My hair experiment/historical hairstyle

[Sarahlabyrinth]

So, some of you may know that I am growing my hair to Classic in honour of my grandmother whose hair was that long. I only have the one photograph of her showing much detail of her hairstyle and have always thought it looked so elegant on her. (photo taken in 1900, so Victorian).

She would have needed an easy style to do - after all, she had 8 children, including twins at the age of 40, one of whom was my father :)

So today I thought I would take an educated guess and try to emulate her updo, going on what I could guess at/see from her photo. I think it's a reasonable approximation. Anyway, this is how it turned out:

http://i1253.photobucket.com/albums/hh582/Sarahlabyrinth/DSCF9625.jpg

http://i1253.photobucket.com/albums/hh582/Sarahlabyrinth/ac6e1be5-9485-4679-b129-670bcec6cf2f.jpg

http://i1253.photobucket.com/albums/hh582/Sarahlabyrinth/DSCF9503.jpg

And you might as well have a back view as well :

http://i1253.photobucket.com/albums/hh582/Sarahlabyrinth/DSCF9697.jpg

This is the first time I have attempted this style so hopefully with practice I will get it tidier.

It is really comfortable and quick to do.

So - how I did it:

Take a small section of hair at the front of the hairline and set aside until later.

Take half of the remaining hair as if you are going to do a half-up. Coil this into a loose cinnabun high on the head and pin.

Divide the remainder of the hair at the back of the head in half vertically. Coil the left hand half, twisting gently, around the cinnabun from underneath anti-clockwise and pin in place.

Coil the right hand section of hair likewise from underneath but clockwise around the cinnabun and pin.

Now all the hair you have left should be the piece from the very front you separated off earlier. Comb it smooth back towards the bun, and twist it gently, push it forward slightly to make a pouf at the front of your hairline and pin. The remainder of this hair after you have pinned it is loosely wrapped around the bun and pinned.

Note: All the hair in the bun should be coiled and pinned as loosely as you can manage it - after all, we all want big buns, right? :)

I think it is very protective, as nothing is tight or pulls at all and all the ends are safely tucked away.

There you have it - Laura's bun (my grandmother). Hope you enjoy it :)

[squirrrel]

Looks good Sarahlabyrinth! :)

[StellaKatherine]

Looks so beautiful! :crush: You know we have same reason for growing hair to classic lenght. My grandmother as well had classic lenght hair ( or so is my guess ). I always heard how her hair was so long, that she would put it around her head, and that would be around classic and maybe even little longer. Unfortunantly I have no photos of granny where I could see the lenght of it, but I have her braid......(hopefully no one will think that is weird hehe) She cut her entire braid when my granddad left her. But she didn't through away it, but made in to a 3 strand braid (each strand separated kinda like a paranda) and she worn it sometimes later on in her life as a bun. I think she regreted cutting it, but never grown her hair long anymore. When grandmother died I take the braid, and have it. I am almost scared about the emotions I will have when I finally get to classic...

[squirrrel]

It's my great gran who had the long hair... Mum has stories about how she wore it in milkmaids going round the back of her head, and used to take it down every afternoon and brush it out, and that she remembers it as long enough that her Granny could sit on it, but not being sure how long it was in actual fact... She doesn't remember seeing it being washed, or cut though. Apparently, when Great Granny grew older she developed Altzheimers and needed looking after, so the people wherever cut her hair short... Mum said it was then that her hair went grey.

Often, if I'm going to join my parents for part of the day, I'll milkmaid braid my hair, because it gives Mum happy memories of her time with her granny.

[Begemot]

Beautiful pictures, awesome story and style! The resemblance between you and your grandmother makes these pictures so interesting :)

[Federica]

Lovely updo, SarahLabyrinth! Thank you for posting it with instructions!

And I think the picture of your grandmother is so fascinating.
My grandmother too was a hair inspiration for me, when I was a child she had knee + silver hair, always in a bun.

[hinabelle]

Gosh, what a beautiful updo... Lovely work! :flower:

[Lady Katherine]

This is so cool! Thanks for posting instructions for the style, I'll have to try it out sometime! Looks great on you and your grandmother!

[Madora]

Lovely, Sarahlabyrinth! Thanks for sharing.

[betterhairday]

I think you did a fantastic job. Your grandmother was very elegant and beautiful, notice, no wrinkles! If I had 8 kids I would have wrinkles everywhere! Wonder what she used to keep her hair in such good condition and what sort of moisturizer she used. Love this thread.

[Larki]

Beautiful!!

[AZDesertRose]

Gorgeous, you and your grandmother. Wow! :)

[DizzyGinger]

Aw that's so sweet. I love the style, very elegant

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Thank you all. Isn't it lovely to find a connection with our grandmothers...StellaKatherine, how wonderful that you have your grandmother's braid. Maybe you could post a pic for us to see. Do you wear it yourself at all or do you keep it as a memento?

[StellaKatherine]

Sarahlabyrinth, I sometimes braid it into my own braid and put it in a huge bun :D Granny's hair was that beautiful chocolate brown color. So it very contrasting with mine own, but I think it looks nice. In a weird way, I feel close to her. had a weird feeling when my own braid became longer. Granny was shorter than me and had smaller head ;) I can take a photo of the braid and the braid was cut a little at some point as I know... but don't know if people will think its weird :D

[embee]

The grandmother pictures I have do not show enough of any updo for me to even think of making one like. :(

Very nice, SL! :) Looks so soft and gentle. Good pics, too, the sepia has a soft gentle quality as well.

StellaKatherine - this group of longhairs would probably appreciate your granny's braid... they might even be a bit envious. ;)

[MINAKO]

That turned out fantastic! I looks super elegant on you but also very wearable at the same time.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Embee and MINAKO, thanks! It is very easy to do. If anyone wanted to try doing the style they could post their pics here as I would love to see it on other people and see what it looks like.

StellaKatherine, I know that I, for one, would love to see your hairdo with your grandmother's braid. If you can't show it on TLHC, where can you show it off? I bet it looks like a lovely natural paranda when you wear it and I would love to see a photo.

[Nellon]

Looks so beautiful! :crush: You know we have same reason for growing hair to classic lenght. My grandmother as well had classic lenght hair ( or so is my guess ). I always heard how her hair was so long, that she would put it around her head, and that would be around classic and maybe even little longer. Unfortunantly I have no photos of granny where I could see the lenght of it, but I have her braid......(hopefully no one will think that is weird hehe) She cut her entire braid when my granddad left her. But she didn't through away it, but made in to a 3 strand braid (each strand separated kinda like a paranda) and she worn it sometimes later on in her life as a bun. I think she regreted cutting it, but never grown her hair long anymore. When grandmother died I take the braid, and have it. I am almost scared about the emotions I will have when I finally get to classic...

That's the saddest most beautiful story. She sounds like a strong and warm woman somehow... How beautiful that you have kept and wear her braid!

[TrapperCreekD]

:thud: Stunning updo, and a beautiful tribute, Sarah.

[StellaKatherine]

So you asked me for photos... Here is my granny's braid. After all this years it is still so thick and beautiful!

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=16709&d=1428482690

And here is mine and granny's braid combined together. My hair is slightly longer right now... I must say I cried when braiding it in. Miss her so much!

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=16710&d=1428482691

And here is HUGE bun :D I am actually suprised how well mine and grannys colours fit together! Then again.. I am her grandaughter after all ;) Mine hair seems to be darkening with time as well

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=16711&d=1428482693

Nellon, She was the most amazing person... But her heart was for ever broken, it never really complete heal... I am thinking I might write her story one day...

Ps. Most people do not know, that I have granny's braid. As after telling couple of times I noticed, that people are very disturbed by the thought of it and think it's weird. At same time, they will easily buy a real hair extentions from the person they never met :hmm: . This is why I am very careful about telling this, I never say what hair is in the braid if I wear it.

[Peggy E.]

StellaKatherine - Your granny's braid is amazing and the beautiful addition it makes to your hair is stunning. The colors go together so well, as does the texture, it is impossible to tell from the pics which is your hair and which is hers. A perfect blend.

I don't think there's any problem with using this lovely hair. In fact, it is a priceless heirloom, one that allows you to continue to have your granny with you, in your life, in a way that not only brings wonderful memories to life, but adds beauty to her already beautiful granddaughter.

Wear this with pride and love it for the precious gift it truly is for you to enjoy.

[Linguaphilia]

StellaKatherine, what a sad and beautiful story. I had to swallow. She must have been in deep grief if she cut her hair after her husband left her.
"Only those capable of strong love can experience strong grief, but the very need to love serves a counterweight to their grief and heals them."
(Tolstoy, Childhood, boyhood, youth)

On topic: my grandmother had classic length hair and she always wore it in a bun (probably braided) with combs on the sides of her head for volume.

[Calaelen]

Sarah, I can't even express the feelings I got reading this thread. That picture of your Granny is so emotive. It is beyond awesome to me that you are growing your hair for this reason, and wish to re-create this style. You did a lovely job of it.

Stella, I think keeping your granny's braid and wearing it is a beautiful tribute. That braid was clearly special to her and it is made clear by the fact that she kept it and wore it later. You doing the same thing seems natural and beautiful to me. Your hair with hers braided in is beautiful and beyond special! This thread gave me so many feels! <3

I'd be very interested to read more about both of your
grandmothers.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

StellaKatherine, that is such a sweet and sad story about your grandmother and her hair. But such a gift for you to own, and wear with pride too! It's amazing that when you are wearing her braid it all looks like yours and it makes such a stunning, stunning bun. Wear it with pride, love and honour for your grandmother.

Calaelen, thank you. I don't know much about my grandmother, sadly.I have always thought her very beautiful in that photo. Whenever I asked my father about her he would always say she was a lovely kind lady. He also would describe to me how when he was a little boy he used to sit in her bedroom and watch her brushing her hair - he said it was "long enough for her to sit on and very beautiful". I guess that's when I decided that I too wanted hair which was "long enough to sit on and very beautiful" too. Sadly my father is no longer alive to see my long hair but I am growing it anyway.

My grandmother kept her long hair until she died aged 68.

He also used to tell me that she would chase him and his twin brother when they were naughty and they would run outside and around and around the water storage tank outside and she could never catch them...lol.

[Dessi]

Beautiful hairdo and photos Sarahlabyrinth!
Stella, your story is just beautiful. So is your grandmother's braid. Be proud to have it. :)

[StellaKatherine]

Thank you so much for all of your kind words! Means a lot to me! The braid it truly important to me and I feel like I closer to my granddmother when I wear it. To be true, she was more like a mother to me as I grow up with her from 7 month old till almost 13 years old. She fight with my mom all my childhooh about my hair. Granny wanted me to have long and was braiding my hair to kindergarden and then later to school while mom thought I needed a good hair cut :)