hair bands appeared between 10,000 and 8,000 BC.
Of course, needless to say, elasticity did not exist then, so they were in the form of hard rings and were made of precious metals such as silver and gold. The richer ones were able to encrust precious stones in their hair rings.
In Egypt, hair rings are usually made of ceramic, alabaster or jasper. They have even been used as a way to show the social status of their owner.
It’s hard to imagine how these hard rings would be able to hold a person’s hair up, but they seem to have worked at the time.
So when does everything change?
The first rubber bands with the shape and appearance we know today did not appear until the 20th century. When rubber fibers begin to be produced and sold to a wide audience. Soon after, they began to be used as a hair accessory, and the old, hard rings remained a thing of the past.
Today, the elastics we know have the same elasticity as in the beginning, but they also carry with them a breath of the past. Today we can decorate our hair with an elastic band decorated with stones, lace or satin, pearls and more.
Phoebe
Can you imagine the world without your hairpins as a hair accessory?
The women of the past couldn’t either, and that helps the hairpins stay alive to this day.
Of course, in the past they looked very different depending on where they were made and the purpose for which they were worn:
Central Africa – Hairpins are designed to be very functional and are usually made of bone, ivory or wood.
Ancient Rome – hairpins were also used as a container for perfume or sometimes even poison. They are made long to keep the hair well and hollow to pour the desired liquid into them.
France in the 17th century – in France, hairpins were used not only among women. At that time, men wore hats and wigs just as much. They also needed something to help them attach a hat or wig more firmly to their head. During this period, the hairpins were long, U-shaped and used to achieve a cleaner and tidier look.
Victorian era – hairpins were absolutely vital for Victorian women, because at that time it was considered wrong for a woman to have loose locks of hair around her face, which means that they were used for their functionality rather than beauty.
Today, hairpins are used as much for beauty as for their functionality. You will find both clean hairpins, with which you can simply arrange your unruly locks, and glamorous hairpins with stones, beads and pearls, which will turn your hairstyle into a real work of art.
Hair bands and tiaras
Headbands are another hair accessory that easily combines functionality with a more decorative aspect. The earliest hair bands are believed to date back to 3500 BC, when the people of Mesopotamia used headbands to hold their hair back.
They were used by both men and women and were a large, round shape that was placed on the crown of the head.
In the beginning, just like the hair rings mentioned earlier, they were made of metal and other hard materials. Over time, however, these metal bands were slowly replaced by fabric, making the hair band more functional than ever. Again, this is a hair accessory worn by both men and women around the world, from China to Mexico.
Today, tiaras and hair bands are still functional and beautiful. They are decorated with stones, beads and pearls. They attract attention and give their owner a gentle, feminine look.
In the past, hair accessories were considered a symbol of status and although they may not be used for this purpose today, their functionality, together with the decorative aspect, has helped them remain popular over the centuries until today, when we mostly use them. as a symbol of style, individuality and a beautiful addition to any outfit.
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