This style was done 100% with Laurie’s own hair. I left out some of the starting steps and we did some things out of order but if you have read the getting started it should be understandable.
From the Revue de la Coiffure magazine, around 1878. Recreating this looping pattern did not seem possible so I’m showing another one. It is simpler but turned out well. I suggest that you double up to do this with a friend. It might be possible with good apposing mirrors so that you can see the back of your head while working on it. A good reference for hair styles of this time period is Victorian Fashions and Costumes from Harper’s Bazar, 1867-1898 (Dover Fashion and Costumes).
Rest the comb on your ponytail.
Like this.
Divide the ponytail into 4 or 5 equal sections. Four of you hair is thin and 5 if it’s thick. Save the 5th section to wrap around the rubberband to cover it. Clip then off and move all but one out of the way.
Apply a small amount of pomade to smooth the bundle.
Smooth it in.
Add a small rubber band near the end.
Use the rubber band to help you slip the bundle thru the oval in the comb.
Use one hand to pull it thru and the other to keep the loop even.
Continue going thru the ovals (clockwise) from the under side to the front side until you are at the bottom. Take the next bundle over and bring it thru the same ovals counterclock wise.
Repeat with the next two bindles on the other side. Laurie’s hair is a bit long for replicating the period illustration but if it was a foot os so shorter I would have curled the ends with a small curling iron. Perhaps 1/2″ bore or add some setting gel and 1/2″ rollers to create sausage curls.
This is how Laurie’s looked but with foresite we would have devided her hair into 5 not 4 sections because it is thick. Then we could have used the last bundle to cover the rubberband.
Instead of curls if you have really long hair you can twist your ends then ribber band the end bring that up and back to fill in the center.
Instead of curls you can twist your ends then ribberband the end bring that up to fill in the center. Note; this is somewhat out of order we just chose to do it this way this time.
Pin both twist near the top edge of the comb with large bobby pins and twist the rest of the hair together and rubber band it off.
Spiral the twist on the top of your head to cover the top of the comb and make a small chignon. Hold the chignon down with small hairpins.
It should look like this from the font and the back. This is only one way to weave you hair thru the ovals of the comb. Play with it.
From the side.
Because we did not add curls at the base of the comb and we pulled the hair up instead this makes a good day look. You can also add a large chignon over the small one from you side fronts at the top of you head. That look was very popular in the 1870s
For more of an evening look we added a plume and a floral swag on a brass hair pin. The branches of the silk flowers are held in place with small fine hair pins. Always put this type of pin pointing down and pinch them as you slide them in so that when they spring back they are more likely to stay. You can even bend them a little wider so they have more tension when pinched.
From the side.