Generalities of the Period
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Both men and women powdered their hair, often using wheat meal. Hairdressing in the 18th century established itself as a legitimate profession. Men and women of all classes wore wigs. Towards the mid-late 18th century, there was a craze for towering artificial hairstyles. They had fanciful names, and were decorated in themes corresponding to the name. The pouf au sentiment featured birds, butterflies, cupids, tree branches, and vegetables, all arranged in a towering wig – it was a court favorite.
The height of these styles made traveling difficult – often women would kneel on the floor of their carriages. Scratching sticks were also carried, as the hairstyles were havens for lice and vermin. Eventually these concoctions fell out of favor, and the taste for all things natural after the Revolution did away with powdered hair. Women wore their hair arranged in a variety of loose, natural hairstyles.
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