padding/ratts- edit

Padding/rats is a process the Elizabethans used to make it seem like they had more hair and it was a way of making it appear thicker and give the hair more height. We still use this technique today although we do it slightly different as Elizabethans would use real hair to create the padding where as now we use tights and tissue to make it.




Heart shaped hair is iconic for the Elizabethan era so I feel it's important to know how to create them. For this I crimped the hair first to add thickness and more texture and used padding to add to the heart shape, the padding was tricky to use at first but using a plat as the base to pin the padding in made it easier, I feel the right side turned out better and coverd the padding better

To make the arch I curled the hair over using my fingers then pinned it down to secure it more I think that the crimped hair was more effective with the look as a whole.

The Chanel cat walk inspires me on how to turn Elizabethan hair contempory for example this style with the heart shape is Elizabethan but with the colours in the hair and the full fringe make it more modern I also love the placement of the hair accessorise it emphases the shape of the heart and the contrast with one side of the heart and fringe being natural hair colour and the other having the colour through it.

Another look from the Chanel cat walk that incorporates heart shaped hair is  

Similar to the first image but I feel the blonde emphases it more which shows me that I have to consider the hair colour during making my design. I love the hair accessories at the back if the hair and the pastel colours making it feel more contempory as pastel hair has become fashionable recently.

Another designer that I feel takes a lot of inspiration from the Elizabethan era is vivienne Westwood throughout her catwalks you can see inspiration from Queen Elizabeth for heart shape hair I've found this image

The whole design screams elizabethan to me from the ruffles on the collar to the hair colour then the heart shaped hair style with the high forehead I also like the the messy appearance of the hair making it feel more modern.

Portraits are the only way we get to have an idea of what they actually looked like as you can see here the high fore head frizzy looking hair and then curls coming from the back 

Rounded shaped padding

    Same technique with the heart shape although this time I placed the padding in the center I platted a long strand of hair in a basic three strand plat doubled it up then pinned my padding to it then back combed a piece of hair over the top over it and used the excess hair to cover up the rest.