Title: British Wigs in the 1700s | Our Everyday Life
Headings: British Wigs in the 1700s
British Wigs in the 1700s
Why Wigs Became Fashionable
Wig Powder
Changing Fashions in Wigs throughout the 18th Century
The Decline of the Fashion in Wigs

Content: Cheaper wigs were made of horsehair or other animal hair. Wig Powder
From around 1715, the trend was set for wearing light colored wigs. Experiments in bleaching wigs to achieve the desired look were unsuccessful, so people began powdering their wigs in order to shade them as they wished. The powder was composed of finely ground starch and was perfumed with lavender, orange flower and other scents. Generally, wigs were powdered white, though adventurous souls experimented with colors such as violet, pink or blue. Women also wore the powder on their natural hair. Changing Fashions in Wigs throughout the 18th Century
At the beginning of the 18th century, wigs were long, full, heavy and ringletted, in a style similar to those seen in portraits of Charles the Second. From the 1720s, men tended to wear shorter, more practical wigs, often braided, tied back or with the ends wrapped in a black taffeta bag. These had previously been worn mainly by soldiers for whom the long, flowing wigs were impractical. The trend for smaller “bob-wigs” made wig wearing affordable and practical for a wider social range, and tradesmen and even apprentices began wearing them.