Awsome traditional hairdo!

[Gulbahar]

Look what I've found:
http://www.zeit.de/kultur/2011-07/fs-trachten/seite-5
It's a (in this case fake) hairdo belonging to a traditional outfit from a small region in Franconia (Germany). They used to braid this with their own hair and wore it for six weeks. Incredible! (In the picture it's a hairpiece of course.)

[PianoPlaye]

Wow! That's stunning!
And after six weeks, just think of the braid waves....

[LunaMoon]

Wow! amazing!
Just wondering how to do it...:D

[skraprchik]

It looks like it's practically woven. Very interesting!

[jfeg116]

There's a braid sort of like that in the articles- I came across it last night, I forget what it was called, but you did 5 seperate rope braids for a little while, then tied them off together and finished the rest of your hair (very very long hair) in a single rope braid, then folded it up and pinned the single rope braid so the 5 little ones hung down in a fan. It might have been called something Rose? Rose something?

[WittyWordsmith]

That is unbelievable! It's like a basket of hair!

[Madora]

Yes, it is a form of basketweaving...for hair! Basketweaving hair was popular (if rare) back in the early 70s. But this German hairstyle is truly spectacular! I saw a similar style of hair basketweaving in a German book printed in the early 1930s in the reference department of the SF Public Library. It was truly awesome and I'd always hoped to get a xerox of it..but our infamous Loma Prieta Quake struck the next week, and the reference book was never seen again.

Thanks for that beautiful photo!!

[Bohemian Haze]

Woah! That is some piece of work! Yeah, if I did that, I'd want a six-week break too :)

[Ishje]

that is very pretty! I don't think someone could do that on their own hair though XD

[seaj]

That's an awesome 'do!

[MissAlida]

I think it would TAKE six weeks to braid that:laugh:...

[Theobroma]

I think it would TAKE six weeks to braid that:laugh:...

Hee hee! That was my thought too! :D

[Fairlight63]

Beautiful hair style! It looks like a woven basket weave or something! I also think that she would have to have someone do that for her.

But:
I think that after 6 wks. it would be hard to detangle it. I bet that she would get a LOT of shed hairs when she combs it - 6 wks. of shed hair all at once.
I don't think that it would be healthy for the hair & scalp to be left up for 6 wks.
I don't think that I could have my hair up for that long without combing it or brushing it, my scalp would start to get the itches or something. My scalp loves to have massages from fingers or BBB.

[Anje]

Very cool, but that's some nasty-looking damage on the bun.

Yes, it is a form of basketweaving...for hair! Basketweaving hair was popular (if rare) back in the early 70s.
All I can think of is Yeoman Rand. :D
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/84/JaniceRand.jpg

[Gulbahar]

Very cool, but that's some nasty-looking damage on the bun.
True, but it's a hairpiece and probably quite an old one. I mean, nobody dresses like this anymore except some folkloristic groups for special festive occasions. You should have a look at the other pictures of that series - not much hair but amazingly beautiful (and sometimes ridiculous) costumes.

[Corvus]

Not loving that.

[QueenJoey]

I wouldn't wear that, but I'd love a hairstyle that I could do and leave in for a week.

[AMD]

How do you basket weave hair?

[Fethenwen]

Holy cow! That is not only a hairdo, it's pure handicraft :eek: Rich people surely had more time on their hands back then...

[ravenreed]

I often look at intricate antique handicrafts and think, "Oh yeah, back before TV was invented. People had to entertain themselves somehow."



Holy cow! That is not only a hairdo, it's pure handicraft :eek: Rich people surely had more time on their hands back then...

[heidihug]

I have a hair-do history book that has a few illustrations on how to do that flat type of braiding/weaving of hair. I will have to scan some of them and post. It wouldn't work well for me with my thin hair - it would be rather pathetic looking, I'm sure. But I imagine someone with quite thick and not very wavy/curly hair could ask a ren faire braider (or an experienced and ambitious friend) to try something like it.

[Madora]

@heidihug...

I'm dying to know. Please, what is the name of the book? Thanks!

[heidihug]

Madora, I can't recall the name right now, but I will definitely try to remember to dig it out over the weekend and fill everyone in.

[catholicteacher]

Wow...just, wow!

[elbow chic]

I'm probably going to have dreams about that now. ALSO! Is it terrible that it makes me think of a homemade pot-holder?

[Vanilla Mint]

Beautiful hair style! It looks like a woven basket weave or something! I also think that she would have to have someone do that for her.

But:
I think that after 6 wks. it would be hard to detangle it. I bet that she would get a LOT of shed hairs when she combs it - 6 wks. of shed hair all at once.
I don't think that it would be healthy for the hair & scalp to be left up for 6 wks.
I don't think that I could have my hair up for that long without combing it or brushing it, my scalp would start to get the itches or something. My scalp loves to have massages from fingers or BBB.
This was my first thought. I can't imagine fine-textured hair fairing so well being kept in a style that long. D:

[ChatNoir]

That's truly amazing!

[missfortune9335]

Wow, it looks like a basket weave it's so intricate. That's really cool, thank you for posting it.

[AnnaJamila]

Oh my! And I was so proud of the way I'd braided my hair today . . .

[rusika1]

Holy cow! That is not only a hairdo, it's pure handicraft :eek: Rich people surely had more time on their hands back then...

Generally speaking, folk 'costume' (the fancy outfit that you would only wear to festivals or celebrations) were worn by the peasant classes, not by the rich or noble classes. Remember, no TV, no Internet, mostly no books or magazines, and idle hands are the devil's plaything.


I have a hair-do history book that has a few illustrations on how to do that flat type of braiding/weaving of hair. I will have to scan some of them and post.

Seconding Madora's request for more information!

There are some fascinating photos on that site; check out #6-the beaded headpiece with mirrors to ward off the evil eye! I really like the crown in #10 and hairstyle, hat and hairclip in #11. The tassels are very jaunty!

[Tressie]

Amazing! Gives a new meaning to "hair weave"! (o:

[Gulbahar]

Generally speaking, folk 'costume' (the fancy outfit that you would only wear to festivals or celebrations) were worn by the peasant classes, not by the rich or noble classes. Remember, no TV, no Internet, mostly no books or magazines, and idle hands are the devil's plaything.
They were worn by rich peasants - they did exist. Your average poorish peasant wouldn't have been able to afford these extremely intricate and expensive clothes.

[rusika1]

They were worn by rich peasants - they did exist. Your average poorish peasant wouldn't have been able to afford these extremely intricate and expensive clothes.

True, but they were by no means part of the idle rich (which was how I interpreted the original comment). I almost compared them to the merchant/middle class as opposed to nobility/upper class. Just goes to show that you should trust your instincts. Anyway, you are correct; these clothes would be worn by the class of peasant who could afford to hire the poorer peasants to help with the work.