making twists, “tails,” or switches—back and side plaits—chignon universel—the zephyr coiffure—semi-waved curled chignon—a novel chignon—of chignons in general.
wists, “tails” or switches are made first into sections or stems, and two, three, four, or five, are required to form a complete twist, or “tail.” the word “tail” is used more as a trade term than anything else, although i have seen it written upon tickets attached to long pieces of hair, exposed for sale in hairdressers’ shop-windows. it is not by any means an elegant way to indicate the article, and “torsade” or “twist,” is, to my thinking, preferable. the number of stems employed is, generally, three, and they may be long or short, according to the length of hair; the purpose for which the article is designed; and last, but not least, the price. and here, again, the price, as well as the style of manufacture, admits of great variety. a twist can be made to sell for pounds, or shillings, according to the colour, length, thickness, quality, and workmanship. these are matters with which persons engaged in the trade are well acquainted, and i need not further refer to them.
here is the method of making a twist. take two ounces of twenty-inch straight hair, and divide into three parts, but one part is to be thicker than either of the other two, so as to allow for a top row, in addition, being made from it. having done this, tie each lot, temporarily, so as to keep it intact. fix the weaving frame, and three silks, as on previous occasions. put the thickest portion into the brushes, and weave a very fine top row of “once-in” weft, about three and a-half inches in length. this is not to be cut down, but go on weaving the remaining portion of the tress of hair; the only difference being that it is to be coarser. the weaving should be graduated, as it were, so as to avoid an abrupt thickness of the weft, for it would, doubtless, spoil the appearance of the work. plait up in three, and twist the weft round the weaving peg. leave a space of about four or five inches, and then resume. commence with a very fine weft, and weave it in the usual manner, taking care to secure it firmly to the silks by a little extra-close weaving. there is a special way of doing this which an expert can easily show, but it is difficult here to describe. another way of proceeding is to press the first portion with warm irons, cut down, and then begin again, of course without making another top row. weave the third and remaining tress in the same way, and the work then is ready for sewing up.
to sew up, take a rather short but plain 75weaving peg, and bore a hole in it about five or six inches from the top. through this hole pass a stout wire, bend it down to keep it in its place, and form a hook at the bottom; turn the other part of the wire in a corresponding direction, but leaving a piece standing out to form a handle. if this is designed properly, it can easily be turned round and round without becoming detached from its position. take a piece of black tape, russian cord, or some other suitable material, about the length of the weft; tie a knot at top and fix it to the wire hook. commence about an inch from the bottom, by sewing the thick end of the weft to the lower part, and having done so, break off the silk. begin, then, turning the handle of the wire above described; this will cause the tape or cord to twist, and when sufficiently twisted, it will be proper to roll the weft upon it. having done so for a little distance, turn the wire again, so as to keep it firm; continue this till the end of the weft is reached, and then fasten off. (see the accompanying illustration of one of the stems, fig 6.)
it will be necessary to observe that each row of weft should lie close to and above the preceding row, and when there is much weft to be rolled or twisted up it ought to be stitched in several places. now, having completely made two of the stems, make the third one, i.e., the one with the top row attached. sew this up as before instructed until you come to the top row, when 76stop. take the other two stems, and place the free ends of the tape, cord, or whatever may be the material used, with that which you are now working, and stitch them all together. having done so, begin sewing the top row, neatly, and well, but having started it, take sufficient russian cord to make a loop, put it in its place, cover all with the top row, and finish off securely. each stem is to be pinched separately, and pinched again when completed. (fig. 7.)
these twists are exceedingly useful, and if well-made, with hair of good quality and length, they can be applied to a number of purposes in connection 77with the coiffure. they may be twisted up with the back hair, made into a plait or plaits, used as a solid twist or a light torsade for a coronet, or back hair dressing. speaking of a torsade, the following instructions, taken from “lessons in hairdressing,” will doubtless prove acceptable. that which i am about to describe is known by the names of torsade dondel, torsade repoussée, torsade gouffrée. it is made “with a long thin strand of hair, and is hollow when completed; consequently, where lightness is required, two or three of these may be introduced with charming effect. proceed to make it in the following manner:—take a piece of hair from twenty-four to thirty inches long, and separate a thin strand, which afterwards serves as a ‘draw.’ this put on one side till wanted. divide the hair into two equal parts, and friz well upon the inner side, at the same time spreading out the hair so as to make it wide and flat. it may then be compared (for further illustrating my instructions) to a long and somewhat wide strip of cardboard. hold the end in your left hand, and turn upon the thumb of the right hand, which, for the purpose, should be placed near to the top, or roots. having given it a bend, it then forms a ‘hollow,’ which is to be so twisted upon itself, and in a spiral direction to the end. then either pin down temporarily or get the lady to hold it. proceed in the same manner with the second portion. having done so, take one end in each hand and twist both together, 78being particular to pass that held by the left hand over that held by the right. take then the little strand of hair, and pass it round the torsade in such a manner that it falls into every second space. hold the end firmly, and push up the frizzed twist; fasten off, and place in position.”
it will be seen that when neatly done the whole forms a hollow and “puffed up” twist, light in construction, full in appearance, and very suitable for a coronet or as an embellishment to the chignon.
in the hairdressing business there are innumerable changes of fashion, while the various requirements of different individuals continually make demands upon the practical knowledge of those who carry on the trade. some articles that i have spoken of, and others to which i shall have occasion to refer, are “not in fashion,” but there is an occasional demand for something or another that would puzzle many who profess to know how to make almost everything. it is the duty of a hairdresser to assist nature in matters appertaining to the chevelure, for thin locks have to be supplemented by artificial aid, and bald heads not unfrequently require to be covered. it 79is not at all times pride and vanity that causes people to resort to the use of “false hair,” as it is termed, any more than it is pride and vanity which compels some folk to use spectacles, wear false teeth, or have recourse to surgical mechanicians for their especial aid and comfort. i could laugh at the remarks occasionally given expression to, for “goody-goody” people seem inclined to condemn in others that which they can dispense with themselves.
to resume. a back plait with a flat top can be made from any quantity or length of hair. it may be wide or narrow as circumstances require, and although the twist before described is in general requisition, yet there are occasions when a flat top is most convenient and suitable. take half-an-ounce of twenty-inch hair, and two ounces of eighteen. close, or “once in” weft, throughout. weave the long hair moderately fine for the top row, or rows, and the eighteen-inch hair should be woven rather coarse, but uniform from beginning to end. there should not be a “break,” for all the weft must be in one piece. pinch, temporarily plait in “threes,” and cut down. decide upon the width the plait is to be made, and sew up firm and regular.
side plaits are made with sixteen or eighteen inch hair, after the manner of closely-sewn ringlet bunches; two or three loops are attached to each bunch through which a piece of wide galloon or ribbon is passed. this serves to fasten them to 80the head, and as they are made to slide, the width apart can be adjusted according to the discretion of the wearer. i have also made side plaits on combs, after the method adopted for making curls on combs, leaving the ends of the plaits to be fixed by the wearer, or by “tacking” them to the combs after being plaited. the ends of these side plaits should be securely fastened by means of black thread, and the whole neatly covered with a piece of ribbon.
concerning the plaiting of hair, the reader is referred to “lessons in hairdressing,” wherein copious instructions are given.
the “chignon universel,” as it is called, is a clever arrangement for making good a deficiency in the back hair; it is most convenient, and unmistakably “defies detection.” to be made with 81smooth hair on the top, with the underneath hair either créolé, or plain. if fulness be desired the former plan is most expedient, or else long frizzettes should be introduced. but much depends upon the length and thickness of the hair and the way it is going to be arranged. to manufacture the chignon universel proceed as follows:—take half an ounce of twenty-two inch hair, and having previously selected a comb, weave sufficient “fly” weft to make a top row, pinch, securely fasten off, and cut down. then take two ounces of twenty-inch hair, which is to be woven rather coarse, and i need scarcely add, close, or “once in” weft; the object being to get as much hair as possible into the smallest compass. sew up as though you were going to make an ordinary back plait according to the instructions previously given. pinch, and make it as flat as you can. cover the top of the comb with a piece of strong net, such as is used in wig-making, and do all the sewing on the front part of it, so that when finished it shall present a neat appearance, as shown in the illustration.[5] securely stitch the piece made with the twenty-inch hair to the net, at the top part of the comb, and in such a way that it lies flat. then take the piece of “fly” weft, and (putting the roots underneath) sew it on the top, so as to cover all. press, and comb out the hair. when completed, the work ought to look as compact and pretty as it does in the wood-cut annexed.
82ability comes with practice, and as i am writing for the benefit of those who desire to improve, i would just hint that they need not be afraid of doing their work too well. at the outset inferior productions might reasonably be expected, but, as the apprentice or improver advances, better work should be forthcoming. there is an old saying that “practice makes perfect,” and that is exemplified in numberless instances every day.
some few years ago several of the leading hairdressers met together, by arrangement, and discussed the necessity which then existed for the introduction of a new style of coiffure. the once-fashionable 83chignon, with its accompanying plaits and twists had disappeared, and the coiffeur’s art began to decline in consequence. besides, ladies complained of the meagre fashion which succeeded the more elaborate style of hairdressing, and a change, for more reasons than one, was considered necessary. i need not pause here to discuss the importance of the coiffure, or the pleasing effect which is produced when the hair is arranged in harmony with the features. all ladies’ coiffeurs are well aware of it, and at the meeting in question it was decided to introduce something new and of almost universal application in reference to ladies’ hairdressing. but the time was not sufficiently ripe for a change—the little knot and the fringed brow had taken too great a hold of the popular fancy. however the innovation was of a tasteful and serviceable character, and in expert hands could be made to assume a number of charming designs.
it was called “the zephyr coiffure,” and is made as follows:—take some tapered curled hair from sixteen to twenty inches in length, and about an ounce and a quarter in weight. weaken the curl to within six inches of the points, and sew up on three separate pieces of galloon or net, about a quarter of an inch wide, keeping it flat and soft. the stems may be four or five inches in length, or longer, according to circumstances, while another description is made of a lesser quantity of hair, shorter in proportion, and sewn up in the usual 84way of making twists or “tails.” (see accompanying illustrations.)
the first pieces described can be arranged in puffs, undulations, rouleaux, knots, or twists, but those made upon the last-named principle are more suited for plaits, but leaving the ends curled.
the experienced coiffeur will see at a glance what can be done when these additions are introduced. with the lady’s own chevelure, and the use of two or more of these pieces of hair, a dressing can be devised at once light and elegant, high on the head as with a long coronet, by inserting the 85stems one into the other and concealing the loops, or low on the neck with tight or fluffy curls. again, the stems can be incorporated with the back hair, and the curled ends arranged over and upon the forehead. should the head of hair be of a poor description, through its being short and thin, then three, or at most four, of these tresses will probably be required. the following headdress has been executed to give the reader some idea of the adaptability of these pretty additions to almost any style of hairdressing, while the advantages to be derived from the curled ends may readily be discerned.
86in presenting this description of the zephyr coiffure, i would remark that not one, but at least twenty different styles can be executed with the help of these necessary adjuncts, and, further, the chignon can be made large or small according to the taste or requirements of the wearer, as can easily be imagined.
while speaking of taper-curled hair, i am reminded of a semi-waved curled chignon which is light in construction and produces a very pretty effect. of course it can be made either large or small, thick or thin, with longer or shorter hair, and a practised hand will see at a glance its general utility. this cache-peigne can be worn with a comb, or embellished with 87flowers, and, moreover, it presents a most natural appearance. (see fig. 14.)
to make the chignon, take about 3? ozs. of taper ringlet hair, a part of which is to be twelve inches, another part fourteen, and so on up to the longest, which should be about twenty inches. instead of weaving upon three silks in the usual manner, fine wire is to be substituted for the centre one. let the weft be very good, and 88sew up into a diamond-shaped foundation. (reference to chapter v. will show what is meant.) with this quantity of hair the mount should be, when completed, about four inches wide and seven inches long. the weft required is about three yards, and must be so arranged that the shorter hair is kept at the top, while the longest comes to the bottom. to make the wavings, undo the curl a little here and there and friz underneath, or it can be weakened by means of a warm iron. another cache-peigne i have made on a similar principle, but very much lighter, and, with proper dressing, it appears to be nearly as full. take ? oz. or 1 oz. of taper ringlet hair, twelve, sixteen and twenty inches long. weave and sew up as before directed. in dressing, each curl should be very carefully frizzed in the inside, and disposed without the aid of the curl-stick, if possible. by adopting this method, the curls will be very thin and light, and obtain, through frizzing, all the fulness required.
a novel chignon was designed, some time ago, by mr. joseph kubelka (vienna), which consists of the ingenious combination of two ordinary “tails” or “twists,” and is worthy of reproduction here.
its formation will be seen at a glance,[6] and the method of arrangement is first made upon the hand (the tops being held by some person, or else temporarily fixed to a table), and a “bodkin” must be employed in working the design. this 89bodkin can be made of tortoise-shell, ivory, or bone, but it must have an opening sufficiently large to encircle the free ends of the hair. (the illustration given below indicates very clearly how the plait is to be made.)
by means of this contrivance the hair is drawn through spaces easily made by the fingers, and, as can readily be discerned, the plaited chignon well holds itself together. the final disposition of the ends must be completed upon the head, when they (as well as the natural hair) should be made into 90rouleaux, etc., as may be found most convenient and tasteful. where lightness has to be considered, perhaps two well-covered inserted stems might take the place of a quantity of hair—a hint which is not likely to be overlooked by clever hairdressers.
91probably, at this juncture, some remarks on chignons in general will not be thought out of place. chignons may be considered as “old as the hills,” for the word simply means as i interpret it—a back hair dressing without reference to any particular shape. were i to designate the mere “knot” at the back of the head a chignon, perhaps my meaning would not be clearly understood, but it is in reality as much a chignon as the most elaborate one could be. in the ordinary acceptation of the word, however, a fanciful style of dressing the back hair is meant, and “board-work” would not be complete without special allusion being made to chignons, seeing that their manufacture a few years ago gave employment to thousands of people of both sexes.
m. alphonse bouchard, writing in the hairdresser’s chronicle on the subject of “false hair,” says that “the compilers of the general catalogue of the universal exhibition, 1867, have given us figures, which it would be very difficult to check; but they, no doubt, used the same sources which i have had recourse to, and to prove the exactness and authority of this essay, i shall quote a few data.
“this official document reports as follows:—the manufacture of hair is to-day of very great importance. paris is the place where the hair is well prepared, and where the headdresses arrive at the highest degree of perfection. the price of raw hair, says this catalogue, is about 50 francs 92on an average per kilo. it was 65 francs in 1865; and it is said to have been sold even at 100 francs. the price of prepared hair is 140 francs the kilo. the price of postiches is about 40 francs apiece; the prices of the fashionable coiffures, called chignons, range from 15 francs to 200 francs, and even as far as 500 francs apiece. in france about 70,000 kilos. of cut hair are sold. of this quantity 40,000 kilos. are french, and 20,000 kilos. are imported from italy, belgium, germany and other countries. 8,000 kilos. are collected in the workshops and other places; this is called ‘waste.’ america, england and prussia buy 30,000 kilos. of hair of us; 25,000 kilos. are used in france in the manufacture of postiches; and about 13,000 kilos. are exported to different countries. marseilles is next to paris in importance for the hair trade. m. joseph mathieu has given us some curious details on the hair trade in marseilles. he tells us, that the statutes of the wig-makers of marseilles date from 1696. their number was for a long time limited to twenty. in 1760, the master-wigmakers of marseilles, seeing that a large number of ladies’ hairdressers established themselves in that city, commenced an action against them. but a decree of the 20th june, 1761, rejected these pretensions, and gave full and entire freedom to the ladies’ hairdressers to exercise their calling.
“in 1789, the number of hairdressers and 93ladies’ hairdressers of marseilles was considerable. it is well known how complicated the headdresses of that period were, and according to the records of that time, marseilles was one of the first cities in france for elegance and good taste.
“after the revolution the number of hairdressers increased gradually, but it is more especially during the last ten years that this increase has been mostly noticed, and to-day we have at marseilles 397 coiffeurs.
“four houses, employing about forty workmen, hold the monopoly of the hair trade. the trade has increased fourfold during the last thirty years. the houses in the trade receive together annually 6,000 kilos. of hair, from the tyrol, bohemia, dalmatia and italy. having been worked, 3,000 kilos. of this quantity is sent to the provinces and to foreign countries, and 3,000 kilos. remain for town consumption.
“it is estimated that of these, 500 kilos. are used for men’s wigs, and 2,500 kilos. for postiches for women. the postiches, chignons, cache-folies and false plaits are employed to such an extent, that there are at marseilles actually 75,000 women, or the whole grown-up female population, who wear false hair. this observation applies equally to paris and to some large towns abroad. all coiffeurs at marseilles trade in chignons more or less, and their annual production of this article amounts to 55,000. of these, 30,000 are 94sent to the provinces, and 25,000 are sold in the city and its suburbs.
1. coiled chignon, measuring thirty-six inches, or more, when undone. 2. pair of side frizzetts. 3. seven strand double plait. 4. marguerite plait: this can be plaited in 4, 5, 6, or 7 strands, as may be decided upon. 5. bertha frizzett (set of three), for plaited chignon: the stems are made with straight hair inserted, of medium thickness, and seventeen inches in length.
“corresponding with the advance of education in france, the difficulty to find young countrywomen who are ready to part with their chevelure increases. nowadays it requires a sum of money to induce a girl to undergo the ordeal of the cutter’s scissors; consequently we have been obliged to go elsewhere in search of this article, principally to germany, austria, italy, and more particularly to sicily, the neapolitan provinces, and the former papal states. the large religious communities of women furnish also great quantities of hair. in certain catholic countries the hair of the novice who enters a religious order is sold for the benefit of the convent where the vow is taken, and those beautiful tresses, sacrificed at the foot of the altar by virgins who renounce the world, return to it again other heads to adorn. the italian hair is imported into france via marseilles, and the figure of this importation reached in 1865 17,367 kilos.
95“in 1830, the value of raw and manufactured hair exported from france amounted to 104,488 francs; in 1865 it had increased to 1,206,605 francs. numbers of people at paris, at marseilles, and in other large towns, have realised fortunes in the hair trade. let us mention one house in the palais royal quarter which, in 1868, did business to the amount of 1,552,000 francs. we may safely say that the french hairdressers sell annually 68,000 kilos. of hair, which, made into plaits, curls, crape, etc., represents a sum of 80,000,000 francs. let us further mention that another house sold, within sixteen months, in 1871 and 1872, 16,000 chignons, at prices varying from 12 to 70 francs each, but of course there are much more expensive ones sold, chignons of a natural red or golden tinted hair, which is principally imported from scotland, being the most expensive.”[7]
from the foregoing, the reader can learn what the trade was a few years ago; but what it is now, his every-day experience can answer.
undoubtedly the manufacture of chignons was a thriving trade so long as it lasted, and we 96have it on record that of a certain dyed material termed “hair” (which it greatly resembled) “hundreds of thousands of tons” were used in the making of frizzettes, pads, etc.[8]
it would be useless now to enter upon the method of constructing chignons, for their patterns are almost endless; but with inserted stems, or pads, and suitable hair, an ingenious hairdresser ought to be able, after what i have already said, to make several of neat and pretty designs.
