bustle era hairstyles: early bustle, 1870-1876

The period begins with the hair pulled back smoothly into large arrangements on the back of the head, mimicking the relatively simple clothing styles of the late 1860's and early 1870's. As clothing styles become longer and frillier, hairstyles follow, with loose styles incorporating an arrangement at the crown of the head and long ringlets.

1870

Early styles of the decade feature a flat effect in front, with the hair pulled back smoothly. The back of the head is covered with a large hair arrangement that creates a very round effect, where the back of the head looks like a huge doughnut. This is mostly achieved through false hair, pads, and rats. Most hairstyles include a center par. A few highly fashionable women incorporate trailing ringlets and bangs (considered VERY fast).

	Day style: This elderly lady wears her hair in a style very much of the late 1850s to mid-1860s. The hair is straight, with a center part that loops down in front of the ears and comes up into a low bun or knot at the base of the neck. Over this she wears the type of lace cap worn indoors during the 1850s and 1860s. This is an example of an older person retaining the hairstyle of her youth. No middle aged or young woman would be caught dead in this!
	Day style: This woman wears the bulk of her hair (which could quite possibly be false) at the back of her head. The front is probably drawn straight back to the crown area, where two thick braids are looped down to the base of the neck. The overall effect is very round. She wears her hat angled towards the front of her head -- the back rests on top of her braids.
	Ball style: This woman's hair foreshadows the longer, looser styles of the mid-to-late 1870s. All of the hair appears to be curled. The front top and sides are pulled back loosely towards the crown. The hair at the crown and back of the head is dressed in tight curls (which could be false). The hair at the nape of the neck hangs down in long ringlets.
	Day style: Princess Louise wears her hair waved, then pulled up to the crown of her head (possibly over pads?). She has a large, twisted chignon that covers the crown, back, and nape of her head. Notice how the hair in the twist (at the crown and nape of her neck) is a different texture than the rest of her hair -- obviously it's fake!
	Day style: This style is very reminiscent of the late 1860s. The front hair is pulled straight back, with a large chignon (possibly false) right on the back of the head. The blue ribbon around the chignon is probably attached to the lace cap, which is angled towards the front of the head and has blue flowers.
	Day style: The woman in this painting is dressing, so this could be a morning style -- but my guess is she's had her hair done before her clothes. Her hair is mostly left straight, and pulled back into a large chignon (possibly false) that covers the crown and back of her head. The hair at the nape is arranged in short ringlets.
	Day style: An early example of bangs, which became very popular during the 1870s and 1880s, but were still considered very fashion-forward at this time. The hair is arranged in loose curls, with the bulk pulled up into a loose chignon or mass of curls at the top of the head. Her bangs are arranged in loose ringlets.
	Day style: Another hairstyle that shows the transition between the 1860s and 1870s. The hair is waved and parted in the center, where it is pulled down behind the ears. A large chignon made of braids (probably false) covers both the crown and nape of her head -- this could be one or two separate braids. She wears some kind of ribbon in front of the top braided section.
	Day style: A somewhat abstract painting, but you can see the general outlines of the hairstyle. Her hair is straight, with short straight bangs in front. The mass of hair is pulled up into a loose chignon that covers the top and crown of her head.

Day style: A great example of what false hair can do! The hair is parted in the center and drawn back into side rolls, which are allowed to puff up a bit at each top/side of the head. Those rolls are pulled into a large, rolled chignon (which could be a separate hairpiece, or hair arranged over a rat) at the back and nape of the head. It's blurry, but I think you can see a hairpin just above the bottom roll of the chignon.

1871

	Day style: Another style that hints at the transition towards the long, loose styles of the mid-decade. The hair is probably all curled, the front pulled up and back (probably without a part, but it could have a center part) towards the crown but left very full and puffy (could be arranged over pads). The hair is brought to the crown and back of the head and arranged into some kind of knot (again, could be over pads). There are three short ringlets at the nape of the neck.
	Either day or evening (dinner, reception) style: The front of the hair is probably parted in the center, then pulled back over the ears towards the back of the head. It's allowed to stay very puffy over the ears. From the crown of the head, the hair is arranged into long twists that hang down to the nape of the neck and back up to the crown. At the crown, she's got ribbons and flowers that dangle down to her shoulders.
	Ball style: The hair is either parted in the center or not parted (pulled straight back) up towards the to pof the head. The back is either very thick or arranged over pads -- my guess is it's pulled up from the nape of the neck towards the crown, where it's covered with feathers and other doohickeys. Two ringlets fall from behind the ears and the nape of the neck -- this could be mirrored on the other side.
	Day style: The hair is parted at the center front and drawn back behind the ears. LOTS of hair product involved here to get that smooth look! A huge chignon (almost assuredly fake) that features twists of hair, twisted together, circle her head over the top and back of the head.
	Day style: Crown Princess Victoria of Germany (daughter of Queen Victoria of England) wearing a very similar hairstyle to the one above.

1872

We're starting to see the hair move both up onto the crown of the head and lower down onto the nape of the neck, echoing the lengthening line of the dress.

	Evening style: This woman's hair is including more lift at the crown and drape at the neck than we've previously seen. All of the hair is curled, the top pulled up towards the crown and arranged in an intricate array of knots (probably fake), with flowers and other doodads perched on top. The back is probably a large roll or chignon that drapes onto the neck. She wears short, curled bangs in front.
	Day style: Most of the bulk of the hair is at the back and nape of the head. The hair is probably parted in the center and then drawn back behind the ears, where it is arranged in what looks like a large roll from the back of the head down to the nape. There's probably a knot of some kind at the nape of the neck. She has very short, curled bangs.
	Ball style: The front hair is waved and then pulled back, without a part, at the front and sides toward the top of the head. The top hair is arranged in some kind of bun or knot, and decorated with pink ribbon. The back of the hair falls in small, tight ringlets, with another ribbon draped over the lower back of the head.
	Day style: An informal arrangement, probably incorporating some artistic license or else meant only to be worn at home. The hair is pulled straight up from the front and sides towards the crown, where it is allowed to hang in loose waves. More loose waves in the back of the head down to the nape. Some kind of black ribbon is placed at the crown of the head.
	Day style: All of the hair is curled. The front hair is parted at the center front, and pulled loosely towards the back of the head (possibly over pads). The hair at the back of the head is arranged in ringlets.
	Day style: We can't see much beyond the general outlines of Princess Beatrice's (daughter of Queen Victoria) hairstyle. She has the front smoothed back (probably parted at the center), with a large chignon (probably fake) that covers the back and nape of her head. Her hat is tipped forward onto her forehead to accomodate the size of the back hairpiece.
	Day style: The woman in this painting is wearing a tea gown (an outfit only worn in one's own home), so this simpler style may only be appropriate for at-home. The hair is probably parted in the center, where it is pulled back over the ears towards the back of the head. A large chignon (possibly false) covers the crown of the head.

1873

Hairstyles feature more length, past the nape of the neck, as skirts get longer and narrower. Styles are looser, with ringlets and curls.

	Day style: This lady probably has her hair parted at the center front. The hair is either arranged over pads or in rolls toward the crown or back of the head. Her hat is perched towards the front of her head, which allows room for an arrangement the crown of her head. Long ringlets fall from the nape of her neck.
	Day style: This lady has her hair waved, and then plled back towards the back of her head (probably without a part). A large hat covers the top, crown, and back of her head, with lace falling down past her collar.
	Day style: Most of the hair is pulled towards the crown of the head, where it is arranged underneath the bonnet. The hair at the nape is arranged in long, loose ringlets.
	Day style: Most of this woman's hair is covered by her bonnet, which is placed on the back of the head. However, we can see that her hair is pulled smoothly back behind her ears (probably from a center part), and either arranged in curls or a low chignon at the nape of her neck.
	Day style: Probably some artistic license going on here. The hair is waved or curled, parted in front, and pulled towards the back of the head (possibly arranged in rolls at the side). A large, flat bun sits on the crown of the head. Either the hair at the nape of the neck is arranged in loose ringlets, or some kind of lace and ribbon confection hangs down past her shoulders from her hair.
	Day style: Most of this lady's hair is covered by her hat, tipped forward on her forehead to allow for a large chignon or braid(s) that covers the crown, back, and nape of her head.
	Day style: An artistic interpretation of the long, loose style. The hair is curled and drawn back at the front and sides toward the crown of the head, where it is probably arranged in curls or some kind of knot. The back hair falls in long, loose ringlets.

1874

Styles are increasingly looser and longer. Hair is very firmly esconced on the crown of the head.

	Day style: The front and sides of the hair are drawn up towards the crown, where they may be arranged in some kind of knot, or they may be incorporated into the large ringlets on the back of the head. The ringlets trail down past her shoulders. Short, curly bangs in front. Her hat is perched on the front of her head to make room for all of the hair at the back.
	Evening style: The hair is waved and pulled back from the top and sides into a huge, amorphous knot at the crown of the head. Long ringlets fall from the nape of the neck. Very short, curly bangs in front.
	Ball style: The hair is parted in the center, then pulled back at the top and sides toward the crown where it is probably arranged in one of these large, amorphous knots. Two ringlets fall on one side from the nape of the neck.
	Day style: More reminiscent of the earlier part of the decade. The hair is waved, parted in the center, and then drawn back at the sides toward the back of the head. A large chignon covers the back of the head down to the nape of the neck.
	Day style: The hair is pulled from the front towards the crown of the head, where it is arranged in a large twist down the length of the back of the head. Long ringlets fall from the nape of the neck. The woman's hat is worn tipped forward on her forehead to allow for the hair on the crown of her head.
	Evening (dinner, reception) style: The large puffy look! This woman has probably arranged her hair over pads. The hair is waved, pulled back at the front and sides over the pads and secured at the nape, where it falls into ringlets. Short, curly bangs in front. A large flower or ribbon arrangement is plopped on top.
	Day style: Another hat-tipped-forward style to allow for the bulk of the hair at crown of the head. The hair appears to be dressed either over pads or in a large chignon (possibly both). Very tiny curls at the nape of the neck.
	Day style: Another artistic interpretation -- but we can tell that her hair is waved or curled, parted in the center, and drawn to the back of the head where it is arranged in some kind of chignon.

1875

More bulk at the crown of the head, and more length at the nape of the neck.

	Ball style: The hair is waved or curled, and then pulled up to the crown of the head where it is arranged in a large knot. Very short, very small curly bangs at the front.
	Day style: We can't really see what's going on at the front of the head, except that the hair is curly. The back hair falls in a long twist or braid. The hat is on the back of the head, which makes me think that there isn't much hair at the crown.
	Day style: All of the hair is curled. It could be parted in the center, or arranged in large twist-y curls. The front and sides are pulled up toward the crown, where they are arranged under the hat. The back hair falls in long, loose ringlets.
	Day style: The hair is waved or curled, and pulled up from the top, sides, and back towards the crown and back of the head where it is probably arranged in curls or some kind of chignon. Small, curly bangs peek out from under her hat. Notice how the hat is almost vertical -- the arrangement of hair at the crown of her head must be very big!
	Day style: A good example of the waving often used in the period.
	Day style: The hair is parted at the center, then drawn back and up from the sides and back into a large chignon or rolls at the crown of the head. Straight bangs in front.
	Day (riding) style: The hair is pulled back smoothly from the front and sides of the head (possibly with a center part), and arranged in a large chignon or braid on the back of the head. Her hat rests on top of her head and over the hairpiece at the back.
	Day style?: This woman is shown getting dressed, which means that this may be an informal, at-home style (or may not). All of the hair appears to be pulled up towards the crown of the head, where it is dressed in large curls or possibly a chignon.
	Day style: A simpler style. The hair is probably parted in the center, then pulled back behind the ears into a large french twist at the crown of the head.

1876

Most styles include the arrangement at the crown of the head with long, loose ringlets, although a few simpler styles creep in.

Evening style: The front and sides of the hair are pulled up towards the crown, and arranged in a large knot. The back hair is arranged into long ringlets.

Ball styles: These styles show the dominance of curly hair arranged at the crown, with long ringlets at the nape of the neck.

	Day style: The hair is pulled up towards the crown, where it is dressed in a large knot or chignon.
	Day style: We can't see much detail in this picture, except that she has Big Hair! Short, straight bangs in front.
	Day style: Another simpler style. The hair is simply pulled back from the top, sides, and back into a large chignon (probably false) at the crown of the head. The chignon is encircled by a black ribbon.

démodé

bustle era hairstyles, 1870-1889

early bustle period, 1870-1876

natural form period, 1877-1882

second bustle period, 1883-1889

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