Wigs throughout time.

Wigs have been worn throughout history and not just as a fashion item. Wigs were worn to demonstrate wealth and importance as well as having a more practical purpose as protection against bad weather. Wigs were even worn in wars to impress the enemy!

The ancient Egyptians, wore them to shield their hairless heads from the sun and for ceremonial occasions.

In the 16th century a wig would have been worn to hide hair loss or improving their looks. They also served as a way to stop from getting head lice, a problem that could be much reduced if natural hair were shaved and replaced with a more easily de-loused wig.

Queen Elizabeth I of England famously wore a red wig, tightly and elaborately curled in a "Roman" style and King Louis XIII started wig-wearing in men from the 1620s onwards.

Periwigs for men were introduced into the England when Charles II became king again in 1660. The wigs worn at this time were shoulder-length or longer. Their use soon became popular in the English court.

The best wigs were made from natural human hair. The hair of horses and goats was often used as a cheaper alternative.

In the 18th century, wigs were powdered in order to give them a distinct colour. Wig powder was occasionally colored violet, blue, pink or yellow but mostly white or off-White.

After 1790, both wigs and powder were used mostly by older more conservative men, and were in use by woman at court. In 1795, the English government levied a tax of hair powder of one guinea per year. This tax caused the demise of fashion for wigs and powder by 1800.

At the beginning of the 20th Century more freely arranged hairpieces were being used. In the 1920’s short hair cuts became fashionable and the trend for wigs almost disappeared overnight until the 1960’s.

Now in the 21st Century there is still a good need for wigs because of hairloss, medical reasons, fashion, hair extension and religious requirements.