Deadly straight hair

[chiemi]

My husband has very straight hair and has a spikey in the front type hair style. His hair is so straight that he keeps it short because when it get long it looks very funky. How do I get his hair to look more regency?

[Mme de Beaufort]

Mousse his hair flat an dthen brush it forward onto his forehead and temples in a napoleon/caesar sort of way.



www.songsmyth.com/menhair.html

I did this with my husband's short hair, and it looked very well. If you'll notice, he also grew sideburns for me; what a great sport.

[chiemi]

That's really good! A easy option, I like it.

[Val]

admin said:

Mousse his hair flat an dthen brush it forward onto his forehead and temples in a napoleon/caesar sort of way.

That's what I want to do with my hair! Yeah, I know, I'm a girl. *grin*

[The Major]

Not only a very common Regency style for gentlemen, it is so simple to do even I can do it myself (so it has to be easy or I would...). I have just enough wave in my hair that I can get the tousled look like in the plates Allseeing posted here.

Good luck!

[chiemi]

You are indeed lucky sir!

Question, would it be weird to do some sort of curling to his hair? I read that gentlemen curled their hair. Rags curls?

[The Major]

chiemi said:

You are indeed lucky sir!

Question, would it be weird to do some sort of curling to his hair? I read that gentlemen curled their hair. Rags curls?

No, it would not be weird at all. I've done so before. Done right it really looks fantastic! My problem is that I can't do it myself and had to have a hairdresser do it for me, so it was a one time occurrence. I'm not sure how because I just sat there while she did it, my apology I can't help more in that respect.

Depending on just the style you/he goes with, the challenge is the dreaded 'hat hair'. It just won't do for a gentleman to be outdoors with head uncovered. And to get to the Ball, picnic, &c, he must go out of doors. I'm still trying to figure this one out myself. If anyone else has suggestions how to ward off the evil hat hair, please do tell.

The next challenge, along the same lines, are those non-period facial whiskers. If gentlemen could just be convinced that it will grow back...

[chiemi]

How did you explain how you wanted it to the hairdresser? Or did you just give her a picture?

[The Major]

chiemi said:

How did you explain how you wanted it to the hairdresser? Or did you just give her a picture?

As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words (only a thousand? Hmmm). I'm not sure if I could have explained it.

[chiemi]

Hm... I have some studying to do. Thankfully my husband is a very patient man and will let me practice on him.

[The Major]

chiemi said:

Hm... I have some studying to do. Thankfully my husband is a very patient man and will let me practice on him.

If he didn't, as an officer, there are three words I would tell him. However, I would not say these words to a lady, much less expect her to repeat them. So I will leave it at that.

Just keep telling him that it will look fantastic. When he sees the final product, he will agree.

[chiemi]

As allseeing says, you are the consummate gentleman.

[Mme de Beaufort]

DH was the same way; he railed against the costume and hair, and then saw himself strutting about in frock coat and hair, and felt quite the opposite afterwards. He really enjoys his costume

[Goblin, esq.]

admin said:

DH was the same way; he railed against the costume and hair, and then saw himself strutting about in frock coat and hair, and felt quite the opposite afterwards. He really enjoys his costume

I am glad he came to his senses!

I have noticed that a few gentlemen at our events have recently been persuaded into breeches instead of trousers, though I know they were very reluctant at first. So it seems that progress can be made, given patience and time, even with the most obdurate.

[Mme de Beaufort]

chrisber said:

admin said:

DH was the same way; he railed against the costume and hair, and then saw himself strutting about in frock coat and hair, and felt quite the opposite afterwards. He really enjoys his costume

I am glad he came to his senses!

I have noticed that a few gentlemen at our events have recently been persuaded into breeches instead of trousers, though I know they were very reluctant at first. So it seems that progress can be made, given patience and time, even with the most obdurate.

I don't think it was a particular article of clothing that is the problem. He was more hesitant about the whole idea of dressing up in period clothes at risk of being mocked by his brother and co-workers should they find out. They (his family) think I"m very weird with my writing and art and other cultural stuff.

But somewhere alogn the line, he just accepted it and doesn't care now. He also got so many compliments about his costume at the ball and the most recent party, he feels quite proud. Someone told him he had the best costume among the men, so that helped.

He also found that it is more acceptable if he can commiserate with other gentlemen that were 'forced' to attend in costume.

Oh, and the addition of his being allowed to carry a sword-cane is also a great incentive. Weaponry is very much a perk.

[The Major]

chrisber said:

admin said:

DH was the same way; he railed against the costume and hair, and then saw himself strutting about in frock coat and hair, and felt quite the opposite afterwards. He really enjoys his costume

I am glad he came to his senses!

I have noticed that a few gentlemen at our events have recently been persuaded into breeches instead of trousers, though I know they were very reluctant at first. So it seems that progress can be made, given patience and time, even with the most obdurate.

Mssr. Goblin,

I must politely mention that by the latter half of the Regency period that breeches were becoming old fashioned in America. I'm not sure about England. I have seen many writings starting during the War of 1812 and becoming more and more frequent immediately following the war where comments are made about some gentleman dressing in his antiquities referring to this breeches. I assume the gentlemen in their breeches were probably older than the ones making the comments, but I could be wrong. During the War of 1812 breeches or not seems to be a mixed bag, by 1820 America they were nearly extinct - at least in American military circles. Do you know how long the fashion held for the British?

[chiemi]

My husband is very much into the renaissance so he has already worn breeches before. He likes to be authentic...he even studied how to speak like they did. He said that he will do the same when we start going to regency events. He's totally into dressing up. I talked to him about it over his lunch break and he said he'd do it so long as I don't burn him with the curling iron. I told him I'd try not to.

[Goblin, esq.]

themajor said:

Mssr. Goblin,

I must politely mention that by the latter half of the Regency period that breeches were becoming old fashioned in America. I'm not sure about England. I have seen many writings starting during the War of 1812 and becoming more and more frequent immediately following the war where comments are made about some gentleman dressing in his antiquities referring to this breeches. I assume the gentlemen in their breeches were probably older than the ones making the comments, but I could be wrong. During the War of 1812 breeches or not seems to be a mixed bag, by 1820 America they were nearly extinct - at least in American military circles. Do you know how long the fashion held for the British?

Indeed, I stand corrected. When I think of the Regency in less then rigorous terms, I tend to think of the earlier end of the period, circa 1805-1810, and generally in terms of formal dress, as we mostly put on evening balls in my area.

I don't have the dates handy, but breeches started going out of style during the Regency, first as day wear and towards the end of the period even as evening wear, although they were first replaced by pantaloons, which are essentially breeches extended to mid-calf, and without the buckles, and later by trousers, which were also much tighter than what is commonly worn today.