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Origins of the wig -

In ancient Egyptian society, most men and women shaved their heads. At the very least they sported close cropped hair. But in order to protect themselves from the sun, they all wore wigs.

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Early uses -

In fact, the first documented use of wigs is around 3400 BCE. Any pharaoh worth their salt wouldn't be seen dead without one!

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Elaborate hairpieces -

Wealthy Egyptians also had the habit of wearing elaborate hairpieces and scented head cones of animal fat on top of their wigs. These cones, fashioned from unguent, would release perfume as they melted.

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Style icons -

Nefertari (pictured), Cleopatra, Hatshepsut, and Nefertiti were among history's first style icons. All enhanced their looks with braided wigs and lavish hair extensions.

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Raw materials -

Back then, sheep's wool was braided into hair in order to add thickness. Human hair and vegetable fibers were also used. And to keep it all in shape, beeswax was applied as a foundation.

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Roman vanity -

Artificial hairpieces were also all the rage in ancient Rome, worn as an expression of vanity as well as for ceremonial purposes.

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Theater prop -

In Japan, wigs became the must-have fashion accessory during the Nara period, from 710 to 794 CE. Wigs were also an important prop in traditional Japanese theater.

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The Geiko Shimada-styled wig -

In the mid-18th century, the first female geisha appeared. The appearance of these traditional Japanese performing artists was characterized by a long, trailing kimono, oshiroi makeup, and an immaculately coiffured Geiko Shimada-styled wig.

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The hairpiece falls out of favor -

Wigs fell out of favor in the Middle Ages. The "medieval look" was either long, greasy unkempt hair, or a short crop hidden under hats. It took a monarch to put things right.

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Royal trend-setter -

England's Queen Elizabeth I was a 16th-century trend-setter. And she loved big hair. Except that she didn't have any. After surviving a bout of smallpox at the age of 29, Elizabeth lost most of her rust-red locks. So she took to wearing elaborate wigs, usually embroidered with precious stones.

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Status symbol -

The Queen's decorative hairdos were copied across the land by courtiers and aristocrats. Most wigs were made from sheep's wool, as the ancient Egyptian wigs were, but remained out of reach to the less wealthy.

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Arrival of the periwig -

The 17th century saw wig-wearing taken to astonishing new heights. This was the era of the periwig, after Louis XIII began wearing one in 1624.

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Pioneer wig-wearer -

If ever there was a hair apparent it was France's Louis XIII. He started to pioneer wig-wearing soon after he had prematurely begun to bald.

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Fashionable accessory -

Even more voluminous and exaggerated were the wigs worn by Louis XIII's son and successor, Louis XIV. France's "Sun King" helped promote the wig as a fashionable accessory across Europe.

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Class symbol -

Back across the Channel the periwig gained further royal approval when King Charles II was restored to the throne. Here was another man who felt comfortable wearing a huge billowing hairpiece. In fact, the wig became a distinctive class symbol for more than a century.

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Wearing it well -

Women also wore wigs during this period, though less often than men. One exception was Nell Gwynn, a long-time mistress of King Charles II. She pulled on different colored hairpieces, depending on what mood she was in.

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A distinguished look -

Many distinguished individuals circulating in London high society chose to wear wigs, among them the famous diarist and naval administrator Samuel Pepys.

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Wigmakers' guild -

Back in France, meanwhile, the first wigmakers' guild was established, in 1665. Soon thereafter, similar establishments sprung up in cities across Europe.

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Celebrity portraits -

The artificial hairpiece was the height of predominantly male fashion in the late 17th century. And like celebrity photography today, anyone of note desired a famous artist to capture them in their regal splendor. French painter Nicolas de Largillière became renowned for his portraits of French nobles, such as this work, 'Portrait of a Young Man with a Wig.'

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The "boat poufs" of Versailles -

The court of Versailles provided a stage for the most outrageous examples of large, elaborate, and often themed wigs fitted on women. The "boat poufs"—heavy combed up extensions weighted down with pomades, powders, and other ornamentation—were especially in vogue.

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Marie Antoinette -

Versailles' cheerleader was Marie Antoinette. Already famed for her naturally lofty pouf hairstyle, she turned to wearing wigs after her hair thinned and turned white, probably from stress as revolution fever gripped France. But her coiffure became symbolic of the decadence of the French nobility, and wigs of this style and dimension quickly fell out of fashion from the beginning of the French Revolution in 1789.

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Colonial hairpieces -

Wigs first became fashionable in colonial America in the 18th century. Here's William Penn, who founded the Province of Pennsylvania, sporting a bluish-gray powered wig.

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Wig power -

Wig powder was made from finely ground starch that was scented with orange flower, lavender, or orris root.

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The wigs of the legal profession -

During the 18th century, men's wigs became smaller and more formal. In the United Kingdom, the legal profession adopted the wig as part of the judge's and barrister's court dress, a tradition that survives today.

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Presidential wigs -

John Adams (pictured) was one of only four US presidents who wore a curly powdered wig according to the old-fashioned style of the 18th century. Thomas Jefferson occasionally donned an artificial hairpiece, while James Monroe and John Quincy Adams abandoned the habit early on in their lives.

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No longer a fashion statement -

Full women's wigs in the 19th and early 20th century were not fashionable. In fact, they were mostly the preserve of those who had lost their hair either through illness or old age.

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New techniques -

As the 20th century progressed, so too did hairdressing techniques. Hair extensions became part of the mainstream and gave women the opportunity to experiment with new hairstyles, creating volume and curls to give the impression of a fuller head of hair.

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The Swinging Sixties -

In the 1960s, big hair was all the rage: think beehive! But as that decade progressed to meet the psychedelic era, synthetic wigs and hair extensions in all colors made it possible to turn on, tune in, and drop out in style.

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Celebrity wigs -

Today wigs are big business, not least because celebrities like Katy Perry often wear them as part of their stage show. And the more outlandish, the better!

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Big business -

And the quality of modern-day wigs and hair extensions has never been better. They are more luxurious and natural-looking than ever, with many actually manufactured using 100% human hair.

Sources: (The Hair Alchemist) (Britannica) (Belgravia Centre)

See also: Male celebrities who hide their baldness

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