Help me with a half up

[Magdalene]

I started a new thread since I've kind of decided what I want to do but not how I want to do it. I need a half up that doesn't pull too much volume from the down/back portion (which will be going into one or two low buns then be let down.)

I need the front/up part to 1. stay off of my face 2. look regal 3. look Greek. 3. frame my face/look good from the front

I'm thinking some sort of wrapped braids but I'm not sure exactly how. Ideas? Better yet, pictures

[ElusiveMuse]

I think if you look at ancient sculpture, often the women have their hair parted in the middle and the hair on either side of their part pulled back with a sort of loose pouf and held with a ribbon or headband of some kind. Hard to explain, but if you look through some antiquity collections - The Getty has a great one, or the Met - you can get some ideas. A lot of what you see will actually be Roman copies, or in some cases even 18th and 19th century conservation of the head and limbs, so not 100% Greek but enough of the idea that it would work for you.

Here is a good example and you can click on the picture to zoom in.
http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/130015914?rpp=60&pg=1&ft=greek&pos=56

[Magdalene]

Yep, I've seen those, but it isn't quite what I need for this. Thanks, though.

[Aerin]

Maybe if you have a picture of what you are aiming for we could be more helpful. Hope you figure it out!

[Magdalene]

I don't have a picture, that's part of the problem

ETA: maybe something like this, but I wish I could see the front: http://media.photobucket.com/image/helen+of+troy+/RaphaelWrestlingBrazil/Outros%20Anothers/Woman/MncSiennaGuilloryHelenOfTroy12.jpg (warning- might not be SFW)

[ElusiveMuse]

Maybe if you could be more specific about how the examples from antiquity DON'T meet your criteria, we could help you more.

[StephanieB]

I need the front/up part to look Greek.

I'm thinking some sort of wrapped braids but I'm not sure exactly how.
The ancient Greeks didn't wear braids.

You can't get a braided hairstyle of any kind to "look Grecian".

Take it from an old Broadway Costume Mistress: Braids and ancient Greece do not go together!

[StephanieB]

Grecian hairstyles were mostly piled high up and/or back, with a headband, and usually with lots of curls. They had what amounts to slight pompadours in front - curly pompadours - and the curls were just piles up on top of the head. I guess hair pins held the curls in place. shrug The napes of women's necks were clean (uncovered).

[Magdalene]

I'm really looking for more help designing the half-up rather than what is literally Greek. I probably shouldn't have put the word Greek in there.


This small collection of images that have survived time give a demonstration of the range of women's hairstyles in the world of ancient Greece. Many of the styles were short and we don't see the long flowing tresses of the modern age. There were mostly braided styles and little indication of bangs, pony tails, or other kinds of extensions. When hair was shown longer, it was bound into braids, and allowed to frame the face. For the most part hair was very functional, though ornate. Warrior women existed, at least in mythology. For them, long hair in battles would have been a great disadvantage. The hair was neat, proper, and held by pins and other devices, many of which have been found in tombs and archaeological sites. These images, then, are a sampling of what the higher class lady of ancient Greece may have appeared like. The artists, when representing goddesses, had a living models from which to base their representation, as a result, there was no one stand appearance for any significant female goddess.
ANYWAY, I'm not that worried about literal historical accuracy, just a general impression. Far more important that the front stay in place during frenetic dancing, and I HAVE to be able to let the back down quickly (like in about 30 seconds) And it needs to frame my face in both iterations so I don't look like a pinhead.

[lapushka]

What about something like this? Just don't roll all the way to the back of the neck, stop halfway through and make it a half-up.
http://www.youtube.com/user/Loepsie#p/u/1/zOP1a0nO6Rs

[ElusiveMuse]

From where did you find that excerpt?

I'm only asking because you have me, an art historian who studies costume, and StephanieB, a professional costumer, trying to give you suggestions that will meet all your criteria.

Actually, never mind because I just googled "ancient Greek braids" and found the exact excerpt you quote here - http://www.hairselect.com/greek.htm

Now, there is some serious interpretive fail going on in this webpage.

The images you see in this page do not depict braids. They are stylized curls.

[Dizzy_zzz]

This lady does historically accurate grecian hairstyles, so look around her channel and you might get some ideas. You might have to modify some a little, though.

http://www.youtube.com/user/jntvstp

Also, Liliththedarkmoon has quite a few grecian-inspired hairstyles on her youtube channels.

I hope that helps!